Anxiety: Overview, Symptoms,Causes and Treatment

Anxiety

Anxiety is your body's natural response to stress. From time to time everyone feels anxious. It's a normal emotion. For example, you may feel nervous about a problem at work, before testing or making an important decision. But if your feelings of anxiety are extreme, they last more than six months and affect your life, you may have an anxiety disorder.

AnxietyDisorder

An occasional anxiety experience is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety disorders often experience intense, excessive and persistent anxiety about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders that peak in minutes (panic attacks) result in repeated episodes of intense sudden emotions and fear or terror.

These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control, have the same degree of danger and can last a long time. You can avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings. Symptoms can begin in childhood or adolescence and can continue into adulthood.

Types of Anxiety Disorder

Panic Disorder

Feel the terror that strikes at random. During a panic attack, you can sweat, have chest pain and experience palpitations (abnormally strong or irregular heartbeats). Sometimes you may feel exhausted or have a heart attack.

Social AnxietyDisorder

Also known as social phobia, this occurs when you feel great anxiety and self-awareness about everyday social situations. You show yourself to others who judge you or are embarrassed or derided.

Specific Phobias

Feel an intense fear of a particular object or situation, such as altitude or flight. Fear goes beyond what is right and can avoid normal situations.

Generalized AnxietyDisorder.

 It includes continuous and excessive anxiety and anxiety about activities or events, including common problems. Anxiety is the same as in the real situation, it is difficult to control and affects the way you feel physically. It often occurs along with other anxiety or depression disorders.

 Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety feels differently depending on the person who experienced it. Emotions can range from butterflies in the stomach to a running heart. You may feel out of control, like a disconnection between mind and body.

Other ways that people worry are nightmares, panic attacks and painful thoughts or memories that you cannot control. You may have a general feeling of fear and anxiety or you may be afraid of a certain place or event.

General symptoms of anxiety include:

• Increased heart rate
• Fast breathing
• Agitation
• Concentration problems
• Difficulty falling asleep

Anxiety Attack

An anxiety attack is a feeling of overwhelming pressure, anxiety, distress or fear. An anxiety attack develops slowly for many people. It can get worse when a stressful event approach.

Anxiety attacks can vary widely and symptoms can vary from person to person. This is because many anxiety symptoms do not occur at all and change over time.

Common symptoms of anxiety attack include:

• Feeling faint or dizzy
• Shortness of breath
• Dry mouth
• Sweating
• Chills or pumpkins
• Moderation and anxiety
• Agitation
• Suffer
• Fear
• Numbness or tingling

Causes of Anxiety

Researchers are unsure of the exact cause of the concern. But multiple factors play a role. These include genetic and environmental factors, in addition to brain chemistry.

Additionally, researchers believe it may impact the areas of the brain responsible for controlling fear. Current anxiety research provides a deeper insight into the parts of the brain that are concerned.

Anxiety and Depression

If you have an anxiety disorder, you may also have depression. Although anxiety and depression can manifest themselves separately, it is not uncommon for mental disorders to occur.

Anxiety can also be a symptom of clinical or major depression. In addition, the aggravating symptoms of depression can trigger anxiety disorders.

The symptoms of both conditions can be managed with many of the same treatments: psychotherapy (counselling), therapy and lifestyle changes.

Diagnosis

A single test cannot diagnose anxiety. Instead, the diagnosis of anxiety requires a long process of physical exams, mental health assessments and psychological questionnaires.

Some doctors may perform a physical exam, including blood or urine tests, to add basic medical conditions that can aggravate the symptoms that occur. Multiple anxiety and weight tests are also used to help the doctor assess the level of anxiety that is occurring.

Treatment of Anxiety

After you have been diagnosed with anxiety, you may explore treatment options with your doctor. For some people, medical treatment is not needed. Lifestyle changes may be enough to deal with the symptoms.

However, in moderate or severe cases, treatment can help you overcome symptoms and lead a more manageable daily life.

Treatment for anxiety is done into two categories: psychotherapy and medication. Meeting with a therapist or psychologist can help you learn tools and strategies for dealing with anxiety when it occurs.

Medicines commonly used to treat anxiety include antidepressants and sedatives. They work to balance the chemistry of the brain, prevent anxiety episodes and get rid of the more serious symptoms of the disorder. 

Remedies for Anxiety

Lifestyle changes can be an effective way to relieve the stress and anxiety you face every day. The most natural "remedies" are taking care of your body, engaging in healthy activities and eliminating unhealthy ones. These include:

• To get enough sleep
• Meditate
• Stay active and exercise
• Eat a healthy diet
• Stay active and work out
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid caffeine
• Stop smoking

Anxiety in Children

Anxiety among children is natural and common. In fact, one in eight children will be worried. As children grow and learn from parents, friends and careers, they usually develop skills to calm down and cope with feelings of anxiety.

But anxiety in children can be chronic and persistent and can be an anxiety disorder. Uncontrolled anxiety can begin to interrupt daily activities and children can interact with their peers or avoid family members.

Symptoms of an anxiety disorder include:

• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Feelings of fear
• Shame
• Feelings of isolation

Treatment of anxiety for children includes cognitive behavioural therapy (conversion therapy) and medications

Anxiety in Teenagers

Teenagers can have many reasons to be anxious. Tests, university visits and first meetings appear in these important years. But teenagers who feel anxious or have frequent anxiety symptoms may have an anxiety disorder.

The symptoms of anxiety among teenagers include nervousness, brightness, isolation and avoidance behaviour. In addition, teenage anxiety can lead to unusual behavior. They can act, malfunction in school, skip social events and even become involved in the consumption of substances or alcohol.

For some teenagers, depression can be accompanied by anxiety. It is important to diagnose both conditions so that the treatment can address the underlying problems and help improve symptoms.

The most common treatments for teenage anxiety are speech therapy and medications. These treatments help treat the symptoms of depression.