Anxiety Disorders

We all know what anxiety feels like. Your heart beats faster before a big presentation or a tough exam. You get butterflies in your stomach during a blind date. You have lots of stress and worries about family problems or feel jittery at the thought of asking the boss for a raise in salary. These are all natural reactions.

It’s normal to worry and feel tense or scared when under pressure or facing a stressful situation. Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened.

However, if worries, fears, or anxiety attacks seem more than usual and is preventing you from living a life you always wanted to live, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

In fact, anxiety can help you stay alert and focused and motivate you to solve problems. But when anxiety is constant or more than usual, when it interferes with your relationships and activities, it stops being functional—that’s when you’ve crossed the line from normal, productive anxiety into the territory of anxiety disorders.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

If you have some or more of this signs and symptoms and you are not able to come out of it, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

·         Are you constantly tense, worried?

·         Is your anxiety interfering with your work, school, or family?

·         Are you haunted by a thought that bad will happen if certain things are not done certain way?

·         Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they cause you anxiety?

·         Do you experience sudden, unexpected attacks of fast heart beating panic?

·         Do you feel like danger and catastrophe are around every corner?

·         Feelings of nervousness or horror

·         Not able to Concentrate

·         Feeling tense and worried

·         Thinking constantly of worst

·         Irritability

·         Impatience

·         Watching for signs of danger

·         Feeling like your mind’s gone blank

·         Muscle tension

·         Headaches

·         Weakness

·         Insomnia 

·         Pounding heart

·         Sweating

·         Stomach upset or giddiness

·         Frequent urination or diarrhea

·         Shortness of breath 

Types of Anxiety Disorders

There are six major types of anxiety disorders, each with their own distinct symptom profile: generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder (anxiety attacks), phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Helpguide.org offers an entire article on each type of anxiety disorder. See related articles section below for more information.

·         Generalized  Anxiety Disorder

·         Panic Disorders

·         Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

·         Phobia

·         Social Anxiety Disorders

·         Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders

You can Help Yourself

Not everyone who worries a lot has an anxiety disorder. You may be anxious because of an overly demanding schedule, lack of exercise or sleep, pressure at home or work, or even from too much coffee.

The bottom line is that if your lifestyle is unhealthy and stressful, you’re more likely to feel anxious—whether or not you have an anxiety disorder. So if you feel like you worry too much, take some time to evaluate how well you are caring for yourself.

·         Do you make time each day for relaxation and fun?

·         Are you getting the emotional support you need?

·         Are you taking care of your body?

·         Are you overloaded with responsibilities?

·         Do you ask for help when you need it?

If your stress levels are through the roof, think about how you can bring your life back into balance. There may be responsibilities you can give up, turn down, or delegate to others. If you’re feeling isolated or unsupported, find someone you trust to confide in. Just talking about your worries can make them seem less frightening.

Fortunately, many anxiety treatments and self-help strategies can help you reduce your anxiety symptoms, control anxiety attacks, and take back control of your life.

Courtesy: Herbs India