Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and is beneficial in some situations. If you always feel nervous or anxious excessively for no good reason, it is likely that you have anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is different from feelings of nervousness or anxiety, it involves excessive fear or restlessness. Anxiety disorder is the most common mental disorder and affects almost 30% of adults in their lives. It is more likely in women than men. If you suffer from anxiety disorder, you will find it easy to worry about various things even when it is in a normal situation and refers more to the expectation of future anxiety and more related to muscle tension and avoidance behaviour. This anxiety can also adversely affect our work performance, personal relationships and daily activities.
There are several types of anxiety disorders: –
- Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is the fear of being in a situation where escaping in a difficult or embarrassing situation or help may not be needed. The fear does not correspond to the actual situation and usually persists for six months or more. A person with agoraphobia experiences this fear in two or more. Examples of the following situations: –
- Using public transportation
- Be in the open
- Being indoors
- Stand in the front row or be in a crowd
To prevent this situation, it requires a friend or enduring with strong fear or anxiety. Untreated agoraphobia can be so serious that a person may not be able to leave home. A person can only be treated if his or her fears are very painful or interfere with normal daily activities. If you experience agoraphobia, you will experience feelings of fear and often avoid situations that cause you to panic quickly, not be able to ask for help, shortness of breath, and feel embarrassed.
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
GAD involves constant and excessive anxiety that interferes with daily activities and is difficult to control. This persistent anxiety and tension may be accompanied by physical symptoms such as restlessness, feeling lethargic or tired easily, difficult to concentrate, muscle tension or having trouble sleeping (insomnia). Often the anxiety is focused on everyday things like job responsibilities, family health or small things like housekeeping, car repairs or appointments. People with GAD feel very anxious even when they are not in a worrying state.
- Panic Attack
Do you know that panic attack is not the same with anxiety disorder? It can appear suddenly and repeatedly for no good reason. A person who suffers from a panic attack will also experience physical disorders such as excessive sweating, chest pain, headaches, shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat. The symptoms are quite severe and many people with panic attack may believe that they are having a heart attack or other life -threatening illness. The signs of a panic attack have the same characteristics as the signs of a heart attack. It can be experienced anywhere and in no time. The minimum age for the onset of a panic attack is 22-23 years. Some people experience panic attacks in a short time, and some people experience panic attacks for hours. Panic disorder can occur with other mental disorders such as depression.
Signs of having a panic attack: –
- Heart palpitations or fast heartbeat
- Sweating
- Trembling or worried
- Shortness of breath
- Chest ache
- Dizziness or fainting
- Choking
- Numbness
- Feels cool quickly
- Nausea or abdominal pain
- Depressed
- Always thinking of dying
- Phobia
Phobia is an excessive and persistent fear of certain objects, situations or activities that are generally harmless. People with this problem know their fears are excessive, but they can’t overcome them. This fear causes so much hardship that some people try hard to avoid the things they fear. Examples of fear of high places.
- Social anxiety disorder
A person with social anxiety disorder is a person with significant anxiety and discomfort because of feeling ashamed of being insulted, rejected or looked down upon in social interactions. People with this disorder will try to avoid the situation or bear it with anxiety. For example, the unusual fear of speaking in public and meeting new people. Fear or anxiety will cause problems with daily functioning and persists for at least six months.
- Separation anxiety disorder
A person with separation anxiety disorder is too scared or anxious to part with those with whom he or she is friends. The feeling goes beyond what is appropriate for a person’s age, persistent (at least four weeks in children and six months in adults). A person with separation anxiety disorder may be constantly worried about losing the person closest to them, may be reluctant to go out or sleep away from home or without that person, or may have nightmares about separation. Physical symptoms of stress often appear in childhood, but it also can occur even in adulthood.
ANXIETY; WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW?
OVERCOME ANXIETY