All About Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety attacks can happen to anyone from time to time. It’s common for people to be concerned about their health, finances, or family relationships. As opposed to having a persistent state of worry, those with anxiety disorders suffer from a much more serious condition. If you are having anxiety and it is disrupting your daily life then you are suffering from anxiety disorder It can get difficult to manage and last for a long time. To keep yourself safe from these emotions, you may choose to stay away from certain places or situations. The symptoms of anxiety may begin in childhood or adolescence and persist throughout adulthood.

Types of Anxiety

There are different types of anxiety disorders. People get different anxiety, fears, and phobias due to certain life situations that happened to them or since childhood. Several types of anxiety disorder are –

Agoraphobia:

Anxiety over being stuck or not being able to get help when one is in a dangerous scenario or situation that one can’t get out of. It’s a common misconception that this is a fear of wide spaces or the outdoors. Someone who suffers from agoraphobia may be afraid to leave the house or to use elevators or mass transit.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

In generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a person experiences a continuous and debilitating sense of fear or dread. It’s not the same as worrying about things regularly or feeling anxious about unpleasant situations in your life. GAD sufferers are plagued by constant anxiety for months or even years at a time.

Social Anxiety Disorder –

Anxiety over being observed and judged by others is a characteristic of social anxiety disorder. The fear of social situations can be so overwhelming for those with a social anxiety disorder that they believe they have no control over it. This anxiety may prevent some people from going to work, going to school, or accomplishing regular tasks.

Separation Anxiety Disorder –

When a person suffers from a separation anxiety disorder, they experience high levels of anxiety when they are separated from a source of comfort or security. Panic attacks may occur when a person is separated from their loved one.

Selective Mutism –

Anxiety can cause children to be unable to express themselves verbally in some situations, such as in their classroom, even though they have good verbal communication abilities when they are around friends and family. This may be a severe case of social phobia.

Panic Disorders –

Panic disorder is characterised by brief or unexpected attacks of extreme anxiety and apprehension. There is a wide range of triggers for panic disorders, including terrifying encounters or long-term stress. As a result of a panic attack, a person may take extraordinary measures to avoid a repeat of the experience.

These attacks can cause trembling, disorientation, dizziness, vomiting, and breathing issues. Ten minutes after a panic attack begins, the symptoms begin to subside. Panic attacks, on the other hand, might linger for several hours.

Causes of Anxiety Disorders

Various factors cause the development of anxiety disorders. In some cases, many symptoms can occur at the same time; others may precede or follow one another without necessarily resulting in anxiety. Anxiety disorders may be triggered by life events such as traumatic occurrences in persons who are already vulnerable to them. A person’s ancestry can also play a role.

Some people’s anxiety may be linked to an underlying medical condition. Symptoms of anxiety might be the first sign of a medical problem in some patients. Tests can be conducted to look for evidence of an illness if your doctor feels that your anxiety has a medical explanation. In some cases, anxiety disorders are brought on by one or more of the following health conditions:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Tumours
• Respiratory Disorders
• Chronic Obstructive Disorders

The side effects of several drugs might cause anxiety. An underlying medical problem may be the cause of your worry if any of the following is true:

• You are not connected to somebody who suffers from an anxiety disorder.
• As a child, you did not suffer from an anxiety disorder.
• Anxiety does not cause you to avoid specific situations or things.
• You suddenly experience anxiety that seems to be unconnected to events in life, and you have no prior history of anxiety disorders.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

The symptoms of different anxiety disorders can vary. However, they all have the following in common:

• Feeling weak or exhausted
• Trouble focusing or considering anything except the current worry
• Having difficulty sleeping
• Having gastrointestinal difficulties
• Having problems regulating anxiety
• Avoiding situations or objects that cause anxiety
• Feeling anxious, agitated, or tense
• A feeling of imminent danger, panic, or disaster
• Having an elevated heart rate
• Breathing quickly (hyperventilation)
• Sweating
• Trembling

Risk Factors of Anxiety Disorders

Several risk factor can increase an individual’s chances of acquiring depression and anxiety. You might be at increased risk if you have or have had:

• Certain personality qualities, like shyness or behavioral inhibition – feeling uncomfortable around unfamiliar people, circumstances, or settings and avoiding them — cause a person to avoid them.
• Abused or traumatized children and adults, or those who have witnessed terrible events, are more likely to acquire an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
• Having a serious health condition or sickness can generate tremendous anxiety for treatment and the future.
• Individuals with other mental health illnesses, such as depression, frequently also suffer from an anxiety disorder.
• Substance abuse or withdrawal can create or exacerbate anxiety.

Treatment of Anxiety Disorder

Combinations of psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medication will be used as treatments. It may require some experimentation to determine which treatment is most effective for you.

Psychological Therapy

Psychological counselling is a common method for treating anxiety. This may consist of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. This approach to therapy aims to identify and modify the negative thought patterns that underlie anxious and distressing emotions. In the process, CBT practitioners hope to limit disordered thinking and alter how individuals react to anxiety-provoking objects or situations.

Self-Treatment

Several exercises and activities can assist a person in coping with milder and relatively short anxiety disorders, such as:

• Stress management skills can aid in limiting potential triggers. Plan for approaching pressures and time limits, start creating a to-do checklist to make challenging tasks more manageable and try to take a break between your work or studies.
• Simple activities can reduce the mental and physical manifestations of worry. Among these methods are exercises, meditation, deep breathing and yoga.
• Developing a mental image of efficiently confronting and overcoming a particular fear can be beneficial if anxiety symptoms arise from a specific reason.

Medicine

Multiple medications can alleviate anxiety symptoms. However, this is dependent upon the severity of your condition. Some antidepressants are used to treat anxiety disorders as well.

You can also get anxiety medication online prescribed by your doctor.

In rare cases, your doctor may prescribe additional medications, such as sedatives, also known as benzodiazepines, or beta-blockers. These medications are intended for the temporary relief of anxiety symptoms and not for long-term use.

Final Thoughts

Anxiety problems are usually misdiagnosed and untreated. Thankfully, treatment can be beneficial. The proper treatment can enhance your life quality, relationships, and efficiency. Additionally, it can improve your general health.

You do not need to be always anxious and fearful. If you observe symptoms of an anxiety problem, consult a healthcare professional. It is optimal to receive a diagnosis and treatment as soon as feasible. As a result, anxiety disorders are less likely to create issues. Oftentimes, a combination of medicine and therapy is the most effective treatment for anxiety.