I just love puzzles! This is one of my favorite. This type of puzzle is especially helpful for mentally flexiblity.

The puzzle was created by Will Shortz with an acknowledgment to Morgan Worthy. It was first published in the May-June 1981 issue of Games magazine.

The puzzle originally consisted of 24 “equations”. People continued to submit the puzzle with new additions so Games ran several followups on the puzzle over the years.  Now there are a couple hundred more of these language equations which can be found here:  http://www.faqs.org/faqs/puzzles/archive/language/part1/#ixzz0WZsAWxNM (Just keep scrolling down until you see a long list of them.)

Here are the 24 original Language Equations.

1 = W. on a U.
3 = B. M. (S. H. T. R.!)
4 = Q. in a G.
5 = D. in a Z. C.
7 = W. of the A. W.
8 = S. on a S. S.
9 = P. in the S. S.
11 = P. on a F. T.
12 = S. of the Z.
13 = S. on the A. F.
18 = H. on a G. C.
24 = H. in a D.
26 = L. of the A.
29 = D. in F. in a L. Y.
32 = D. F. at which W. F.
40 = D. and N. of the G. F.
54 = C. in a D. (with the J.)
57 = H. V.
64 = S. on a C.
88 = P. K.
90 = D. in a R. A.
200 = D. for P. G. in M.
1000 = W. that a P. is W.
1001 = A. N.

There are many different types of anxiety disorders, each of which requires a specific anxiety treatment. Some of the different types that commonly affect a large number of people include:

• panic disorder
• obsessive-compulsive disorder
• generalized anxiety disorder
• social anxiety
• phobias of different items, situations, and locations

There is no one anxiety treatment that works for all of these types, which is why a medical doctor has to assess the patient to determine the type of anxiety he/she is suffering from. While the symptoms of anxiety may be the same, this does not mean that the same treatment will be effective for different individuals. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and it is possible that no treatment is needed.

It is quite common for people to become worried or anxious about a specific situation. They do know what they are worried about and recognize the symptoms of anxiety for what they are. In this way, they are able to deal with their feelings and symptoms without needing any anxiety treatment from a professional. It is when the anxiety develops into something more serious that has an effect on the patient’s quality of life that a person has to seek treatment.

The doctor or psychiatrist discusses the symptoms with the patient and may even interview the family of the patient to get further information. It is essential to try to identify the root cause of the anxiety in order to determine the most effective method of treatment. Patients who experience episodes of panic disorder are not typically able to pinpoint anything in particular that triggers these episodes that strike without warning.

Choosing the method of anxiety treatment for such a patient is usually done with a consultation between the doctor and the patient. In some cases, medication is used as a short term treatment and the patient is reassessed at regular intervals. Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed medications for this type of anxiety. Patients with obsessive compulsive disorder have an uncontrollable need to repeat an action over and over.

They also have disturbing thoughts, which are called obsessions. Medication is often prescribed to help the patient feel better about different situations and to help control the thoughts. However, the most effective anxiety treatment for this disorder has been cognitive behavior therapy in which the patient is exposed to the source of the obsession and learns how to respond in a healthy manner. This treatment helps to retrain the brain to respond in a different manner so that the person no longer feels compelled to repeat certain actions.

Anxiety treatment for generalized anxiety disorder involves teaching the patients techniques of self-help in which they can recognize the symptoms of panic and anxiety and calm themselves, thus reducing the symptoms. The treatment can consist of practicing daily relaxation techniques, making changes to one’s lifestyle and practicing meditation. There are also three types of medication prescribed for this type of anxiety, which include anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants.

Psychological counseling is used as anxiety treatment for those suffering from social anxiety. At times, depending on how debilitating the disorder is in a patient, antidepressants may be prescribed to help reduce the symptoms of anxiety. Phobias are usually treated with exposure therapy in which the patient is exposed to the source of the fear with increasing frequency until the patient is able to cope when presented with the object, situation, or location.

Anxiety attacks can range from mild to debilitating and demonstrate themselves in numerous symptoms. For the most part, an anxiety or panic attack brings on an intense feeling of anxiety of worry that causes feelings of fear, physical illness, and discomfort. In some cases there is an event that triggers such an attack, but it is also possible that the trigger is unknown. The episodes can be random and come on instantly.

During the attack the body produces extra hormones to prepare the body for its “fight or flight” action, which is what causes the symptoms to become more profound. A person who suffers from anxiety attacks will tell you that he/she feels like they are having a heart attack or cannot breathe, thus giving them the feeling that they are going to die. It may cause them to try to flee from the area in order to try to escape the feelings of anxiety or panic.

The most common symptoms of such an attack include increased blood pressure and heart rate, which often causes flushing of the skin, chest tightness or pain, profuse sweating, a feeling that you are sick to your stomach or that you may throw up, and a feeling of lightheadedness. In the majority of sufferers, the feeling of chest tightness precipitates an attack, which leads them to think they need to call emergency services.

There are different triggers and causes of anxiety attacks. Heredity plays a part in this and studies have found that panic attacks tend to run in families. At the same time, people with no family history also develop such attacks, so the cause cannot be based on heredity alone. Many panic attacks have been attributed to deficiencies in the diet, such as a deficiency in Vitamin B. Phobias result from anxiety attacks when a person is exposed to a real threat over a long period of time.

The use of caffeine can lead to such attacks, especially during the withdrawal process. Doctors have also found that thyroid problems and anemia lead to feelings of anxiety that can develop into full blown attacks the longer the condition goes undiagnosed and untreated. There are many people who perceive a threat in their everyday life and can actually talk themselves into an anxiety attack when they worry excessively about what might happen if an event occurs.

Traumatic experiences in one’s life can also be a trigger for such an attack. Although those who suffer from anxiety attacks feel as if they are going to die, these feelings are the body’s ways of preventing this from happening. When a trigger occurs, the body starts producing extra adrenaline to prepare it for strenuous physical activity, such as running, which may be needed to ward off the threat. This, in turn, increases the heart rate and breathing rate and increases the amount of perspiration.

When no physical activity occurs or is needed, then these increases in the body cause hyperventilation as the levels of carbon dioxide increase in the heart and lungs. This increase in carbon dioxide is the cause of the feelings of dizziness, nausea, and sensations of numbness in the limbs. Breathing into a paper bag can help alleviate anxiety attacks, although many experts say it can be dangerous.  Taking deep breaths from the abdomen helps to slow down the heart rate and bring the blood pressure back to acceptable levels, thus reducing the intensity of the attack.