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What is anxiety and when does one speak of an anxiety disorder?
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Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, anxious thoughts, and physical changes. As many as a quarter of all people will experience anxiety problems at some point in their lives. While anxiety is a normal, life-protecting response, an anxiety disorder interferes with day-to-day functioning. The cause of an anxiety disorder is often unclear and the treatment consists of a combination of medical help and your own efforts.
Also Read: Can You Turn Off Anxiety?
From anxiety to anxiety disorder
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Fear is a complex response of our body to perceived or actual danger. That response consists of all kinds of physical, cognitive and behavioral changes. It’s an alarm signal that puts your body in a state of heightened alert, ready to defend itself. In particular, when in danger, our brains produce adrenaline, a hormone and neurotransmitter. As a result, a fear response will follow, the so-called fight-or-flight response.
But in some people, this reaction also occurs in everyday situations, such as when making decisions or in social situations. The duration and severity of the anxiety is sometimes out of proportion to the anxiety factor. For example, someone may feel nauseated for a long time, suffer from restlessness, sweating, chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness, increased blood pressure or muscle tension in the neck and lower back. As soon as the feelings of anxiety interfere with daily functioning, it is referred to as an anxiety disorder.
An anxiety disorder usually develops gradually due to a combination of factors. There may be a genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, such as relationship problems, also play a role. In addition, you have learned to deal with fear in a way through past experiences or through your upbringing.
Read also: How does fear arise?
Types of Anxiety Disorders
There are several categories of anxiety disorders:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Excessive, prolonged worry and stress about nonspecific events and situations. This form is the most common.
- Panic disorder: brief or sudden attacks of intense fear. These attacks manifest as trembling, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and difficulty breathing. Panic attacks can occur for no apparent reason and there is also fear of the attack itself.
- Specific phobia: fear and avoidance of a particular object or situation. Common is fear of heights, fear of small closed spaces or fear of spiders.
- Agoraphobia: fear and avoidance of places, events or situations from which it is difficult to escape or where it is difficult or impossible to get help.
- Selective mutism: A form of anxiety in children where they are unable to speak in certain places or situations, even though they can communicate well verbally.
- Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of negative judgment from others in social situations. This can manifest itself, for example, in stage fright or fear of intimacy.
- Separation Anxiety Disorder (Separation Anxiety): Strong anxiety after separation from a person or place that gives feelings of safety or security.
Read also: How do you get rid of nightmares?
How is an anxiety disorder treated?
The treatment of severe anxiety disorders usually consists of a combination of medication and psychological help. A proven and successful method is cognitive behavioral therapy. During these sessions you can work on negative thought patterns that cause anxiety. If medication is needed, it will often be an antidepressant.
In addition, it is a good idea to get started with relaxation techniques and exercise yourself. Sleep is important, as is a regular and healthy lifestyle and diet. Also seek support from people around you. It is better to endure the fear situation itself instead of avoiding it, so that you can see afterwards that there was not much reason for the fear. After 60 to 90 minutes, feelings of anxiety will naturally subside. It is better to avoid caffeine, alcohol and drugs, because they increase feelings of anxiety.
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