It’s normal to experience anxiety and fear from time time. If these feelings are constant and disrupt your daily life, you may have anxiety disorder.
A medical professional can assist you in finding the right treatment for your symptoms. This may include psychotherapy, antianxiety medications or natural remedies like exercise, healthy eating, and sleep.
1. Fear and Worry
Every person feels anxiety and fear from time time — it’s a natural part of our body’s “fight-or-flight” response to danger. If the feeling is extreme and doesn’t disappear or is interfering with daily life, then you may have anxiety disorder. Your doctor can diagnose anxiety disorders by speaking with you and conducting an examination, taking blood or urine tests, and examining your health history. You may also be asked to fill out questionnaires that help your doctor determine if you have an anxiety disorder.
Symptoms of anxiety disorders vary depending on the type. For instance, people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder cognitive behavioral therapy anxiety disorder (GAD) suffer from persistent excessive and irrational anxiety about everyday situations even when they are aware of no real danger. They also have trouble getting comfortable or falling asleep. Other symptoms include a fast or racing heart (heart pounding) and trembling. They also experience sweating. People with panic disorder have regular moments of intense terror or fear that rise to a peak within minutes. They also have difficulties managing their emotions. They stay clear of certain areas and activities to avoid attacks.
People who have phobias are scared of certain things, such as flying or snakes. They may also experience other symptoms, too, such as difficulty breathing or headaches. People suffering from PTSD have anxiety after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event like a car accident or war. Other symptoms may include flashbacks or nightmares that reminisce about the traumatic event.
Other forms of anxiety disorders include ocd, hoarding disorder, and social anxiety disorder stress management disorder, which causes you feel anxious in social situations. There’s also anxiety over the specific health issue called illness anxiety disorder (formerly known as hypochondria). Other causes of anxiety are stress and an imbalance in the chemical system of your brain. Sometimes, anxiety is a side effect of some medications.
2. Panic Attacks
Everyone is nervous or scared at some point, people with anxiety disorders have recurring sensations of fear and panic that are not in line with their personal circumstances. These feelings can trigger extreme physical reactions, such as rapid heartbeat as well as a shortness of breath and nausea. You might also feel disengaged or numb.
Although anyone can experience a panic disorder however, it is more common to develop it during childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. It can be caused by a variety of factors that include prolonged or severe stress that creates an imbalance of chemicals in your nervous system and brain. A severe trauma, particularly in the adolescent years can also increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder.
Panic attacks can occur for no apparent reason or in response to a specific circumstance that makes you feel anxious like being in an en masse. They differ from normal anxiety-related symptoms because they cause more intense symptoms and are often unexpected. People suffering from anxiety disorders might also experience a mixture of expected and unanticipated panic attacks.
The most popular treatments for anxiety and panic attacks include talking therapies and medication. Talking therapies can help you learn to manage your anxiety and overcome irrational beliefs that feed your anxiety. They can teach you relaxation exercises such as mindfulness and deep breathing. Certain medications, particularly SSRIs (such as Prozac and Paxil) and SNRIs (such as duloxetine and venlafaxine) can help reduce anxiety and make panic less intense.
It’s important that you see your doctor right away if you have frequent panic attacks. Your doctor can look for any other health illnesses that share similar symptoms and suggest other treatments.
3. Insomnia
If people are stressed they may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. This is known as insomnia. This can happen for an indefinite period of time, or it may last for a long time. Insomnia can make it difficult to make it through the day and could cause serious health issues. It is more prevalent among older adults and is more prevalent in women than men. It is more common in people with psychiatric conditions.
Sleepiness can be caused by many different causes. Sleep can be affected by temporary illnesses such as colds or headaches and chronic conditions like acid reflux, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis and medication. Stressful life circumstances can also contribute to it. About half of those with chronic insomnia suffer from a mental illness, the most common being anxiety or depression.
The first thing a doctor will do is to look for physical causes for the issue. They will check your medical history and ask about the symptoms that are making it harder to sleep. They’ll also want find out if any medications you take are affecting it. They could also conduct an overnight sleep study so that they can track your breathing and heart rate at night.
The most effective way to treat insomnia is a form of behavioral best therapy for anxiety disorder. It helps you overcome the negative thoughts that keep you awake. It also teaches you ways to unwind before bed. There are many techniques to assist you in relaxing, including progressive muscle relaxation meditation, biofeedback and biofeedback. The doctor can assist you to find a therapist to teach you these techniques. If you do not respond to behavioral therapy, there are several drugs that can help you get better sleep. They include benzodiazepines, which can anxiety disorder cause high blood pressure be used for short-term symptom relief and antidepressant or antianxiety medication.
4. Eating Disorders
The most common symptoms of eating disorders are obsessions with weight, body shape and food as well as eating habits such as restricting eating, binge eating purging (through vomiting or misuse of laxatives) and compulsive exercise. Many people with an eating disorder also suffer from anxiety as do those who have a co-occurring mental illness like bipolar or depression disorder. Both conditions can lead to an unhealthy cycle where eating disorder symptoms are further aggravated by a person’s mood issues.
There is a strong link between anxiety and severity of eating disorders. More anxiety symptoms are linked to the disorder. In fact, a person with anorexia nervosa tends to endorse high levels of anxiety symptoms and the same is the case for people suffering from the disorder of binge eating known as bulimia nervosa. In certain cases, anxiety can be the direct cause of an eating disorder. In certain instances, anxiety may be a secondary indication of an eating disorder.
In one study, researchers discovered that comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms were significantly related to more severe symptomatology of eating disorders in young females. The study team utilized the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) as a four-item measure of core anxiety and depression symptoms. They also evaluated the extent of an eating disorder and asked participants to rate how they cope with anxiety.
The study’s authors also examined three factors that may help explain the relationship between eating disorders and anxiety: self-esteem, perfectionism and mood dysregulation. They found that these factors moderated the link between anxiety/depression symptoms and symptomatology of eating disorders and did this in different ways for different subgroups of the sample. They hope that the findings will help them develop more precise and focused treatment of eating disorders.
5. Anxiety-Related physical conditions
The majority of people experience anxiety-related feelings at some time, but it becomes a disorder when it’s severe and interferes with daily life. Some people might also experience physical symptoms like chest pain or stomach discomfort in relation to the type of anxiety they are experiencing.
Finding the right treatment for anxiety disorders can make people feel better and lead happier lives. Many people benefit from psychotherapy or talk therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a very common type. CBT teaches how to identify and change negative thoughts which trigger anxiety and anxiety. It also teaches how to confront your fears and take small steps to overcome them.
The use of medication can also be beneficial. Benzodiazepines like diazepam and Valium can help ease anxiety or panic attacks. Antidepressants, such as SSRIs or tricyclic antidepressants, may also be prescribed. These drugs are used to treat anxiety disorders alone or in conjunction with other treatments.
Anxiety-related medical conditions can be caused by medical conditions, and they may even exhibit the same symptoms as anxiety disorders. Head trauma, for instance can cause depression and anxiety. Other conditions that can trigger anxiety include chronic fatigue, pain and rheumatologic conditions like Lupus, and some nutritional deficiencies.
Certain factors make a person more likely to develop an anxiety disorder. These are known as risk factors. Certain risk factors are genetic, for example, a family history or anxiety disorders. Other factors such as childhood abuse, depression, or other mental disorders, and the accumulation of stress over time can increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders. Because of this, it’s essential to have an extensive physical exam if you have anxiety.