Anxiety is a feeling of fear and uncertainty. It might cause you to sweat, have a rapid heartbeat or feel restless and tense. It is the body’s natural response to stress. Anxiety disorders become something to watch out for when a person’s feeling of anxiety become extreme, last for longer than six months and is possibly interfering with their daily life. Anxiety and anxiety disorders are discussed in more detail on many medical sites.
There are many signs that could help in the diagnosis of anxiety and anxiety disorders. Some of these signs can also be symptoms of other mental health issues, so it is necessary to reach out to a mental health professional. Professionals have been trained on how to detect issues from a varying number of symptoms which is why it is advisable to seek medical advice without risking the chance of a wrong self-diagnosis. Some of the general symptoms of anxiety are listed below.
- Feelings of restlessness
- Difficulty concentrating, sometimes your mind just goes blank
- Becoming irritable i.e. you tend to get angry easily or you become abnormally sensitive
- Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
- Having muscle tension
With panic disorders, there is the general pointer where individuals suffering from this experience recurrent panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear.
Symptoms of Panic Disorders
- Heart Palpitations
- Feeling of no control
- Having a feeling of impending doom
- Sweating
- Shaking
A phobia is an intense fear of an object or situation. This section discusses what is known as simple phobia. Other types of phobia-related disorders include agoraphobia, separation anxiety and social anxiety disorders.
Examples of Specific Phobias include:
- Fear of flying
- Fear of heights
- Fear of animals
- Fear of blood
- Fear of injections
Basically, the fear of something could be described as a phobia especially if there is a negative experience attached to it.
A type of phobia-related disorder, social anxiety is the fear of social or performance situations. People dealing with social anxiety usually have a constant worry that their social performance judged and as a result become embarrassed.
Agoraphobia is the fear of being in certain environments or situations. Someone with agoraphobia could have an intense fear of two or more of the following:
- Fear of using public transportation
- Fear of being in open spaces
- Fear of being in closed spaces
- Fear of being in a crowd
- Fear of being outside the home alone
As humans, we survive by forming relationships and attachments. These relationships could be for different reasons including but not limited to survival, companionship and reproduction. The fear of being separated from these attachments is what is called separation anxiety. This can occur in children, adolescents and adults so it not something reserved for a specific age group.
We usually attribute anxiety to come as a result of the fear of future events. While this is not false, it would be great to understand that there are other factors that could lead to developing anxiety disorders. Researchers have found both genetic and environmental factors contribute to anxiety disorders. Some of these risks can be found below.
- Traits of shyness during childhood
- History of anxiety or mental illnesses in biological relatives.
- Physical health problems can lead to or increase the chance of developing anxiety disorders
It is advisable that a physical health examination should be conducted to help evaluate the possibility of anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are usually treated with psychotherapy and medication. Therapy helps with getting to the root cause of a problem, with the help of a therapist of course. Medication is used to help with the chemical imbalances that may have resulted from an anxiety disorder. Being open to treatment is a great way to start the recovery journey from something like an anxiety disorder.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involves two methods of therapy. There is cognitive therapy which aims to identify, challenge and possibly neutralize distorted thoughts that could point to underlying anxiety disorders. Exposure therapy, which is the second method of CBT, looks to help patients confront the things that might be causing anxiety. It is a “Face your Fears” therapy where you do those things that you have been avoiding.
Medication helps with treating anxiety, but it is important to know that medication does not cure anxiety, it helps to relieve the symptoms. There are three classes of medication that are usually prescribed for treating anxiety disorders. They are anti-anxiety medication, antidepressants and beta-blockers.
Anti-anxiety medications help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, fear and worry. The most common ones are benzodiazepines. One thing to note is that there are benefits and drawbacks, most of which licensed physicians should know about. Click on the button below for more information on the use of benzodiazepines as anti-anxiety medication.
Even though they are generally used to treat depression, antidepressants can be used in the treatment of anxiety disorders. This is because antidepressants help with the regulation of chemicals in the brain that affect moods and stress.
Generally used to treat high blood pressure, beta-blockers can be used to relieve the physical symptoms of anxiety like trembling, having a rapid heartbeat and shaking. It can also be used to reduce acute anxiety, sometimes as a preventive measure against performance anxieties.
Joining a support group can help with anxiety. This is usually because it becomes a safe space where no one feels judged. Patients dealing with anxiety and anxiety disorders share their struggles and accomplishments on their road to recovery. It is essential to take advice off the internet with caution, follow your doctor’s advice before following any advice on the internet.
Test Your Knowledge
Sources:
Holland, Kimberly. “Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and More.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 3 Sept. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/anxiety.
The National Institute of Mental Health. “Anxiety Disorders.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, July 2018, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/.
*This site content is provided for informational purposes only and does not intend to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have medical questions and/or concerns, please contact a medical professional.