Is it anxiety? Is it Panic?

-Ask the Expert-

Question:

Dear Doctors,

 I have a simple question to ask. As I was leaving the house today, I had one of those feelings that people can have when they are facing an exam or they are emotional and scared: tachycardia, agitation, and I am sure that my hands were trembling as well. I was very much agitated and anxious, as if I was afraid of something even though there is nothing that justified it. I tried to assure myself verbally and called a friend in order to talk about something else. I did calm down after a while.

I want to ask if this could be a type of mini-panic attacks or maybe only a bit of repressed anxiety. I don’t think that I currently have huge problems; it could be because the attitude of my father is rather anxious when he thinks about my future: he would like me to have clear ideas, big projects, and to follow his ideas. However, this period is not one of the worse regarding this. In fact, last year he gave me a lot of anxiety always accusing me of “not having time” or “make the wrong choices” .. and always pointing out that I have the wrong life and how it contradicts everything he knows.

I am in University with maximum grades possible and in addition, taking a course for a degree outside of the university related to my studies, but it is never enough.

Excuse me, at last I’ve dwelt more than I intended to!

Thank you very much for the time that will be dedicated to me.

 Answer:

Good day Bruna,

It seems like you have already done the diagnosis and timely intervention, with their own means. I give you my compliments. You were cautious before concluding it to be panic attack; even if the symptoms that you’ve had do not differ in quality, but rather in intensity.

 As for your question, I would not define it as a repressed anxiety, but an anxiety that suddenly became manifested, in which the cause can be found in the relationship with the family. The continuing requests from your father to “do the best and doing it better” can generate a conflict between the desires to achieving goals following a plan and the need to please your parents. 

 The conflict that I am talking about is not seen by the discussions that you have with your father, but from you inside. In the unconscious part of your mind, you cannot agree on how to act and on what to obtain. As an example, it is almost like, even though you are always staying ahead and obtaining good grades in your studies, there is always a little voice that says “you have not done enough and your father is not happy.”

 If your relationship with your family continues in this way, most of your energies will be dispersed with anxiety and with non-satisfactions. These energies instead can be used to clarify with your father what he is doing and the goals he has for the future. If the conversation within your family is not sufficient to make any changes, you may contact a specialist that can help negotiate between. It would also be useful to find an individualized approach to establish a consistency in your mind so that you can create a harmonic and equilibrium act to pursue your dreams with better results and waste less of your energy.

 To conclude this, in order to find calmness and harmony within yourself and prevent anxiety attacks, you should learn the technics of relaxation that are simple but with great therapeutic effects; it would need to be practiced constantly and would be best if it is learned from an expert.
I wish you the best.

Answer:
Giovanni Iustulin: Psychotherapist
Question:
Bruna, 22 years old
Publication Date: 09/14/2006

For other articles on the topic check out Scared of everything and What is Anxiety Disorder
Check out the original article here