All about Anxiety

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a common emotion that everyone feels now and then. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress where you may get feelings of fear, uneasiness, and dismay. Also, you may sweat more, feel restless and tense along with the heartbeat becoming fast. Everyone once in a while feels anxious in various types of situations. Anxiety disorder is different from normal anxiety where the anxiety does not go away and it many times gets worse and affects daily chores such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. The situation of anxiety disorder is not temporary and can create serious mental issues in near future.

What are the types of anxiety disorders?

There are three types of anxiety disorders such as:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Everyone once in a while gets anxious because of some situation that occurred pertaining to health, money, work, and family. But GAD is a condition where the anxiousness is excessive and stays for a long period. Doctors consider someone suffering from GAD if someone is feeling anxious almost every day for at least 6 months.
• Panic disorder: People with panic disorder are prone to anxiety disorder also. Panic disorder means if someone is fearful without any concrete reason and getting panic attacks because of it. The attacks come on quickly and can last several minutes or more.
• Phobias: Phobia means fear of something that actually is just in your mind and there is very little or no danger at all. There are various kinds of phobias many people suffer from such as fear of darkness, insects, sitting in aeroplane, social situations, etc.
• Medication-Induced Anxiety Disorder:  Anxiety because of certain medicines or using illegal drugs is called medical-induced anxiety disorder.

What are the Symptoms of Anxiety?

Excessive fear or worry is one of the main symptoms of anxiety which many times create problems like difficulty in breathing and concentrating, sleeping disorder, loss of appetite, etc. Some main symptoms of anxiety disorder are:

• Constant feelings of panic, fear, doom, or danger
• Nervousness
• Insomnia
• Not able to be calm and still
• Excessive sweating or tickling feet and hands
• Breathing problem
•  Hyperventilation (Breathing faster and more quickly than normal)
• Palpitations
• Drying mouth
• Nausea
• Tense muscles
• Dizziness
• Thinking about a problem continuously
• Deeply or compulsively avoiding certain feared objects or places

What are the Causes of Anxiety?

There is no certain or fixed cause of anxiety and anxiety can happen to anyone but the cause may vary according to the nature of the person still here we have tried to make a list of a few causes of anxiety.

• Genetics: Though not compulsory, there are chances that if someone is suffering from anxiety disorder then close blood relatives may also have to face the issue of anxiety disorder.
• Chemical reactions in the brain: Many researchers believe that certain faults in the circuit which controls fear and emotions because of chemical reactions may cause anxiety in some people
• Environmental stress: It means that someone may get anxiety disorder because of certain life issues such as child abuse, feeling neglected, the death of someone close, or experiencing some sort of violence can trigger anxiety which can result in anxiety disorder.
• Drug Abuse or withdrawal: Drug abuse suppresses anxiety and quitting it causes withdrawal and during the withdrawal period, anxiety disorder is common. Drug and alcohol abuse goes hand to hand with anxiety disorder.
• Medical conditions: Some medical conditions related to heart, lung, and thyroid conditions can cause anxiety disorders or worsen it. Tumors and diabetes along with certain medicines may also cause anxiety disorder.
• Stress:  If someone is stressed because of some problems for a long period of time can give rise to anxiety disorder.

What are the Risk Factors Associated with Anxiety?

 Risk factors for anxiety disorders include:

• History of mental health disorder: A previous history of mental health issues such as depression increases the risk of anxiety disorder.
• Childhood trauma: If you went through certain traumas in childhood like sexual abuse, witnessing someone’s death, or physical and emotional abuse can cause anxiety disorders later in life. PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) triggers panic attacks in many that can lead to anxiety disorder.
• Severe illness or chronic health condition: Continuously worrying about your health of yourself or someone close to you can cause anxiety. If you have a patient in your house and you are constantly caring about him may also increase the risk of anxiety.
• Substance and alcohol abuse: If someone is into alcohol or drug abuse, the risk of anxiety disorder increases. It may happen when you are taking alcohol or drugs regularly or withdrawal may also cause anxiety disorder.
• Low self-esteem: Negative perceptions about you can result in social anxiety disorder. The feelings of awkwardness, self-consciousness, and worrying about being judged constantly may cause low self-esteem which sometimes turns into an anxiety disorder.

How is Anxiety Diagnosed?

There are no tests or scans that diagnose anxiety rather if you feel the symptoms of anxiety such as a constant feeling of fear, nervousness, fast heartbeat, etc. visit a doctor, psychiatrist to be precise. He will check your medical history and may do some physical examination to diagnose the problem. There are specially designed interview and assessment tools available that are used to diagnose an anxiety disorder.

Getting anxious is a common thing but in case you are feeling anxious for a long period of time confirms anxiety and a psychiatrist will make sure about it by diagnosing your condition. Anxiety is a mental issue but there are some physical problems also that can cause anxiety and few tests for any physical issue that is the cause of anxiety may be taken.

What Are The Treatment Options For Anxiety?

An anxiety disorder is like any other health condition that requires treatment. The treatment of anxiety disorder includes:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): It is a type of psychotherapy that is used to treat and cure anxiety disorders. CBT teaches you to take the issues of your life differently and see them positively as a natural progression of life instead of constantly worrying about them. Various ways of thinking and behaving are thought which aid you to change the way you react to certain things and situations that causes anxiety and fear within you. It sometimes includes exposure therapy also where you have to confront your fears and instead of worrying about them or avoiding them.

• Medications: Doctors sometimes prescribe anti-anxiety medicines and certain antidepressants to cure anxiety disorders. Some types of medicines may work well to treat certain types of anxiety disorders. Talk about your symptoms freely with your psychiatrist and he will give you medicines accordingly. Some common medicines given for anxiety disorder are Bupropion, Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin), Buspirone, etc.

What are the Complications of Anxiety?

Suffering from anxiety disorder for a long period may result in other mental health conditions, especially depression. Some complications of anxiety disorder are:

• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Getting socially isolated
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss without trying
• Problems in working or studying
• Digestive issues
• Bowel problems
• Low quality of life
• Suicide

Living with Anxiety

 It’s not easy to live with anxiety as it leads to many other problems. There may be problems in your college or job because you are not able to concentrate properly. You may become socially isolated also. So it’s very important to get a consultation as soon as possible to cure anxiety disorder before it starts affecting your life.

Whom to Consult?

 If you notice symptoms of anxiety for a long period of time, fix an appointment with a psychiatrist or psychologist immediately. He will ask about your symptoms, check your mental health story, and will start treatment accordingly.