What is an anxiety disorder?
Anxiety is something that everyone experiences from time to time, it’s your body’s physical response to a real or perceived threat. Anxiety becomes a disorder when you have frequent, intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily life as it’s difficult to control, out of proportion to the actual danger, and can last a long time. You may start to avoid places or situations to help prevent these feelings.
There are different anxiety disorders, which include generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), specific phobias, agoraphobia, panic disorder, selective mutism, substance-induced anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. You may be diagnosed with more than one disorder at a time.
Symptoms can include feeling nervous, restless, tense, a sense of impending danger, panic or doom, having an increased heart rate, breathing rapidly or hyperventilating, excessive sweating, trembling, feeling weak or tired, trouble concentrating, trouble sleeping, worrying constantly, or having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
Anxiety is not the same as fear, as it’s usually a future-oriented, long-acting response, whereas fear is an appropriate, present-oriented, and short lived response to a clearly identifiable and real threat.
Anxiety can be caused by a range of factors such as, family history of anxiety, other mental health issues, ongoing stressful situations, abuse, life-threatening events, pregnancy and childbirth, physical health issues, substance use, consuming caffeine, and having a personality type such as being a perfectionist, having low self-esteem or needing to be in control.
According to the World Health Organisation, 3.6% of people worldwide have an anxiety disorder.
What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is characterised by a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, and muscle tension. A panic attack can last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. Having anxiety does not automatically mean you suffer panic attacks.
How does anxiety impact life?
Anxiety makes it harder to try new things, take risks in your work or personal life, and sometimes even leaving your house can be nearly impossible. You may struggle to make new friends due to social anxiety disorder. Some people will try to self-medicate by abusing drugs or alcohol.
Long-term anxiety and panic attacks can cause your brain to release stress hormones on a regular basis, which in turn can increase the frequency of symptoms, including depression.
Due to intense symptoms, you may find yourself unable to leave your house, maintain work, relationships, or your environment.
What treatments are available?
Sometimes a simple lifestyle change is all it takes to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety, such as going for a walk or doing therapies like cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).
You may also engage in interpersonal therapy, which focusses on relationships, acceptance and commitment therapy, and narrative therapy, which helps you understand the stories you use to describe your life.
Medicine such as antidepressants can also be necessary if the other treatments aren’t enough.
To help prevent anxiety it’s recommended to try exercising regularly, take time for yourself, use relaxation techniques, cut down on caffeine, limit alcohol, cigarette or drug use, use distraction techniques, practice mindful breathing, change your ‘self-talk’ or tackle small tasks you may have been avoiding.
Our support team can help you in your everyday life to experience a greater quality of life by ensuring you’re eating healthy, nutritious meals, attending appointments, keeping yourself and home clean and hygienic, as well as accessing the community and rebuilding interpersonal skills.
Comments