The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”
Anxiety is a broad term used to describe a variety of symptoms and specific disorders. When people feel anxious or say they struggle with anxiety, they typically mean that they tend to worry, become fearful or afraid and/or experience panic symptoms.
These feelings often lead to additional symptoms that are related to anxiety, such as physical aches and pains (e.g., stomachaches, headaches, neck pain). Depression can also develop as a result of prolonged anxiety.
The Main Types of Anxiety Disorder
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders: Fifth Edition (DSM-V) classifies anxiety disorders into several main types.
In previous editions of DSM, anxiety disorders included obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as acute stress disorder. However, the manual now no longer groups these mental health difficulties under anxiety.
- Separation Anxiety Disorder: which is diagnosed in childhood and involves a fear of being separated from parents or a person or place that provides feelings of security or safety, divorce might sometimes result in panic symptoms.
- Selective Mutism: which is also diagnosed in childhood and involves a child refusing to speak in certain situations, such as school, even when they can speak in other situations, such as at home with close family members, the child refuses to talk.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: This is another common anxiety disorder involving excessive, long-lasting anxiety and worries about nonspecific life events, objects and situations.
- Panic Disorder and associated panic attacks: which involve a series of intense and severe symptoms that a person experiences within about 10 minutes.
Click here to learn more about panic disorder and panic attacks.
- Specific phobia: a disorder that involves intense fear of an object, activity or a situation. Phobias are not like other anxiety disorders, as they relate to one specific cause.
- Agoraphobia: which is a fear of being in open spaces, enclosed places, crowds, being outside the home, using elevators or using public transportation.
- Social anxiety disorder (social phobia): extreme fear of being judged by others in social situations or of public embarrassment. Social anxiety disorder includes a range of feelings, such as stage fright, a fear of intimacy anxiety around humiliation and rejection.
What are the Symptoms of Anxiety?
Anxiety feels different depending on the person experiencing it. Feelings can range from butterflies in your stomach to a racing heart. You might feel out of control like there’s a disconnect between your mind and body.
Symptoms of general anxiety include:
- Increased heart rate.
- Rapid breathing.
- Restlessness.
- Trouble concentrating.
- Difficulty falling asleep.
- Feeling weak or tired.
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry.
- Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems.
- Feeling nervous, restless or stress.
- Feeling a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.
- Having difficulty controlling worry.
- Urging to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
Causes of Anxiety Disorders
The causes of anxiety disorders aren’t completely perceived. But, it’s likely a combination of factors plays a role. These factors include:
- Environmental stressors, for example, challenges at work, relationship issues or family problems.
- Genetics, as people who have family members with an anxiety disorder, are more likely to experience one themselves.
- Medical factors, such as the symptoms of a different disease, the effects of a medication or the pressure of an escalated medical procedure or delayed recuperation.
- Brain chemistry, as analysts characterize numerous tension issues as misalignments of chemicals and electrical signs in the brain.
- Withdrawal from an illicit substance, the effects of which might intensify the impact of other possible causes.
Disproportionate anxiety can result from a combination of one or more of the above causes.
Diagnosis of Anxiety Disorder
For example, Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can be difficult to diagnose.
You may have GAD if:
- Your worrying significantly affects your daily life, including your job and social life.
- Your worries are extremely stressful and upsetting.
- You worry about all sorts of things and tend to think the worst.
- Your worrying is uncontrollable.
- You have felt worried nearly every day for at least 6 months.
- Have at least three anxiety symptoms on more days than not in the last six months.
To help with the diagnosis, your GP or psychiatrist may carry out a physical examination or blood tests to rule out other conditions that may be causing your symptoms, such as:
- Anemia (a deficiency in iron or vitamin B12 and folate)
- An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
Complications
Having an anxiety disorder does more than make you worry. It can also lead to or worsen, other mental and physical conditions, such as:
- Depression.
- Substance misuse.
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia).
- Digestive or bowel problems.
- Headaches and chronic pain.
- Social isolation.
- Problems functioning at school or work.
- Poor quality of life.
- Suicide.
Treatments for Anxiety
Once you’ve been diagnosed with anxiety, you can investigate treatment options with your doctor. For some people, medical treatment isn’t necessary. Natural remedies might be sufficient to adapt to the symptoms.
Natural Remedies which Used for Anxiety
Lifestyle changes can be an effective way to relieve some of the stress and anxiety you may cope with every day. Most of the natural “remedies” consist of caring for your body, participating in healthy activities and eliminating unhealthy ones.
These include:
- Getting enough rest.
- Meditating.
- Staying active and exercising.
- Eating a healthy diet.
- Staying active and working out.
- Avoiding alcohol.
- Avoiding caffeine.
- Stopping smoking cigarettes.
In moderate or severe cases, however, treatment can help you overcome the symptoms and lead a more manageable day-to-day life.
Treatments will consist of a combination of psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy and medication.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This kind of psychotherapy aims to recognize and change harmful thought patterns that form the foundation of anxiety and troublesome feelings. Simultaneously, practitioners of CBT hope to change how individuals respond to objects or situations that trigger anxiety.
Medications
A person can support anxiety management with several types of medication. Medicines that might control some of the physical and mental symptoms include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, tricyclics and beta-blockers.
Most people with anxiety also benefit from exposure-based interventions, which involve the help of a mental health professional and include gradually exposing the person to what causes or maintains the anxiety. People with anxiety tend to avoid what makes them most anxious; therefore, gradual exposure often helps the person to realize that it is the thoughts attached to the fear and not the feared object or situation itself, that creates the anxiety
Prevention for Anxiety
There are ways to reduce the risk of anxiety disorders. Remember that anxious feelings are a natural factor of daily life and encountering them doesn’t generally demonstrate the presence of a mental health disorder.
Take the following steps to help moderate anxious emotions:
- Get help early.
- Reduce the intake of caffeine, tea, cola and chocolate.
- Maintain a healthy diet.
- Keep a regular sleep pattern.
- Avoid alcohol or drug use
Remember,
Anxiety itself is not a medical condition but a natural emotion that is vital for survival when an individual finds themselves facing danger.
An anxiety disorder develops when this reaction becomes exaggerated or out-of-proportion to the trigger that causes it. There are several types of anxiety disorder, including panic disorder, phobias and social anxiety.
An active lifestyle with a balanced diet can help keep anxious emotions within healthy limits.
Kazmo Brain Center is a counseling center in Frisco, Texas specializing in mental health and will work with you toward a happier and more satisfying life.
If you or your loved ones are facing anxiety and you think that you need help, Request an appointment at the Kazmo Brain Center and we are here to help.
Resource:
healthline.com
medicalnewstoday.com
