Anxiety is a disorder that can suddenly take over your mind and body without a warning.
One moment we are calm and collected then out of nowhere we want to hide from the public.
Yes, Anxiety is an excessive amount of worrying but, did you know there are several different types of anxiety?
The National Institute of Mental Health notes four main types of anxiety; ”generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and various phobia-related disorders (NIMH, 2023)”.
Sometimes, anxiety can manifest itself alongside a secondary medical illness (Ie; diabetes) or by another mental health disorder (Ie; depression).
There are several risk factors that can increase the likelihood of this diagnosis.
Risk factors include: (Mayo Clinic, 2018)
- Trauma
- Stress due to an illness.
- Stress buildup.
- Personality.
- Other mental health disorders.
- Genetics
- Drugs or alcohol abuse
Anxiety can induce physiological symptoms such as an increased heart rate, exhaustion, trembles, inability to focus and intestinal distress.
As this time there is no direct cause of anxiety.
However, researchers were able to obtain risk factors associated with this disorder.
Why should it matter?
Well like many other disorders, you cannot leave it untreated.
If you do, you are more likely to develop other serious health problems.
The Medanta website reports that untreated anxiety disorders lead to,
“(1) respiratory problems
(2) Gastrointestinal disorders
(3) compromised immune system
(4) Heart Disease
(5) Chronic pain
(6) memory loss
(7) weight gain (Medanta, 2019)”
Anxiety is a complicated mistress that can just appear whenever it feels like it.
Your job is to fight back and not let this disorder take over your life.
Easy said than done right?
Well, talk to your doctor and create a treatment plan.
You may even want to try psychotherapy in combination with medications.
Be aware that most anti-anxiety medications also treat depression.
Depression and anxiety love to be around each other.
Most describe depression as looking back into your past, while anxiety is worrying about what happens next.
We all tend to fear what happens next but, what can we do?
We can list the pros and cons and still feel overwhelmed with the endless possibilities.
As strange as it sounds, think about the worst thing that could happen.
It could be someone just saying no to a request or failing an exam.
So they say no, you can always ask someone else.
If you fail an exam you can always try again or look into other possible pathways.
The point of this exercise is to challenge your cognitive distortions.
Understanding that yes things may not go as planned but, it is not the end of the world.
The Mayo Clinic lists the following as healthy anxiety coping strategies;
(Kabrick, 2021)
- Keep physically active.
- Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs.
- Quit smoking, and cut back or quit drinking caffeinated beverages.
- Use stress management and relaxation techniques.
- Make sleep a priority.
- Eat healthy foods.
- Learn about your disorder.
- Stick to your treatment plan.
- Identify triggers.
- Keep a journal.
- Socialize.
Anxiety can be harmful if left untreated
And it is vital that you talk to your doctor about any inquiry you may have.
Remember that children can develop anxiety.
The only difference among these populations are the symptoms they experience.
The overall goal of this report is to teach a snapshot of what anxiety is and how to treat it.
Do not rely on websites that are not reviewed by an experienced researcher.
Some websites contain false information that may confuse you more.
Always look at the reference page, researchers will always note where they obtained the information from.
Anxiety is a disorder that can suddenly take over your mind and body without a warning.
One moment we are calm and collected then out of nowhere we want to hide from the public.
Anxiety can induce physiological symptoms
Such as an increased heart rate, exhaustion, trembles, inability to focus and intestinal distress.
We all tend to fear what happens next but, what can we do?
We can list the pros and cons and still feel overwhelmed with the endless possibilities.
As strange as it sounds, think about the worst thing that could happen.
It could be someone just saying no to a request or failing an exam.
So they say no, you can always ask someone else.
If you fail an exam you can always try again or look into other possible pathways.
The point of this exercise is to challenge your cognitive distortions.
Understanding that yes things may not go as planned but, it is not the end of the world.
Anxiety can be harmful if left untreated and it is vital that you talk to your doctor about any inquiry you may have.
Remember that children can develop anxiety.
The only difference among these populations are the symptoms they experience.
The overall goal of this report is to teach a snapshot of what anxiety is and how to treat it
Do not rely on websites that are not reviewed by an experienced researcher.
Some websites contain false information that may confuse you more.
Always look at the reference page, researchers will always note where they obtained the information from.
This post was written by Jasmine P., and published by Convenient Counseling Services.
Live in New York and want to learn more about working with us? Check us out here!
Check out more content like this here.
