http://easycalm.com/blog Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:45:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have developed quite a few self-help related programs over the years (A list of some of the most popular can be found here on JonMercer.net But this blog is not all about me, me, me! (OK, sometimes it is--but I'm working on it. haha)  When I find other good ... http://easycalm.com/blog/eliminating-social-anxiety-with-social-dynamix/ I recently posted a new video on my main YouTube channel about the doubts and fears some people have that they will be able to overcome their panic attacks and anxiety symptoms.  Many times, people will e-mail or contact me on my Facebook page asking if it is REALLY possible ... http://easycalm.com/blog/motivation-to-overcome-anxiety-and-panic-attacks-new-video/ Anger is the second worst emotion we can feel. The only emotional state that is lower on the scale, so to speak, is despair, which causes us to feel helpless, depressed, and in some cases, incapable of functioning in normal life. This is why I have occasionally defended anger ... http://easycalm.com/blog/why-anger-makes-you-a-victim/ Hi guys, Jon here with a reminder to visit my Youtube channel for lots of new self-help related videos. I'm now using my "AttractAnything" channel as my main outlet on Youtube, and we have been recently approved as a Youtube partner (yaay!). Some of the new videos are anxiety-related, but others ... http://easycalm.com/blog/tons-of-new-self-help-videos/ Sometimes I wonder how many people with an alcohol problem are really just trying to mask a social anxiety problem? I have no data or percentages to give you, but I suspect the numbers are pretty high. Probably all of us have known an alcoholic (or at least a  "problem" drinker) ... http://easycalm.com/blog/social-anxiety-alcoholics/ Have you ever considered that anxiety isn't actually real?  I know, I know, it seems real.  It can even feel real. And its effects (anxiety symptoms) can certainly be real. But the anxiety itself is entirely imaginary -- it is created in the mind and has no life outside of ... http://easycalm.com/blog/imaginary-anxiety-real-symptoms/ I Get Weird Questions Sometimes... Here are a few of the most "unusual" questions I've received in the past few months. Obviously, all names are withheld for privacy. Enjoy =) Q: Dear Jon do you ever feel like your forehead will explode and the colors go really brite but then just ... http://easycalm.com/blog/i-get-weird-questions-sometimes/ I was recently interviewed by the wonderful Jill Green from panicfreeme.com, a leading anxiety resource site. We talked about the EasyCalm series, dealing with anxiety and panic attacks, and I had a few harsh words for the pharmaceutical industry(!) Jill was kind enough to provide a transcript of the full ... http://easycalm.com/blog/interview-with-jon-the-easycalm-series-the-hard-truth-about-anti-anxiety-drugs/ A lot of people are shy, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have social anxiety. So what is the difference between the two? One of my clients once referred to social anxiety as "shyness on steroids"(haha).  But here's how I break it down: Shyness is a personality trait that some ... http://easycalm.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-shyness-and-social-anxiety/ have heard it said that if you want to get along with people you should avoid talking about religion or politics. Well, I'm going to break that rule today and get into a discussion about the role of religion in the lives of anxiety sufferers. We'll see how ... http://easycalm.com/blog/anxiety-and-religion-the-role-of-faith-in-stopping-anxiety-attacks/ In my experience, if you have dealt with anxiety problems in your life, there is a 90% chance that you are a "sensitive" person. Sensitivity is a double-edged sword: it is usually accompanied by high intelligence, creativity and the capacity for self reflection, and all of these qualities are great, ... http://easycalm.com/blog/for-sensitive-people-attitude-is-not-optional/ Introducing the Fire Breathing Introvert! We've been pretty busy this year working on new programs. Now we're rolling out the first of these, a video/audio coaching series called 'The Fire Breathing Introvert. It's a specialized coaching series aimed specifically at introverts, and includes tons of techniques, demonstrations and coaching sessions to make ... http://easycalm.com/blog/cool-new-series-the-fire-breathing-introvert-watch-the-video/ My friend Kat gave me a great recommendation today to post a "warning" about the potential for the antibiotics known as Fluoroquinolones and Quinolones to cause anxiety and a host of related central nervous system issues.  Dr Jay Cohen published a study in 2001 demonstrating a link between patients taking the fluoroquinolone-class ... http://easycalm.com/blog/anxiety-causing-medications-even-some-antibiotics-can-cause-anxiety/ A while back I posted a blog about my experience with Ativan withdrawal, and the hell I went through trying to get off of those evil little pills. I never imagined how many responses I would get! Emails poured in from people all over the world dealing with withdrawal from Ativan, Xanax and ... http://easycalm.com/blog/benzodiazepine-withdrawal-part-two-dealing-with-ativan-and-xanax-withdrawal/ I've heard about lots of tricks for stopping panic attacks; but using math? Yep, an EasyCalm user from Denmark named Tom recently sent me this tip for stopping panic attacks (Takk Tom!). It involves doing math in your head, and believe it or not, Tom wasn't the first person to mention this ... http://easycalm.com/blog/what-does-math-have-to-do-with-stopping-panic-attacks/