Changing aspects of a person's lifestyle (decrease alcohol, caffeine, smoking and increase in water and exercise) can help reduce severe anxiety and panic attacks, according to new research carried out at the University of East Anglia.
A study by Dr Rod Lambert, from UEA's School of Allied Health Professions, has shown that drinking less alcohol and caffeine and smoking less, while increasing water intake and exercise, can be at least as effective as traditional medication and psychological treatments for panic disorder.
About 1.5% of the UK population are affected by panic disorder, with panic attacks being one of the symptoms. Sufferers often experience palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea, as well as feelings of impending doom or death. Some also suffer from agoraphobia.
It is thought to be the first time that research has been carried out on how changing a range of lifestyle behaviors can help patients. Dr Lambert said: "It can offer an early input helping many patients to understand and control some of their symptoms.
"Panic disorder can stop people working, it can stop people shopping. I've seen people who have had panic attacks when they are driving and at night. It can affect family dynamics and work patterns. It's a very disabling condition that can last for many years and every single person is going to experience it differently."
The trial was carried out with patients aged 18-65 referred from 15 GP practices in the East of England. They had all been identified as having panic disorder and were then assigned to either routine GP care, such as medication and referral to outside agencies, or to an occupational therapy-led lifestyle approach, which looked at diet, fluid intake, exercise and intake of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.
Dr Lambert said: "The short term effect was significant, while the longer term effect was at least as effective as routine GP care. If someone is experiencing palpitations, they may interpret that as an impending heart attack. What the therapist was doing in the trial was to suggest other lifestyle-related reasons for the palpitations.
"We can suggest cutting down on caffeine or having a bit more water during the day or night. If doing something as simple as that alters the sensations, then they may no longer misinterpret their symptoms and the associated panic goes."
Those who made changes to their lifestyle showed a decrease in the level of medication and number of doctor visits compared to those following the routine care. Levels of anxiety and panic attacks also reduced the most in patients following the lifestyle treatment - by 10 months, 67.7% of the lifestyle patients and 48.5% of the GP patients had been panic-free for at least one month.
Dr Lambert said he hoped to do further research, with the aim being to see a change in practice. "I am very encouraged by the results. Habitual lifestyle behavior hasn't really been taken seriously enough when looking at this type of condition. This study looked at a range of lifestyle behaviors but ones which people can make fairly immediate changes to. It suggests that patients actually respond to it."
Lambert RA, Harvey I, Poland F. A pragmatic, unblinded randomised controlled trial comparing an occupational therapy-led lifestyle approach and routine GP care for panic disorder treatment in primary care J Affect Disord. 2006, doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.08.026 In Press.
About Us
- Kathlene B. LaCour and Craig S. Judd
- Passages Behavioral Health Services was founded out of need to service mentally ill, co-occurring, correctional clients seeking a second chance. Our 40 years of clinical experience has prepared us to do this work which includes providing case management, Community Living Suppports (CLS), clinical assessment, treatment planning and more. Passages Behavioral Health also manages re-entry housing for this population know as the Passages House. We provide a service that not only bridges folks to another chance but helps maintain their progress in the community.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Living Longer
People are living longer these days. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 1920 the average life expectancy was 54. Today, people can expect to live to 78.
Feel free to speculate about why--better food supply, better medical care, better hygiene or any number of other factors. It's not totally clear to scientists how they all add up. But what we do know is that studies are finding genetics don't tell the whole story when it comes to which diseases will likely kill us.
"There's a saying that genetics load the gun, but it's the environment that pulls the trigger," says Dr. David Fein, medical director at the Princeton Longevity Center, a clinic in Princeton, N.J., which focuses on quality of life and prolonging it. "You can have the gene for a certain disease, but it doesn't mean you're going to get it."
If you really want to live longer, then start with your attitude. Your way of thinking not only improves your outlook on life, but also how long you actually live. In 2002, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by 50% compared with those who leaned more toward pessimism.
Besides looking through rosier-colored glasses, there other personality traits that can help us live longer, healthier lives. According to Dr. Howard Friedman, a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside, conscientiousness is related to mortality in a significant way. The Terman Life-Cycle Study, which ran from 1921 to 1991, examined an array of factors like personality, habits, social relations, education, physical activities and cause of death.
Valuing life is universal. Having some control over your own destiny is more realistic than many people realize. Learn more about how to live longer at Long Life. Knowledge is power; Applied knowledge is wisdom.
Feel free to speculate about why--better food supply, better medical care, better hygiene or any number of other factors. It's not totally clear to scientists how they all add up. But what we do know is that studies are finding genetics don't tell the whole story when it comes to which diseases will likely kill us.
"There's a saying that genetics load the gun, but it's the environment that pulls the trigger," says Dr. David Fein, medical director at the Princeton Longevity Center, a clinic in Princeton, N.J., which focuses on quality of life and prolonging it. "You can have the gene for a certain disease, but it doesn't mean you're going to get it."
If you really want to live longer, then start with your attitude. Your way of thinking not only improves your outlook on life, but also how long you actually live. In 2002, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by 50% compared with those who leaned more toward pessimism.
Besides looking through rosier-colored glasses, there other personality traits that can help us live longer, healthier lives. According to Dr. Howard Friedman, a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside, conscientiousness is related to mortality in a significant way. The Terman Life-Cycle Study, which ran from 1921 to 1991, examined an array of factors like personality, habits, social relations, education, physical activities and cause of death.
Valuing life is universal. Having some control over your own destiny is more realistic than many people realize. Learn more about how to live longer at Long Life. Knowledge is power; Applied knowledge is wisdom.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Broken Heart Syndrome
In the largest review of "broken heart syndrome" patients ever conducted, Mayo Clinic researchers studied 100 patients and found symptoms recurred in 1 out of 10 patients over a four-year period, and that patients experiencing physical stress had a worse survival rate than those under emotional stress. The information may help physicians manage their heart patients more effectively by providing new details about a recently recognized condition that mimics heart attack symptoms of shortness of breath and chest pain. Because one trigger of the syndrome is severe emotional stress, such as loss of a loved one, the condition several years ago was nicknamed "broken heart syndrome." It is known medically as apical ballooning syndrome (ABS).
If you have lost a loved or you are under alot of stress seek treatment before it starts to effect you heart. Contact Us for more information on how to reduce stress in your life.
If you have lost a loved or you are under alot of stress seek treatment before it starts to effect you heart. Contact Us for more information on how to reduce stress in your life.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Get where you want to go!
How do you go from where you are to where you want to be?
I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life.
You have to have a dream, a goal and you have to be willing to work for it.
If you want to achieve a high goal, you're going to have to take some chances.
Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something.
It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it.
Knowing your destination is half the journey.
-Kenn
I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life.
You have to have a dream, a goal and you have to be willing to work for it.
If you want to achieve a high goal, you're going to have to take some chances.
Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something.
It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it.
Knowing your destination is half the journey.
-Kenn
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Coping with Holiday Stress
Gerald Koocher, Ph.D, is president of the American Psychological Association and dean of the Simmons School for Health Studies in Boston. Koocher offers these tips for coping with holiday stress:
Q: Why do people get so stressed out during the holiday season?
Gerald Koocher: A lot has to do with expectations associated with the season (both our own, and those of others we care about). In much of Western society, commercial interests promote gift exchanges and shopping around the clock. This can add significant economic stress. And the pressures of getting one's work done interacts with holiday time off, family demands, and other end-of-the-year activities and obligations.
Q: How can we relieve this stress?
Koocher: One helpful step might involve calling a mental "time-out" and prioritizing. Find a quiet place and take a few minutes to think through your priorities. Ask yourself which activities or goals are most important to your wellbeing. Then, focus reasonable attention on those things, while deliberately allowing the less important matters to wait. By exerting some intentional control, you will feel less buffeted or overtaken by events. When shopping for gifts, remember that a relatively inexpensive gift showing attention to the recipient's interests, or conveying special affection, will be remembered with greater warmth and gratitude than a costly present that may end up at a department store's returns counter a few days later.
Q: Some people find that they feel depressed during this time of year. Why?
Koocher: "Seasonal blues" are not uncommon. One contributing factor involves our expectations; the media and commercial interests bombard us with messages that may often seem at odds with the reality of our lives. You may feel sad because you remember a family member who is not with you this season. You may realize another year has come and gone without attaining some major goal you had hoped for. Or you may find yourself struggling with problems involving food or alcohol intake during holiday festivities. Seasonal affective disorder, known as "SAD," also presents a problem for some people, leading to mood changes during periods of decreased exposure to daylight.
Q: The holidays may be a time to gather with difficult family members. Any tips for making these reunions less stressful?
Koocher: Family members can be sources of social support, as well as sources of intense emotional pressure. At work, your colleagues may recognize you as a high performing professional, but back home you may find yourself frozen in time as "little Bobby who wet his bed at age 3," or Suzie, who finds herself peppered with questions about her social life from nosy relatives. Two coping strategies involve recognizing what is happening, and taking control over your own reactions. Take a mental step backward for a moment and consider the person whose behavior annoys you. What does their behavior tell you about them? Are they angry, depressed, self-absorbed, or just plain insensitive? Recognize that you are not responsible for their problems, comments, or behavior. Remember that you need not let yourself become drawn back into old roles or relationships, and have no obligation to respond to intrusive or annoying questions. Change or deflect the subject, turn the question around asking about their lives, or just walk away. Behavior we do not reward (by responding or paying attention to it) will eventually fade away.
Q: What would you suggest to people who make - and want to keep - their New Year's resolutions?
Koocher: New Year's resolutions are a great coping strategy for people who find themselves disappointed with some aspects of their lives, and can use the end of the calendar year as a motivating force. If you are serious about making changes in your life, I suggest limiting the number and scope of resolutions to no more than two or three (one is better still). Accompany the resolution (your goal) with a plan (a series of steps or way points) and a tentative timetable. Breaking the task down into small, realistically achievable steps will more likely lead to success, than simply setting a single end point. Placing reminders in your calendar along the way can recharge your resolve to stay on track.
posted Friday, 10-Nov-2006
Q: Why do people get so stressed out during the holiday season?
Gerald Koocher: A lot has to do with expectations associated with the season (both our own, and those of others we care about). In much of Western society, commercial interests promote gift exchanges and shopping around the clock. This can add significant economic stress. And the pressures of getting one's work done interacts with holiday time off, family demands, and other end-of-the-year activities and obligations.
Q: How can we relieve this stress?
Koocher: One helpful step might involve calling a mental "time-out" and prioritizing. Find a quiet place and take a few minutes to think through your priorities. Ask yourself which activities or goals are most important to your wellbeing. Then, focus reasonable attention on those things, while deliberately allowing the less important matters to wait. By exerting some intentional control, you will feel less buffeted or overtaken by events. When shopping for gifts, remember that a relatively inexpensive gift showing attention to the recipient's interests, or conveying special affection, will be remembered with greater warmth and gratitude than a costly present that may end up at a department store's returns counter a few days later.
Q: Some people find that they feel depressed during this time of year. Why?
Koocher: "Seasonal blues" are not uncommon. One contributing factor involves our expectations; the media and commercial interests bombard us with messages that may often seem at odds with the reality of our lives. You may feel sad because you remember a family member who is not with you this season. You may realize another year has come and gone without attaining some major goal you had hoped for. Or you may find yourself struggling with problems involving food or alcohol intake during holiday festivities. Seasonal affective disorder, known as "SAD," also presents a problem for some people, leading to mood changes during periods of decreased exposure to daylight.
Q: The holidays may be a time to gather with difficult family members. Any tips for making these reunions less stressful?
Koocher: Family members can be sources of social support, as well as sources of intense emotional pressure. At work, your colleagues may recognize you as a high performing professional, but back home you may find yourself frozen in time as "little Bobby who wet his bed at age 3," or Suzie, who finds herself peppered with questions about her social life from nosy relatives. Two coping strategies involve recognizing what is happening, and taking control over your own reactions. Take a mental step backward for a moment and consider the person whose behavior annoys you. What does their behavior tell you about them? Are they angry, depressed, self-absorbed, or just plain insensitive? Recognize that you are not responsible for their problems, comments, or behavior. Remember that you need not let yourself become drawn back into old roles or relationships, and have no obligation to respond to intrusive or annoying questions. Change or deflect the subject, turn the question around asking about their lives, or just walk away. Behavior we do not reward (by responding or paying attention to it) will eventually fade away.
Q: What would you suggest to people who make - and want to keep - their New Year's resolutions?
Koocher: New Year's resolutions are a great coping strategy for people who find themselves disappointed with some aspects of their lives, and can use the end of the calendar year as a motivating force. If you are serious about making changes in your life, I suggest limiting the number and scope of resolutions to no more than two or three (one is better still). Accompany the resolution (your goal) with a plan (a series of steps or way points) and a tentative timetable. Breaking the task down into small, realistically achievable steps will more likely lead to success, than simply setting a single end point. Placing reminders in your calendar along the way can recharge your resolve to stay on track.
posted Friday, 10-Nov-2006
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
In what state is your mind?
Life inflicts the same setbacks and tragedies on the optimist as on the pessimist, but the optimist weathers them better. The optimist bounces back from defeat, and, with his life somewhat poorer, he picks up and starts again. The pessimist gives up and falls into depression. Because of his resilience, the optimist achieves more at work, at school, and on the playing field. The optimist has better health and may even live longer. -- Martin E. P. Seligman
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