Anxiety

What is anxiety?

Are you anxious? Maybe you’re feeling worried about a problem at work with your boss. Maybe you have butterflies in your stomach while waiting for the results of a medical test. Maybe you get nervous when driving home in rush-hour traffic as cars speed by and weave between lanes.

In life, everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. This includes both adults and children. For most people, feelings of anxiety come and go, only lasting a short time. Some moments of anxiety are more brief than others, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.

But for some people, these feelings of anxiety are more than just passing worries or a stressful day at work. Your anxiety may not go away for many weeks, months, or years. It can worsen over time, sometimes becoming so severe that it interferes with your daily life. When this happens, it’s said that you have an anxiety disorder.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

nervousness, restlessness, or being tense
feelings of danger, panic, or dread
rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, or hyperventilation
increased or heavy sweating
trembling or muscle twitching
weakness and lethargy
insomnia
difficulty focusing or thinking clearly about anything other than the thing you’re worried about
digestive or gastrointestinal problems, such as gas, constipation, or diarrhea
a strong desire to avoid the things that trigger your anxiety
obsessions about certain ideas, a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
nausea or gastrointestinal problems
dizziness, light-headedness, or feeling faint
numbness or tingling sensations (paresthesia)
fear of “going crazy” or losing control
fear of dying

There are some symptoms of anxiety that can happen in conditions other than anxiety disorders. This is usually the case with panic attacks. The symptoms of panic attacks are similar to those of heart disease, thyroid problems, breathing disorders, and other illnesses.

As a result, people with panic disorder may make frequent trips to emergency rooms or doctor’s offices. They may believe they are experiencing life- threatening health conditions other than anxiety.

Types of anxiety disorders

There are several types of anxiety disorders, these include:

Agoraphobia

People who have agoraphobia have a fear of certain places or situations that make them feel trapped, powerless, or embarrassed. These feelings lead to panic attacks. People with agoraphobia may try to avoid these places and situations to prevent panic attacks.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

People with GAD experience constant anxiety and worry about activities or events, even those that are ordinary or routine. The worry is greater than it should be given the reality of the situation. The worry causes physical symptoms in the body, such as headaches, stomach upset, or trouble sleeping.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

OCD is the continual experience of unwanted or intrusive thoughts and worries that cause anxiety. A person may know these thoughts are trivial, but they will try to relieve their anxiety by performing certain rituals or behaviors. This may include hand washing, counting, or checking on things such as whether or not they’ve locked their house.

Panic disorder

Panic disorder causes sudden and repeated bouts of severe anxiety, fear, or terror that peak in a matter of minutes. This is known as a panic attack. Those experiencing a panic attack may experience:

feelings of looming danger
shortness of breath
chest pain
rapid or irregular heartbeat that feels like fluttering or pounding (palpitations)

Panic attacks may cause one to worry about them occurring again or try to avoid situations in which they’ve previously occurred.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

PTSD occurs after a person experiences a traumatic event such as:

war
assault
natural disaster
accident

Symptoms include trouble relaxing, disturbing dreams, or flashbacks of the traumatic event or situation. People with PTSD may also avoid things related to the trauma.

Selective mutism

This is an ongoing inability of a child to talk in specific situations or places. For example, a child may refuse to talk at school. even when they can speak in other situations or places, such as at home. Selective mutism can interfere with everyday life and activities, such as school, work, and a social life.

Separation anxiety disorder

This is a childhood condition marked by anxiety when a child is separated from their parents or guardians. Separation anxiety is a normal part of childhood development. Most children outgrow it around 18 months. However, some children experience versions of this disorder that disrupt their daily activities.

Specific phobias

This is a fear of a specific object, event, or situation that results in severe anxiety when you’re exposed to that thing. It’s accompanied by a powerful desire to avoid it. Phobias, such as arachnophobia (fear of spiders) or claustrophobia (fear of small spaces), may cause you to experience panic attacks when exposed to the thing you fear.

What causes anxiety?

Doctors don’t completely understand what causes anxiety disorders. It’s currently believed certain traumatic experiences can trigger anxiety in people who are prone to it. Genetics may also play a role in anxiety. In some cases, anxiety may be caused by an underlying health issue and could be the first signs of a physical. rather than mental. illness.

A person may experience one or more anxiety disorder at the same time. It may also accompany other mental health conditions such as depression or bipolar disorder. This is especially true of generalized anxiety disorder, which most commonly accompanies another anxiety or mental condition.

Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

Want to control your anxiety, stop worrisome thoughts, and conquer your fears? Here’s how therapy can help.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely-used therapy for anxiety disorders. Research has shown it to be effective in the treatment of the panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, among many other conditions.

CBT addresses negative patterns and distortions in the way we look at the world and ourselves. As the name suggests, this involves two main components:

1. Cognitive therapy examines how negative thoughts, or cognitions, contribute to anxiety.

2. Behavior therapy examines how you behave and react in situations that trigger anxiety.

The basic premise of CBT is that our thoughts-not external events-affect the way we feel. In other words, it’s not the situation you’re in that determines how you feel, but your perception of the situation.

For example, imagine that you’ve just been invited to a big party. Consider three different ways of thinking about the invitation, and how those thoughts would affect your emotions.

Situation: A friend invites you to a big party

Thought #1: The party sounds like a lot of fun. I love going out and meeting new people!

Emotions: Happy, excited.