“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” —Epictetus
What is Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety is a reaction of the mind and body to stressful, risky, or unexpected events. It's the feeling of apprehension, discomfort, or fear you have before a big event. Anxiety helps us stay attentive and conscious to some extent.
Causes
Fear
Worry
Stress
Shame
Angst
Tension
Symptoms
Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:
Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
Having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom
Having an increased heart rate
Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
Sweating
Trembling
Feeling weak or tired
Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
Having trouble sleeping
Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
Having difficulty controlling worry
Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
Prevention
There's no way to predict for certain what will cause someone to develop an anxiety disorder, but you can take steps to reduce the impact of symptoms if you're anxious:
Get help early. Anxiety, like many other mental health conditions, can be harder to treat if you wait.
Stay active. Participate in activities that you enjoy and that make you feel good about yourself. Enjoy social interaction and caring relationships, which can lessen your worries.
Avoid alcohol or drug use. Alcohol and drug use can cause or worsen anxiety. If you're addicted to any of these substances, quitting can make you anxious. If you can't quit on your own, see your doctor or find a support group to help you.
Risk factors
These factors may increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder:
Trauma. Children who endured abuse or trauma or witnessed traumatic events are at higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder at some point in life. Adults who experience a traumatic event also can develop anxiety disorders.
Stress due to an illness. Having a health condition or serious illness can cause significant worry about issues such as your treatment and your future.
Stress buildup. A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress, or ongoing worry about finances.
Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.
Other mental health disorders. People with other mental health disorders, such as depression, often also have an anxiety disorder.
Having blood relatives with an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can run in families.
Drugs or alcohol. Drug or alcohol use or misuse or withdrawal can cause or worsen anxiety.
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 (which often occurs with an anxiety disorder) or other mental health disorders
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
Anxiety Disorder Types
Agoraphobia (ag-uh-ruh-FOE-be-uh) is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless, or embarrassed.
Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition includes symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are directly caused by a physical health problem.
Generalized anxiety disorder includes persistent and excessive anxiety and worries about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The worry is out of proportion to the actual circumstance, is difficult to control, and affects how you feel physically. It often occurs along with other anxiety disorders or depression.
Panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). You may have feelings of impending doom, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rapid, fluttering, or pounding heart (heart palpitations). These panic attacks may lead to worrying about them happening again or avoiding situations in which they've occurred.
Selective mutism is a consistent failure of children to speak in certain situations, such as school, even when they can speak in other situations, such as at home with close family members. This can interfere with school, work, and social functioning.
Separation anxiety disorder is a childhood disorder characterized by anxiety that's excessive for the child's developmental level and related to separation from parents or others who have parental roles.
Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) involves high levels of anxiety, fear, and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness, and concern about being judged or viewed negatively by others.
Specific phobias are characterized by major anxiety when you're exposed to a specific object or situation and a desire to avoid it. Phobias provoke panic attacks in some people.
Substance-induced anxiety disorder is characterized by symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are a direct result of misusing drugs, taking medications, being exposed to a toxic substance, or withdrawal from drugs.
Other specified anxiety disorders and unspecified anxiety disorders are terms for anxiety or phobias that don't meet the exact criteria for any other anxiety disorders but are significant enough to be distressing and disruptive.
Methods you should use to help reduce the anxiety level
There are simple methods to help reduce anxiety levels, such as:
Exercise on a regular basis
Maintain a healthy diet
Avoid alcohol or drugs as coping tools
Practice mindfulness
Therapy/Treatment
In some cases, medications can reduce the symptoms of anxiety, along with counseling.
There are also other effective treatment therapy approaches that target the causes of anxiety including:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Neurofeedback
Meditation
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if:
You feel like you're worrying too much and it's interfering with your work, relationships, or other parts of your life
Your fear, worry, or anxiety is upsetting to you and difficult to control
You feel depressed, have trouble with alcohol or drug use, or have other mental health concerns along with anxiety
You think your anxiety could be linked to a physical health problem
You have suicidal thoughts or behaviors — if this is the case, seek emergency treatment immediately
Comments