Anxiety What You Need To Know|eMedEvents

 Anxiety is a pervasive mental condition characterized by inner turmoil and feelings of dread towards the future. It ranges from mild and manageable to severe and incapacitating, despite common misconceptions. Anxiety is often accompanied by muscular tension, restlessness, fatigue, breathlessness, heart palpitations, abdominal tightness, nausea, and concentration difficulties.

While anxiety is a common reaction to stress, and everyone experiences anxiety at some point or another in their lives, persistent anxiety can be indicative of a disorder.

Anxiety Disorders

If your symptoms are severe enough to interfere with your daily life and last for at least six months, you may have an anxiety disorder. People suffering from anxiety disorders usually experience intense, overwhelming, and consistent fear regarding ordinary situations and circumstances.

Signs & Symptoms

  • Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
  • Feelings of impending danger, panic, or doom
  • Increased heart rate or heart palpitations
  • Hyperventilation
  • Sweating
  • Trembling
  • Feeling weak or tired
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Inability to think past the source of concern
  • Irregular sleep patterns or insomnia
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Difficulties with worry management

Types of Anxiety

  • Panic disorder — characterized by unexpected and recurring panic attacks, which often involve more intense versions of the aforementioned symptoms
  • Phobia — characterized by a strong, sometimes incapacitating aversion to a specific thing or situation
  • Social anxiety disorder — characterized by a severe fear of social situations in which one may be embarrassed, judged, or given excessive attention
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder — characterized by recurring, irrational thoughts that result in the performance of specific and repetitive actions
  • Separation anxiety disorder — characterized by an intense fear of being away from one’s home and/or loved ones
  • Illness anxiety disorder — characterized by excessive (sometimes irrational) concerns regarding one’s health

Common Causes

  • Other medical conditions, such as depression or diabetes
  • Stress
  • Genetics
  • Environment, including upbringing
  • Substance abuse
  • Exposure to potentially harmful situations, such as surgery or occupational hazards

Management

There are several options for anxiety management that can be tried before seeking professional help.

  1. Stress management — By making an effort to minimize your stress, you can limit your exposure to potential triggers for anxiety. Organize forthcoming deadlines and obligations, break down difficult tasks into simpler steps, and commit to taking time off from study or work.
  2. Relaxation techniques — Seemingly simple activities can alleviate the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety. These techniques include meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga.
  3. Positive thinking — To reorient your outlook, try replacing negative, knee-jerk reactions with positive thoughts. While it takes perseverance and consistency, you can ease your anxiety by “rewiring” your brain to default to best-case scenarios instead of worst-case ones.
  4. Support network — Whether your network consists of family, friends, or a dedicated support group, these are people that you can rely on when it comes to talking through anxiety-inducing situations or obligations.
  5. Exercise — Physical exertion has been proven to release endorphins, which are brain chemicals that work to relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your mood.

Treatment

Psychological counselling is a common method of treating anxiety. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), other types of psychotherapy, or a combination of therapies may be used.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

CBT is a specific type of psychotherapy that aims to identify and alter negative thought patterns, which serve as the foundation for anxiety and a myriad of other mental conditions. It seeks to combat distorted thinking by changing the way people react to stressful circumstances and situations.

For example, a psychotherapist using CBT to treat panic disorders may first work on imparting to their patients that panic attacks are not heart attacks and they are not in any physical danger during them.

CBT can also involve desensitization, in which people are purposely exposed to their triggers in a safe and controlled space, allowing them to grow more accustomed to handling them.

Medication

There are many types of medication that are employed in treating anxiety. Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, tricyclics, and beta-blockers are just a few that help with some of the physical and mental symptoms of anxiety.

Tips for Reducing Anxiety

  • Reduce your intake of caffeine and sugar
  • Avoid over-the-counter medications or herbal remedies unless they have been approved by your doctor
  • Practice healthy eating habits
  • Keep a regular sleep pattern
  • Avoid alcohol, cannabis, and other recreational drugs

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