An anxiety attack made the singer Zé Neto, from the duo with Cristiano, cancel a show in the interior of São Paulo minutes before going on stage, last Saturday (21/1).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil is the most anxious country in the world. Approximately 10% of the population lives with the condition.
Anxiety crises can paralyze the person, making work, family and social relationships difficult for some period.
Psychotherapist João Araujo, from the João Araujo Psychology Office, in São Paulo, says that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for the mental health issue not to be restricted to psychology and psychiatry offices.
“The subject has been gaining new spaces for dialogue, which includes work environments, schools and circle of friends”, says Araujo. “This is positive, because part of the treatment is to recognize the external stimuli for situations like this”, he points out.
Causes
Psychologist Damaris Baldacci says that three factors are related to anxiety disorder: life history, biological factors and/or environmental agents.
“Circumstances such as profession, routine and environments frequented – from the house where he lives to the social networks he participates in – influence the emergence of an anxiety condition. The lack of some substance or the low functioning of a brain neurotransmitter are usually associated with the condition”, explains Damaris.
Anxiety is a kind of psychic condition characterized by constant and excessive worry that something negative might happen. According to researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), it is also a diffuse feeling of discomfort carried by a frequent feeling of apprehension that can trigger disordersPeter Dazeley/Getty Images
****Photo-child-sitting-on-the-floor.jpgAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil is the most anxious country in the world, and recorded even more cases of the condition during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to adults, anxiety can also manifest itself in children for different reasons, such as parental divorce, tests or problems at school, for example.Elva Etienne/ Getty Images
*****Photo-person-with-hand-over-mouth-2.jpgDespite being considered relatively common, since it can affect anyone for any reason, anxiety becomes a real problem when everything becomes a reason for exaggerated concern and the patient starts to experience seizures.Tara Moore/Getty Images
****Photo-person-with-hand-on-head-2.jpgAn anxiety crisis is a situation that causes a great feeling of anguish, nervousness and insecurity, as if something very bad, and completely out of control, were going to happen at any moment. Getty Images
****Photo-person-sitting-pensive.jpgThe crisis usually arises due to specific stressful situations that generate triggers, such as having to make a presentation, having a short deadline to deliver a work, being somewhere you would not like or having suffered a loss, for exampleTara Moore/Getty Images
****Photo-person-lying-in-fetal-position.jpgAmong the symptoms of an anxiety crisis are: accelerated heartbeat, feeling short of breath, tingling in the body, feeling of lightness in the head, chest pain, nausea, excessive sweating, tremors, among others.Holly Wilmeth/ Getty Images
****Photo-weight-sitting-crying.jpgThese symptoms occur due to the increase in the adrenaline hormone in the bloodstream, something normal when the person faces an important moment. However, if the symptoms become constant, it could signal a generalized anxiety disorder.Klaus Vedfelt/ Getty Images
****Photo-person-sitting-talking-with-another-person-2.jpgWhat to do during an anxiety attack depends on the severity and frequency of the symptoms and, therefore, the ideal is always to receive specialized advice from a psychiatrist or psychologist. MICROGEN IMAGES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/ Getty Images
****Photo-person-with-hand-on-chest.jpgDespite this, performing breathing exercises, ingesting calming tea, trying to talk to someone you trust, resting, turning your mind off, doing physical activities you enjoy or trying to keep your thoughts on something that gives comfort are some tips that can help alleviate the problem.Jamie Grill/ Getty Images
****Photo-person-with-hand-on-chest-2.jpgWhen the anxiety crisis happens for the first time, or if you are not sure what is happening, it is important to go to the hospital to ensure that it is not another, more serious problem, such as a heart attack.Science Photo Library/ Getty Images
****Photo-person-sitting-talking-to-another-person-3.jpgIn any case, if crises are frequent, a specialist should be sought to identify the cause and initiate treatment.Fiordalis/ Getty Images
****Photo-person-sitting-talking-with-another-person.jpgAnxiety can trigger problems that, depending on the symptoms, can be classified as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia, panic syndrome, among others. These problems can have an impact on the patient’s personal and professional life, so the sooner it is diagnosed, the less problems will be faced.kupicoo/ Getty Images
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Symptoms
Anxiety can trigger physiological, psychological and behavioral symptoms. They can appear together or in isolation, and vary from person to person, as well as their degree of intensity.
Physiological symptoms are stomach ache, vomiting eagerness, shortness of breath, sweating, tachycardia and fainting sensation, for example. The psychological ones involve irritability, insomnia, restlessness, accelerated thinking, cognitive failures and catastrophic thoughts.
Behavioral symptoms include incessant swinging of the legs (restless legs), nail biting, hair pulling, and pacing, for example.
“That expression of ‘tightness in the chest’ is usually reported in the complaints of patients who try to describe this discomfort in the office”, describes Araujo.
How to act in an anxiety attack
During an anxiety crisis, it is indicated that the person seeks some strategy to relieve symptoms. Upon noticing the signs, Zé Neto’s team promptly called the Mobile Emergency Service (Samu), which was at the venue. The artist was medicated right there and sent to a hospital for evaluation.
In everyday life, anxiety crises can be circumvented with breathing control techniques to reduce heartbeats and bring back focus to thoughts.
“There are some techniques that have proven to be effective and easy to use to reduce anxiety”, says psychologist Damaris.
People who live with those who suffer from anxiety can contribute to relieving symptoms during a crisis. Being present, calling the other to breathe together and putting a new subject on the agenda help the other to regain their balance point.
Judging, ignoring symptoms, thinking it’s freshness and pressing for a quick improvement don’t contribute anything and can even make the situation worse.
Treatment
Psychotherapy is a very efficient treatment to give the patient the opportunity to understand what causes this anxiety and its crises.
“Treatment gives the patient tools to better deal with these and other complaints. Seeking professional help can make all the difference”, says João Araujo.
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