Anxiety Causes, Symptoms, and Effective Treatment Options
Anxiety is one of the most common and complex mental health disorders that affects millions of people worldwide. It could be episodic, and sometimes it may be overwhelming and make it difficult to function in day-to-day situations. Therefore, there is a need to know its causative agents, the symptoms, and various options for treating them for better self-care and leading a qualitative life.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is generally normal given as a reaction to any form of stress or danger since it is typically intended to fill one with apprehension, concern, or even fear. Essentially, situations that involve anxiety include uncertainty, challenge, or threat, great or small, such as a forthcoming great event or a very significant change in one’s life. When anxiety is persistent, intense, and impairs an individual’s ability to manage ordinary work activities, then an anxiety disorder may be the culprit for their persistence. These are conditions considered relatively common, as almost 30% of adults experience this during their lifetime.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders manifest through a number of forms of expressions, each form having different features and symptoms, a few of which have been discussed below: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) GAD is a chronic anxiety and worry condition that is not very or at all provoked. Individuals with GAD are mostly on edge, tired easily, and experience sleeping problems.
Panic Disorder
This is a disorder wherein a person experiences sudden attacks of intense panic characterized by physical symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations of the heart, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. Attacks often reach such a critical point that they are frequently diagnosed as heart attacks.
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
Individuals with social anxiety disorder are painfully anxious and extremely self-conscious in social situations. A person having this may avoid public speaking, parties, or even small gatherings because one fears embarrassment or judgmental opinions.
Specific Phobias
Phobias are extreme irrational and morbid dread of specific objects, animals or situations, for example — acrophobia, aviatophobia, arachnophobia, etc. Despite how realistic these fears may not appear to be, they can trigger much stress and provocation avoidance.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD refers to a disorder in which people have distressing, intrusive and persistent thoughts (ideas) and feel driven to perform certain actions (rituals). Some patients with the disorder may have the feeling that they have to carry out particular practices to reduce stress.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Depression can occur in a person after he or she faces or sees something terrible. People with PTSD tend to have experiences of the trauma in the form of flashbacks and may also avoid stimuli that remind them of the incident or experience nightmares.
Causes of Anxiety
Like many other psychological disorders, anxiety disorders have genetic, environmental, psychological and even biological factors that may cause them. Here are some of the cause elements:
- Genetic Factors: As with many other mental health conditions, there is some evidence in regard to anxiety disorders that they might be hereditary. There are gene predispositions to anxiety in an individual.
- Brain Chemistry: Hormones such as serotonin, dopamine and GABA are mentioned to have an influence over mood and anxiety. Any changes in these chemicals could help cause anxiety disorders.
- Environmental Stressors: Stressful life situations, including trauma, abuse, relationship problems, financial problems, and changes in life status may precipitate or aggravate anxiety.
- Personality Traits: There are certain personality traits that predispose people to anxiety, some of which may be more vulnerable to anxiousness. It could be argued that those people who are more sensitive to stress or more careful by their nature are at a greater risk.
- Underlying Medical Conditions: Some physiological disorders, especially those of thyroid glands, hearts, or respiratory systems, can either lead to or worsen anxiety.
Awareness of the Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety symptoms can vary widely from person to person, but common symptoms include:
- Excessive and long-standing preoccupation with events and objects in the patient’s everyday life.
- Having anxiety or stress
- Lack of ability to pay attention or being able to externally or internally attend on a particular stimulation.
- Others are quick breathing, sweating, muscle tremors, and having a headache.
- Lack or disruption of normal sleep patterns
The key issue here is the fact that while occasional anxiety is always expected, a number of symptoms persisting regularly may imply an anxiety disorder that has to be treated.
Impact of Anxiety on Daily Life
If left untreated, anxiety takes a significant toll on a person’s mental and physical health, the ability to relate well with others, and to fully enjoy life. Anxiety can also lead to other disorders, such as major depression and has possible consequences for substance abuse. It affects efficiency in the performance of work or attending school, results in antisocial behavior or perhaps interferes with personal relationships.
Effective Anxiety Treatments
Anxiety management could also be affected through a host of therapeutic interventions and/or lifestyle changes and, sometimes, medication. Some of the general modes of treatment designated for anxiety include the following:
Cognitive Behavioral Treatment
Anxiety is best treated using CBT. Cognitive behavioral therapy identifies negativism in the thought patterns and helps make positive changes in the life of an individual. In patients, CBT imparts coping techniques that help them tackle anxiety triggers with great efficiency.
Exposure Therapy
One of the very effective techniques for people suffering from phobias and social anxiety disorders is exposure. Exposure is intended to make a person gradually get used to his or her feared situations in a very controlled environment, keeping in mind the ultimate goal of eventually reducing the fear response.
Medication
Symptoms are usually treated with anti-anxiety medications, such as SSRIs and benzodiazepines. While medication might be beneficial, it usually tends to work best when accompanied by therapy.
Other treatments include mindfulness meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises that may contribute to lowering anxiety by calming a person and improving what is generally called the “emotional regulation” of a person. These can be done in addition to other forms of treatment to better help.
Lifestyle Changes
The integration of exercise, proper nutrition, enough sleep, and reduction of caffeine intake will go a long way in the easing of anxiety symptoms. Exercise, in particular has proven to release endorphins that naturally improves mood and reduces stress.
Support Groups
Anxiety support groups let the anxious person share with others who are anxious, too, along with methods on how to handle it all in a non-judgmental, caring atmosphere. This type of peer support may be the piece that is missing in the process of healing.
In the event that professional support is needed, anxiety treatment centers in California offer personalized programs for life without the symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety Self-Care Strategies
Besides seeking professional help, anxiety management also entails taking care of one’s self. The following are some of the useful self-caring practices that can help manage anxiety:
- Plan a Daily Schedule: A schedule brings order and predictability in one’s life; this would reduce the level of stress and consequently decrease anxiety.
- Set Realistic Goals: The tasks can be divided into smaller steps on which the attainment of realistic goals can be set, which would not lead to overwhelming feelings of anxiety.
- Limiting Screen Time: One can set time limits or make it a point to take breaks from the device more often.
- Gratitude Practice: It redirects and shifts attention from anxiety-inducing thoughts to things one is grateful for through keeping a gratitude journal.
- Physical Activity: Anxiety gets reduced as tension releases and increases the feel-good factor through walking, cycling, or dancing.
When to Get Help
While much can be done with self-care and coping strategies, professional help is indicated when:
- Anxiety is overwhelming or uncontrollable
- Daily life, work, school, or relationships are affected
- Self-care and usual coping mechanisms no longer help
- There are signs of accompanying depression or thoughts of self-harm
The support of professionals in mental health could provide just the tools or guidance that any individual would require in an effort to learn how to surmount the obstacles presented by anxiety.
Final Words
Anxiety is a common condition and is at times challenging. However, with the right support and strategies put in place, it is highly manageable. Empowerment toward understanding causes, recognizing symptoms, and exploring treatment options will go quite a long way toward enabling one to take responsibility for anxiety and further positive steps toward a more rewarding life. Anxiety management can be treated professionally, and some make lifestyle adjustments to deal with it and practice self-care. There are many avenues through which a person can take back their peace of mind.
