The last few years have been difficult for many of us, with many unforeseen circumstances that we could not have imagined. It's no surprise, then, that our anxiety levels are at an all-time high. However, there's a difference between feeling anxious and experiencing an anxiety disorder, and we're here to clarify what it means to experience the latter.
You've probably heard about anxiety many times, but what does it actually mean to experience it? Anxiety is a common mental health problem that refers to a constant state of worry or showing an excessive amount of fear. Everyone worries about things from time to time, but suffering from anxiety means that anxiety has a debilitating effect on your daily life.
Anxiety symptoms will vary depending on the disorder, but most anxiety conditions will include some or most of the symptoms detailed below. The following symptoms will be most accurate in depicting people suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed
- Sweating or feeling warm
- Increased heart rate
- Panic attack
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Rapid breathing or hyperventilation
- Nausea or painful stomach
- Aches and pains in your body
- Feeling weak and tired
- Insomnia
- Changes in sex drive
- Feeling nervous, irritable or tense
- Bad mood and depression
- Experiencing a sense of impending danger or fear of the worst
- Constantly worrying about things
- You need reassurance from other people
- The feeling that everyone is watching you
- Derealization: a form of dissociation where you feel that the world is not real or that you are not connected to it
- Depersonalization: a form of disconnection where you don't feel connected to yourself, as if you are being watched from an outside perspective.
There are many different anxiety disorders, but we will discuss four of the main types in this article. Other anxiety disorders that we won't go into detail about include OCD, PTSD, separation anxiety, and agoraphobia. For help and more information about these disorders, see Mind, a UK mental health support charity.
This is the most common anxiety disorder and GAD is often what people mean when they say they have anxiety. People with GAD feel anxious and worried most of the time, not necessarily as a result of being in a stressful situation. They often expect the worst case scenario and find it difficult to control these negative feelings.
Social anxiety or social phobia is a disorder that causes an intense fear of being in social situations and performing in front of others. Even in normal situations that would not normally cause anxiety, someone with social anxiety may fear being laughed at, humiliated, attacked, or judged by others. They may feel very uncomfortable when they are in large groups of people or stuck with people they don't know very well.
You've probably heard of panic attacks before, but you may not know that panic disorder is a mental health problem where you experience repeated and unexpected panic attacks. This can be extremely disruptive to everyday life and any panic attack can be a truly terrifying experience.
People may often joke that they have a phobia about something, but phobias are actually a fairly common type of anxiety disorder that should be taken seriously. When you have a phobia about something, you are completely terrified of it and will irrationally exaggerate any danger in your mind.
Some people don't even need to be near the phobic stimulus, but just the thought or sight of it on the screen can trigger an excessive amount of fear or even a panic attack. Often, people with phobias know that their fears are irrational, but this does not prevent them from feeling anxious.
There is no one obvious cause for concern. Rather, it's usually caused by a mix of different things related to your personality, upbringing, and life circumstances. Below we will look in more detail at the potential causes of anxiety disorders.
Evidence shows that if a close relative has an anxiety disorder, you are more likely to suffer from one too. This fact may be the result of a mixture of nature and nurture, but there is some evidence that genetics may play a role. A 2015 study of twins found that having the RBFOX1 gene can increase someone's chances of developing GAD. A separate 2016 study showed that the presence of specific genes may be linked to GAD, social anxiety disorder and panic disorder.
As with most mental health issues, negative childhood experiences or past traumas can cause anxiety disorders. In some cases, it may be a single incident such as the death of a loved one, an assault, or witnessing something traumatic. Alternatively, anxiety can be caused by repeated negative experiences such as physical or emotional abuse or bullying.
Anxiety can also be caused by everyday stress. These factors may not seem stressful, but they can easily affect mental health. Things in your current life situation that can cause anxiety include money worries, relationship problems, stress at work, caring for a loved one, or a layoff.
Sometimes anxiety can be triggered or caused by a certain drug or too much alcohol, so sometimes there is a connection between addiction or alcoholism and anxiety. Additionally, some medications for physical or mental illnesses can have side effects, including anxiety. We have listed some of these drugs below:
Medications with caffeine
Corticosteroids
Seizures
Thyroid medicine
Medications for ADHD
Medications for asthma
Below we have listed some tactics you can use to deal with anxiety symptoms. These methods cannot replace professional help, but they can offer you peace of mind when you need it:
Distraction with friends, family or hobbies. Sometimes we just need to be around people who love us, or spend time doing hobbies that distract us from feelings of negativity.
Using self-care strategies. Some of our favorites include taking a bath, lighting candles, listening to soothing music, and meditating.
Exercise. It might be the last thing on your mind, but exercise releases endorphins and reduces stress.
Writing in a journal. Writing has the power to allow you to release emotions, discuss worries, and examine whether or not your fears are rational. Sometimes it really helps to put your thoughts down on paper.
Early to bed. Sleep is an extremely important factor in maintaining mental health, and you need to improve your own sleep.
Eating healthy, balanced meals. The food we eat can have a huge impact on our emotional well-being, as it is literally fuel for our bodies. Try a nutrition class to learn how you can use food to improve your mental health.
Avoid alcohol, drugs and caffeine. Each of these can have a negative impact on your health and well-being, so it may be worth giving them up. Caffeine, in particular, may not seem bad, but it can make someone with anxiety feel very jittery.
Take an online anxiety course. If you want to understand anxiety on a deeper level, we have some great anxiety courses to try or even offer to a friend or family member who has anxiety.
What are some of the treatment options for anxiety?
There are several great options for treating anxiety, and many people receive treatment for it every day. The same thing won't work for everyone, and often people need a combination of different treatments to effectively manage their symptoms. The two main types of anxiety treatments are therapy and medication, and we'll go over your options below. Note that these examples are not exhaustive.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a type of talk therapy that is often used to treat depression and anxiety and is one of the most successful treatments. It aims to change your thoughts and behavior by identifying and breaking negative thought patterns.
Applied relaxation therapy. This is a good way to deal with the physical symptoms of anxiety and can be particularly effective for panic disorder. This includes identifying potentially panic-inducing situations and learning to use muscle relaxation techniques to help the body calm down.
First, it's worth saying that medication doesn't work for everyone and can even make anxiety disorders worse in some cases. It should only be used if other methods don't work and if the medicine makes you feel worse, you should talk to your doctor and stop taking it. Keep in mind that only an experienced doctor or psychiatrist can tell if you should take medication.
We hope this article has helped you understand anxiety disorders a little better and hopefully you feel better able to help yourself or someone else who may be struggling. Understanding your mental health is so important and a big part of being able to take care of yourself.