Posted on 1st January, 2024 at 7:07:04 AM
It is normal to feel anxious from time to time, especially if you live a stressful life. But, it is true that for so many people, anxiety is actually a constant companion. An estimated 2-5% of the population has an actual anxiety-related condition.
For people with anxiety and constant fear life become devastating and can be disabling. With proper diagnosis and treatment, people can manage those feelings and get back to a fulfilling life.
Because symptoms can seem like everyday occurrences, anxiety disorders are often difficult to understand. All anxiety disorders share some general symptoms like:
• Panic, fear, and uneasiness
• Sleep problems
• Unable to stay calm & still
• Feeling cold & sweaty as well as numbness or tingling in hands or in feet
• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Tense muscles
• Dizziness
Sometimes Even if they do, too few people discuss these openly. Mental illness still has a social stigma, causing many people to keep their condition a secret. Though many have found opening up helps to cope.
If your feelings of anxiety are extreme, and have above-mentioned symptoms last for longer than six months, and are interfering with your life, you may have an anxiety disorder do consult a professional who will initially examine you and ask for your medical history, may run tests to rule out medical illnesses that might be causing your symptoms. No lab tests can specifically diagnose anxiety disorders.
If no medical reasons are found for how you’re feeling then you will be asked different questions and use tools and testing to find out if you are suffering from an anxiety disorder.
Your doctor/therapist will consider how long and how intense your symptoms are while diagnosing you and recommend likewise.
Most people with the condition try either of these therapies or sometimes a combination of both
1 Medication
2 Psychotherapy
Researchers are not entirely sure of the precise cause of anxiety. But, it’s likely a combination of factors plays a role. These include genetic as well as environmental factors, & brain chemistry. Furthermore, researchers do believe that the areas of the brain which are responsible for controlling fear may be impacted.
Anxiety Disorders are actually a group of mental illnesses, & the suffering they cause can keep the person to lead a daily normal life. It is an umbrella term that includes different conditions:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD is when you feel excessive, unrealistic (that can’t be happened or controlled by any action of yours) worry & tension with little or no reason.
Panic disorder is when you feel the terror that strikes at random. You may also have chest pain, sweat, dizziness, dryness of throat, as well as feel palpitations (oddly strong or uneven heartbeats).
Sometimes you may feel like you’re choking, suffocating, or having a heart attack.
Social Anxiety Disorder: this is when you feel overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. You are preoccupied with the thought about others judging you or facing embarrassment or trolling.
Specific Phobias: You feel intense fear of a specific object or situation, such as heights /flying/blood/closed spaces. The fear goes far beyond what’s suitable & may cause you to avoid ordinary situations.
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder: continuous recurring irrational thoughts that lead you to perform specific, repeated behaviors
Separation Anxiety Disorder or SAD is like when you feel fear of leaving your home or loved ones behind.
Hypochondria: anxiety about your health or worrying about having a fatal disease
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): anxiety following a traumatic event like war, natural disaster, crime (victim or witness), etc.
