What is Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorder is a state of worry that we experience without a real reason. We also use the word anxiety as its Turkish equivalent. Among the public, instead of anxiety or worry; The words uneasiness, anxiety, anxiety and distress are used.
“There is a problem inside me, sir, it never goes away, I am always afraid that something bad will happen. Everyone tells me that you are making assumptions and exaggerating, but I can't help it. I wish I was as comfortable as they are.”
The expression used by my client, who was diagnosed with anxiety disorder above, when describing himself, fully corresponds to anxiety disorder.
They show characteristics such as excessive anxiety, tension that negatively affects daily life, always expecting the worst and fear of not being able to control life. Anxiety disorder is likely to occur throughout life, and anxiety sensitivity increases with age.
Is Anxiety Harmful?
Anxiety is what motivates us, helps us be successful, It is actually a system that allows us to be prepared for negative situations, take safer steps in life and protect ourselves against danger. In daily life, we worry about many areas such as work, health, economics, family and the uncertainty of the future. A mild anxiety allows us to cope with problems.
For example, let's think of a student who is preparing for the university exam. He has always been successful in his classes for 12 years and his goal is to study medicine at a good university.
Now, can this student be motivated to study by thinking that I am successful anyway, I don't need to worry? Can someone who does not have some anxiety about the future be motivated to work?
At the same time, anxiety, which is found in all humans, is like a useful alarm system that protects us against dangers. We can say that this warning system is somewhat impaired in anxiety disorders. The broken system constantly makes us anxious, like a false alarm, and leads us to think and act as if there is something dangerous at every moment.
When Does Anxiety Become Harmful?
“I used to be a fussy, anxious person. But ever since I had an anxiety attack, I can't wake up. I think, I used to work for hours at work, I used to get tired, I was never afraid, now I'm afraid of even the smallest thing. "I don't want to do anything in case I get tired, have palpitations, feel out of breath, or something bad happens."
When anxiety starts to limit your life, restricts your social life, and prevents you from carrying out your work in a healthy way during the day, it means that it has started to cause harm. Just imagine, you think, "I'll worry, I'll have palpitations, and I'll be an embarrassment to everyone around me," and you don't even want to meet your closest people. Anxiety becomes harmful when you start to fear anxiety and the body's symptoms. In short, anxiety is normal, but being worried about anxiety is not normal.
An important question is, is there anyone who does not feel anxiety at some point in his life? Or is it a common feeling among all people, such as fear, love and sadness?
What are the Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder?
They are generally known to be anxious, they know that their anxiety is excessive. They feel uncomfortable but cannot control it. They have sleep problems and may even worry about not being able to fall asleep at night. The general anxious state makes them feel tired and sluggish. They are extremely angry, unhappy and cannot tolerate negativity.
They may also have physical complaints such as shortness of breath, feeling of tightness in the chest, muscle aches, nausea and hot flushes.
Anxiety. How Does the Disorder Affect His Life?
A client of mine with an anxiety disorder explained its impact on his life as follows.
“I wake up in the morning, listen to my body, check if I have palpitations, and at that very moment I experience restlessness and palpitations. It sits inside me. I don't want to do anything all day long, it's pointless to go out, I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want to take care of my home or work, I'm tired of my inner restlessness. I don't want to meet my friends, I used to enjoy meeting them. It's like no one understands me. Even at the dinner I went to with my family at the weekend, I got bored thinking about my future loneliness and then I had palpitations. I didn't want to upset them, but I spoiled their fun with my uneasiness. But I can't help it, I can't get rid of my boredom.”
Can Anxiety Disorder Be Treated?
Yes, anxiety disorder is a treatable disorder.
Is it possible to be treated without medication? Medication or psychotherapy can be used alone or together.
Anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia, fear of elevators should be studied step by step with the help and plan of a therapist. Unfortunately, the tactics used to cope with the disease without a therapist's plan and help, such as escape, avoidance, safety-providing behaviors, constantly focusing on the body, and trying not to think, can cause anxiety to increase further.
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