Anxiety is another name for fear and worry. People that suffer from anxiety are usually responding in fear to something in the present or dreading about something in the future. Anxiety is actually a natural thing that we all have as it is part of our innate system of survival; helping us to be temporarily more aware and alert. To be considered an anxiety disorder, the fear or worry needs to be somewhat irrational and/or excessive and also more persistent to what would be considered normal in relation to the posing situation or condition. Anxiety comes in different degrees of intensity from mild to severe. In some cases the feeling is constant and underlying, and in others the response may be in the form of a panic attack, which may last just a couple of minutes but can last for much longer. Anxiety disorders are where symptoms start to become overwhelming and affect the person’s ability to live a normal lifestyle.
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders of modern times, affecting up to 30% of the population at some point in their lifetime. Anxiety seems to affect twice as many women as men and is reported to be more prevalent in the western areas of America and Europe, although I would argue that this could be down to the fact that anxiety is simply less spoken about and thus less reported in other regions.
Anxiety is a broad term. There are several different types of anxiety disorder as follows:
- Agoraphobia – a fear of safety from being outside of the home, especially in public places which cannot be controlled like shopping centres, supermarkets, transportation etc.
- General Anxiety Disorder – excessive and irrational worry about most matters in daily life.
- Panic Disorder – acute responses of apprehension and terror with intense physical symptoms.
- Phobia Specific Anxiety – fear in relation to a specific stimulus.
- Separation Anxiety – a fear of leaving the safety of home or significant others.
- Situation Mutism – a reaction to certain situations whereby speech becomes impaired.
- Social Anxiety – a fear response when exposed to social interaction environments.
Anxiety disorders can lead to certain negative behaviours like avoidance and isolation. Negative emotions of doom, despair and hopelessness can form. Anxiety can also produce numerous physical symptoms, which can be experienced in different combinations. Everybody is different, some will only experience one or two, whereas others may experience many. Here is a list of physical symptoms:
- Concentration difficulties
- Crying
- Digestive troubles
- Dizziness & faintness
- Dry mouth
- Fidgeting or pacing – unable to remain still
- Increased heartrate & palpitations
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Numbness
- Shakiness & Trembling
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating & hot flushes
- Tension
- Tingling sensations in the body (mostly arms and legs)
- Tiredness
What causes anxiety disorders?
The main factors said to cause anxiety disorders are:
- Abuse – victims of child abuse commonly suffer from anxiety disorders in later life.
- Brain chemistry – misalignment of signals in the brain can cause symptoms of anxiety.
- Disease – certain diseases can cause symptoms of anxiety.
- Drugs – both abuse of and the withdrawal from (including alcohol).
- Environment – places of increased stress, or where certain dangers are perceived to be higher.
- Finances – where a feeling of scarcity or poverty is present.
- Genetics – where there is some family history of anxiety disorders.
- Trauma – anxiety disorders often tend to develop after traumatic events.
However, anxiety is often the symptom of another problem and so can be connected to many other subjects.
You may therefore find these associated articles of interest:
Abuse
Addictions & Cravings
Cancer
Confidence
Dating & Intimacy (Shyness)
Depression
Eating Disorders
Insomnia
Learning & Exams
Loss & Grief
Moving On
Natural Disasters
Obsessions & Compulsions
Phobias
Public Speaking
Sexual Problems
Smoking
Stage Fright
Stress
Trauma
Wedding Nerves
Help is Here
Anxiety disorders are most commonly treated with pharmaceutical medication. Whereas these drugs can be very useful in helping the sufferer to experience some initial ease of their symptoms and regain some functionality to their daily life, they do not treat the actual cause of the anxiety itself. These drugs can take time to start working as often it is trial and error to find the right ones for the individual patient. Unfortunately, these medications can also bring negative side-effects. Furthermore, in time the person can become either completely tolerant to or dependent upon the medication, which then poses new problems.
In my work with mental health disorders, I focus on exploring the underlying psychological cause of the problems. Then I use a blend of applications to help address these underlying issues – which in turn helps to reduce or eliminate the corresponding effects.
Health is important, and so attention to nutrition and exercise can also help with anxiety related disorders.
Please see read this article on Weight Loss if this is something that may interest you.
Anxiety conditions respond well to lifestyle changes, and so with additional coaching, the person is able to further increase the quality of their life and go on to enjoy and achieve more than they ever thought possible.
If you are suffering from a form of anxiety or related problem and would like to discuss how my services may be able to help you turn your life around, then please connect with me.