What is Anxiety
Anxiety is the body's response to stressful, dangerous or unusual situations. The feeling of uneasiness, distress, or fear you feel before an important event, worrying before a job interview, or feeling anxious during a test is healthy, normal anxiety. These types of worries encourage us to properly prepare for situations in which we feel anxious and help us to be careful and aware.
However, for people suffering from Anxiety Disorder, the anxiety is far from normal and very much. It is completely challenging. Anxiety disorders can prevent people from sleeping, concentrating, talking to others, pursuing hobbies, or even leaving the house.
Anxiety that needs treatment is irrational, overwhelming, and out of proportion to the situation. Those who experience anxiety feel as if they cannot control their emotions. It may include serious physical symptoms such as headache, nausea, or tremors. It is classified as a disorder when normal anxiety becomes abnormal and irrational and recurs, then interferes with daily life and begins to reduce the quality of life.
Anxiety Disorders can occur in different ways; General Anxiety, Phobes, Social Phobia, Panic Attacks, and Separation Anxiety are all a result of this problem. Anxiety disorders are often accompanied by other mental health problems such as Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Personality Disorders, and Eating Disorders.
Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety symptoms may vary depending on the specific situation or disorder; but common symptoms include:
• Feelings of excessive, irrational, or uncontrollable anxiety and fear
• Feelings of panic and restlessness for no apparent reason
• Obsessive thoughts
• Ritualistic behavior
• Sleep disturbance
• Heart palpitations
• Muscle tension
• Lack of calm
• Nausea
• Headache
• Fatigue
/> • Poor concentration
• Rapid breathing
• Sweating
• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Cold or sweaty hands and feet
• Chills
• Abdominal pain
Details
Panic Attacks are brief (usually less than 15 minutes) attacks of intense fear that are usually accompanied by severe physical symptoms and uncontrollable feelings of fear and anguish. A panic attack differs from a normal fear response in the absence of threat or impending attack. A person who has had several panic attacks may develop a Panic Disorder, where the individual spends a significant amount of time worrying about being attacked by another, worrying about losing their mind, or beginning to change their daily routine due to panic attacks. or refers to persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety about separation from others (something that provides comfort to the individual). Separation Disorder is common in children, and prolonged separations of up to six weeks can cause persistent anxiety. Individuals with differential anxiety disorder experience distress and anxiety when separated from their attachment style.
Social Anxiety Disorder, also known as Social Phobia, is characterized by a strong and persistent fear of social or performance situations that could be humiliating or embarrassing. While it is normal to feel some anxiety in some social situations, those with Social Anxiety Disorder experience intense social distress, self-doubt, and fear of judgment in daily social interactions. SAD often prevents people from having normal friendships, interactions, or romantic relationships, and can disruptively prevent people from functioning in daily life, at work, or at school. Additionally, people with SAD sometimes experience anxiety, fear, or dread about a social situation for days or weeks beforehand.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD1, is characterized by intrusive obsessive thoughts that cause compulsive ritualistic behaviors and routines. It is possible to have only obsessive symptoms or only compulsive symptoms, but they often occur together. Those who suffer from OCD experience uncontrolled, tense ideas or fears about certain things (such as soil, germs, or order) that lead to compulsive behavior as an attempt to worry or relieve anxiety. Just being afraid of germs definitely causes OCD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is an Anxiety Disorder that can develop after witnessing a deeply distressing or disturbing experience or after experiencing a serious injury. PTSD can develop following threatened death or serious injury, even if no one is physically harmed. While most people experience anxious reactions after a serious traumatic impact, PTSD occurs if these symptoms and negative reactions remain for a long time. It begins to disrupt daily life and functioning. PTSD survivors experience intense fear, lack of control, and feelings of helplessness as a result of their traumatic experiences.
Selective Mutism occurs when a person has difficulty speaking or communicating in certain environments. Selective mutism often occurs in children – children with the disorder talk at home, with friends or family, but not in other situations, such as at school or in public. The disorder usually appears very early in children under five years of age. In selective mutism, the failure to speak and communicate interferes with daily life and lasts for at least a month.
A phobia is a type of Anxiety Disorder that triggers an extreme and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation. People with phobia may try hard to avoid encountering the feared object or situation. These efforts can negatively affect the person's life and social life.
Potential Causes
Anxiety disorders can have a long list of potential causes. Every case is different, and most concerns arise from a combination of several different causes. Anxiety is not the result of weakness or personal fault.
Anxiety Disorder rarely has a concrete cause. It usually occurs due to a combination of factors such as brain chemistry, genetics, environmental contributors, upbringing, and life events.
The following factors increase the risk of Anxiety Disorder.
• Chemical imbalances
• Prolonged stress
• Family history of anxiety or other mental health problems
• Trauma
• Abuse of biological agents such as alcohol, medications, or prescription medications
• Incidence of other mental disorders
• Side effects of some medications
In addition, women People are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder. Minority groups and LGBTQ individuals experience more anxiety than others. If you already know you have an Anxiety Disorder, understanding your triggers becomes important. You should recognize specific events and contributors that trigger (or encourage) your anxiety.
Anxiety Disorder; While this means your anxiety may come on suddenly, there are triggers that can make your anxiety worse. These triggers can make you more likely to experience anxiety or a panic attack. Triggers include factors such as stressful relationships, work-related or school-related stress, illnesses, or certain thought processes.
Anxiety disorders are sometimes thought to arise due to no triggers. This uncertainty can create more stress for an anxious person. By identifying your triggers, along with the physical and emotional sensations experienced by stress (also known as alarms), you can develop effective coping strategies to relieve your anxiety.
Anxiety Treatment
Anxiety disorders can be treated. The majority of people living with Anxiety Disorder return and continue their normal lives with professional care and psychological support. A variety of options exist for treating anxiety, from standard procedures such as therapy and medication to clinically confirmed alternative treatments such as yoga or meditation.
Experts often recommend the use of two or more treatments during recovery from a disorder; For example, your therapy sessions can be complemented with yoga or meditation. Treatment options for anxiety include:
• EMDR Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Exposure Therapy
/> • Other types of therapy or psychological support
Alternative and complementary therapies include:
• Meditation
• Acupuncture
• Hypnotherapy
• Yoga
• Relaxation techniques
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