What is anxiety?/chapter-2

What to know about anxiety

Anxiety is a normal and often healthy emotion. However, when a person regularly feels disproportionate levels of anxiety, it might become a medical disorder.

What is anxiety?

an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure."

Knowing the difference between normal feelings of anxiety and an anxiety disorder requiring medical attention can help a person identify and treat the condition.

In this article, we look at the differences between anxiety and anxiety disorder, the different types of anxiety, and the available treatment options.

Anxiety

When an individual faces potentially harmful or worrying triggers, feelings of anxiety are not only normal but necessary for survival.

Since the earliest days of humanity, the approach of predators and incoming danger sets off alarms in the body and allows evasive action. These alarms become noticeable in the form of a raised heartbeat, sweating, and increased sensitivity to surroundings.

The danger causes a rush of adrenalin, a hormone and chemical messenger in the brain, which in turn triggers these anxious reactions in a process called the "fight-or-flight' response. This prepares humans to physically confront or flee any potential threats to safety.

Anxiety disorders

The duration or severity of an anxious feeling can sometimes be out of proportion to the original trigger, or stressor. Physical symptoms, such as increased blood pressure and nausea, may also develop. These responses move beyond anxiety into an anxiety disorder.

Symptoms

While a number of different diagnoses constitute anxiety disorders, the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) will often include the following:

·         restlessness, and a feeling of being "on-edge"

·         uncontrollable feelings of worry

·         increased irritability

·         concentration difficulties

 Causes

The causes of anxiety disorders are complicated. Many might occur at once, some may lead to others, and some might not lead to an anxiety disorder unless another is present.

Possible causes include:

·         environmental stressors, such as difficulties at work, relationship problems, or family issues

·         genetics, as people who have family members with an anxiety disorder are more likely to experience one themselves

·         medical factors, such as the symptoms of a different disease, the effects of a medication, or the stress of an intensive surgery or prolonged recovery

·         brain chemistry, as psychologists define many anxiety disorders as misalignments of hormones and electrical signals in the brain

·         withdrawal from an illicit substance, the effects of which might intensify the impact of other possible causes

Self-treatment

In some cases, a person can treat an anxiety disorder at home without clinical supervision. However, this may not be effective for severe or long-term anxiety disorders.

There are several exercises and actions to help a person cope with milder, more focused, or shorter-term anxiety disorders, including:

·         Stress management: Learning to manage stress can help limit potential triggers. Organize any upcoming pressures and deadlines, compile lists to make daunting tasks more manageable, and commit to taking time off from study or work.

·         Relaxation techniques: Simple activities can help soothe the mental and physical signs of anxiety. These techniques include meditation, deep breathing exercises, long baths, resting in the dark, and yoga

·         Exercises to replace negative thoughts with positive ones: Make a list of the negative thoughts that might be cycling as a result of anxiety, and write down another list next to it containing positive, believable thoughts to replace them. Creating a mental image of successfully facing and conquering a specific fear can also provide benefits if anxiety symptoms relate to a specific cause, such as in a phobia.

·         Support network: Talk with familiar people who are supportive, such as a family member or friend. Support group services may also be available in the local area and online.

·         Exercise: Physical exertion can improve self-image and release chemicals in the brain that trigger positive feelings.