Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems that millions of people face worldwide. Anxiety disorders are not just a symptom that can be ignored. These disorders are severe health conditions, with symptoms often affecting an individual’s daily life and ability to function. The good news is these symptoms can be effectively treated properly.
In addition, it is possible to understand anxiety with the proper knowledge and insight into this condition. This article will review a few of the most common anxiety symptoms, their causes, and their treatment options.
What Is Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions that affect many people around the world. These conditions involve extreme, unusual, irrational fear, worry, and uneasiness over everyday events. Most people with some level of anxiety are simply experiencing the temporary condition in their daily lives. In some cases, however, anxiety may be a symptom of something more severe and should be treated.
It’s important to remember that there is no reason to panic or fear during this time. The good news is proper treatment methods can make a big difference in helping people with anxiety disorders. When it comes to curing anxiety, it’s essential to know what causes it in the first place.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety disorders often stem from many different causes. In some cases, anxiety is brought on by a traumatic event in the past. In other cases, an individual may have an inherited or genetic predisposition to develop these conditions. In most cases, however, anxiety disorders are brought on by a combination of internal and external factors.
However, it’s important to note that anxiety can be effectively treated with proper treatment methods. The good news is most anxiety disorders can be effectively treated with a combination of therapy and medication. With the appropriate treatment, people can effectively manage and even cease the need for medication or therapy.
Types Of Anxiety Disorders?:
There are actually many different types of anxiety disorders, as listed below.
- Social Anxiety Disorder: This is a disorder that causes excessive fear and discomfort in social situations. This results in an individual being uncomfortable and unable to participate in normal social encounters, such as leaving the house or going to parties. Individuals with social anxiety disorder often feel this way for no reason at all.
- Panic Disorder: Panic disorder typically involves people having a strong physical reaction to a stimulus or situation that causes intense psychological pain, usually brought on by an intense fear response.
- Phobia: A phobia is an intense fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation, such as a fear of spiders, heights, or water.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: This is another anxiety disorder that causes individuals to experience unwanted thoughts and urges. These thoughts are typically related to things that one obsesses over and needs to do actions repeatedly without any reason.
Find out How To Recognize The Signs Of Anxiety
Anxiety might not be something that many people think about, and some don’t even know what causes it. However, it’s one of the most common mental health problems in the world and one that can affect anyone. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common anxiety signs and how to recognize them.
Physical Symptoms
Anxiety disorders’ most common physical symptoms include increased heart rate and palpitations, trembling or shaking, dry mouth, sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, and fatigue. These physical symptoms can occur during times of high stress or when an individual is experiencing a panic attack.
Anxious Behaviors
In many cases, anxiety is manifested in how an individual behaves. They may feel recently anxious, irritable, and prone to outbursts. This behavior may be linked to a high-stress level or restlessness. When experiencing nervous behaviors, they may have trouble concentrating, feel like their mind is racing, or have difficulty falling asleep.
Anxiety’s Related Symptoms
Some symptoms occur when someone feels anxious, which may be related to the anxiety condition. These symptoms are often not seen as related to a mental health condition and are often disregarded. However, these symptoms are common in anxiety disorders and can signify something more serious.
Here are some of the most related symptoms linked to anxiety disorders:
- Fear – Fear is a significant sign of anxiety disorders. It may be manifested through having negative thoughts or concerns about the future. Some individuals may have specific phobias that are linked to anxiety. These fears are often linked with a particular trigger, such as a person’s belief that something terrible will happen to them or a specific place they frequent in their daily lives.
- Panic Attacks – Panic attacks are a common symptom of anxiety disorders. These attacks involve increasing fear, dread, and panic disorder over an uncontrollable event or situation in someone’s life. During these attacks, people can have intense anxiety, making them feel like they’re going crazy and not functioning normally.
- Worry – The difference between fear and worry is that fear is a particular type of event. In contrast, worry is often an uncontrollable obsession over a specific event or situation. People with anxiety disorders may have frequent worries linked to a particular problem, such as having an adverse reaction in social cases or not being able to complete specific tasks in their lives.
Knowing these symptoms, it’s essential to understand what a proper diagnosis requires to determine the most effective treatment methods. It is where finding a mental health professional can be beneficial.
Common Treatments For Anxiety
In recent decades, doctors have made progress in developing effective treatments for anxiety. The good news is many people with anxiety can effectively manage their symptoms with proper treatment methods. Here are some of the most common treatments available:
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a standard treatment option for people with anxiety disorders. In this form of therapy, an individual will face the object of their fears or engage in activities that make them uncomfortable. For example, someone suffering from a fear of heights may be asked to view a tall building at close range or climb the stairs at the top. It will help reduce some of the anxiety and fear associated with these situations and anxieties.
For some people, it may take several sessions to help repair the damage done by a specific fear. However, the good news is this form of therapy is very effective. It can help any person suffering from anxiety or panic attacks.
Cognitive Restructuring
Cognitive restructuring is all about a person’s thought patterns and how they view themselves and the world around them. For example, someone who suffers from anxiety may generally perceive themselves as being unlikeable or not good enough to be around others.
This type of cognitive restructuring has two main goals: to help individuals stop thinking negatively about themselves and to help them feel more productive. For example, someone may learn that their negative perception of themselves is not helping them in their everyday lives. With this type of therapy, they can know positive thoughts that will help them cope with situations more positively.
Relaxation Training
Relaxation training is a therapy that helps people learn how to relax their minds and body to combat the effects of stress and anxiety. It is used as a way to manage the symptoms of panic attacks and other related symptoms. This therapy may include relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, and meditation.
For some people, anxiety disorders are brought on by significant lifestyle changes or financial problems in their lives. In these cases, psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy may be able to help reduce stress levels, which can have a positive impact on reducing the frequency or intensity of anxiety attacks.
Medication
Medication is often used as a treatment option for anxiety disorders. Many types of medication can be used, and each one can be tailored to the specific concerns of an individual with an anxiety disorder.
Medication is often used as a temporary treatment method for people between therapy sessions or those with a particularly severe case of anxiety that doesn’t seem to respond to other treatment methods. Medications can be beneficial in these cases because they can help reduce the severity and frequency of attacks and related symptoms.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is very similar to standardized psychotherapy because it involves learning to think more positively. However, CBT teaches people not to allow their thoughts and feelings to control them. It can help people learn to read the situation and make quicker and better decisions.
CBT is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy when treating anxiety disorders. This type of therapy focuses on helping people make better choices in life and face their fears head-on. It helps with managing the symptoms of anxiety disorders and retaking control over your life.
Final Thoughts
Anxiety is a pervasive disorder that many people suffer from without even knowing it. It can be tough to cope with if you’re unaware of the underlying cause of your anxiety symptoms. However, proper treatment methods and approaches can manage the full effects of anxiety and related disorders relatively quickly. While anxiety disorders are not easy to deal with, your life should improve over time as you learn how to manage these symptoms and put yourself in a positive place.
Hanei Health Solutions specializes in life coaching and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy to help individuals with anxiety disorders. If you or someone you know is looking for help, please do not hesitate to contact us today!
