At times, you may feel a thumping sensation in your heart. You may feel irritated all the time. You may get scared and nervous before an important event, such as an exam or annual program at school or college, or speaking in front of your boss at a conference meeting in the office. Mostly for no reason at all, you feel constant worry all the time. All of this is accompanied by a feeling of tiredness and exhaustion, which may cause you to lose focus and concentration while being stressed out.
These are the things people tend to feel when they are anxious. Is being anxious normal, and does it tell something else about our health?
It is completely normal for everyone to feel anxious about stressful situations in life. These kinds of emotions are related to stress only, but anxiety is not okay if it occurs without any real cause of worry. Anxiety is unhealthy if it disturbs your mind all the time and you can’t control it. Chances are that this is not just normal anxiety, but anxiety disorders.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is characterized by a feeling of worry, restlessness, fear, and uneasiness. It can also be accompanied by sweating, rapid breathing of the heart, and a tense state.
It can be described as a sense of impending doom. that preoccupies a person’s mind, making it difficult to relax and focus on the task properly. Anxiety is mostly a normal stress response to a situation, which is normal for everyone. However, when anxiety is constant and severely hampers every normal activity, it can be called an anxiety disorder.
What are Anxiety disorders?
Anxiety disorder is a broad term for a range of mental conditions that are marked by excessive worry, fear, and anticipation of the future. It is different from everyday general anxiety and can disrupt the normal life of a person. How is anxiety disorder different from normal anxiety? While everyday anxiety is associated with stressful situations where a person is worried about the potential outcome of something, when this anxiety becomes so consistent and prolonged that it interferes with our lives, it can be classified as an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder may need evaluation from mental health professionals to be diagnosed, whereas normal anxiety usually goes away when stressful situations are not present.
What are the symptoms of anxiety disorder?
Different types of anxiety disorders show different kinds of symptoms, but some symptoms are common in all of them. The following symptoms must be present for an anxiety disorder to be diagnosed:
- Feeling of nervousness and restlessness
- Rapid heart rate Rapid breathing or hyperventilation
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
- Trembling feeling
- Tiredness or fatigue
- Difficulty in concentration and disturbed sleeping
- Fear of impending things
- Avoidance of stressful situations
What are the types of anxiety disorders?
Phobia
The most commonly known form of anxiety disorder is phobia. A phobia is an irrational and exaggerated fear of something or some situations. Phobias are so intense that a person may avoid or excessively panic when faced with an object of fear. Common types of phobia include fear of animals, such as dogs, spiders, snakes, etc. Fear of a specific situation, like stage fear or fear of heights and feet, etc.
Generalized anxiety disorder
A type of anxiety where there is a feeling of uneasiness and dread without any reason. This continues every day that it disrupts daily activities. Its psychiatric symptoms are restlessness, difficulty in focusing, and a disrupted sleep pattern.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by intense episodes of panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden and intense states of fear and anxiety, usually without any reason. These are accompanied by symptoms like a racing heartbeat, palpitations, dizziness, chest pain, trembling, and the feeling that one is dying. In panic disorder, a prolonged period of panic attacks occurs unexpectedly, which can resemble a heart attack. Panic disorder is one of the most intense types of anxiety disorders.
What are the causes of anxiety disorders?
Genetics and heredity
There is a genetic basis for anxiety disorders. People with histories of anxiety disorders in their families are more likely to develop anxiety disorders.
Environmental factors
Experiencing stressful and traumatic events in life might trigger episodes of anxiety disorders in people.
Chemical and hormonal imbalances
Certain people have brain chemistry that makes them more likely to develop anxiety disorders. Chemical imbalances in the body disrupt moods.
Stress
People with high levels of stress are more likely to develop anxiety disorders in life. Stress is a significant risk factor for several kinds of health conditions, and anxiety is one of the conditions that worsen the condition of a person.
What are the treatments for anxiety disorder?
Treatment for anxiety can include medication, psychological counseling, or a combination of both.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy or psychological counseling can help deal with symptoms of anxiety. It can help you manage stressful events and learn how to manage your thoughts. Mental health professionals usually provide therapy in combination with ongoing medication.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT is a type of therapy that focuses on making our irrational, selfish thoughts and behaviors. It helps learn how to react to a particular situation that causes stress and anxiety and works on reducing fear of distress.
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
This type of therapy involves adopting mindfulness strategies to deal with the symptoms of anxiety disorders. Acknowledging our thoughts, accepting our fear rather than avoiding it, practicing mindfulness, and helping to reduce discomfort caused by anxiety.
Medication
Medication plays a significant role in managing symptoms caused by anxiety. It helps by reducing stress, especially that caused by physical symptoms. Medicines such as anti-anxiety drugs can reduce anxiety and panic in people. They quickly show results that are highly effective in managing the symptoms. The psychiatrist usually prescribes them on short-term courses to first check their effects and avoid dependence.
When should I seek help for anxiety?
If you feel that your anxiety is making it difficult to carry out everyday tasks or interfering with maintaining relationships, then it may be a good idea to seek help from professionals.
If your anxiety and constant worry are not in your control.
If anxiety is causing a depressed mood and other health concerns.
A severe case of anxiety can lead to depression, which in turn can lead to suicidal thoughts.