12 signs of anxiety disorder

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Some mental disorders pretend to be commonplace. Anxiety disorder is one of those, but that doesn't mean it doesn't need to be treated.

Anxiety is an emotion that all people experience when they are nervous or afraid of something. It’s unpleasant to be “on the nerves” all the time, but what can you do if life is like this: there is always a reason for anxiety and fear, you need to learn to keep your emotions under control, and everything will be fine. In most cases, this is exactly the case.

It's okay to worry. Sometimes it's even helpful: when we worry about something, we pay more attention to it, work harder, and generally achieve better results.

But sometimes anxiety goes beyond reasonable limits and interferes with life. And this is already an anxiety disorder - a condition that can ruin everything and that requires special treatment.

Why does anxiety disorder appear?

As in the case of most mental disorders, no one will say for sure why anxiety clings to us: too little is known about the brain to speak confidently about the reasons. Several factors are likely to blame, from ubiquitous genetics to traumatic experiences.

Someone gets anxiety due to the excitement of certain parts of the brain, someone is naughty hormones - serotonin and norepinephrine, and someone gets upset in the load to other diseases, and not necessarily mental.

What is anxiety disorder?

Studying Anxiety Disorders. several groups of diseases belong at once.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder … This is the case when the anxiety does not appear due to exams or the upcoming meeting with the parents of a loved one. Anxiety comes on its own, it does not need a reason, and the feelings are so strong that they do not allow a person to perform even simple daily activities.
• Social anxiety disorder … Fear that interferes with being around people. Someone is afraid of other people's assessments, someone is afraid of other people's actions. Be that as it may, it interferes with studying, working, even going to the store and greeting neighbors.
• Panic disorder … People with this disease experience panic attacks: they are so scared that sometimes they cannot take a step. The heart beats at a breakneck speed, it darkens in the eyes, there is not enough air. These attacks can come at the most unexpected moment, and sometimes because of them, a person is afraid to leave the house.
• Phobias … When a person is afraid of something specific.

In addition, anxiety disorder often occurs in conjunction with other problems, such as bipolar or obsessive-compulsive disorder, or depression.

How to tell if it's a disorder

The main symptom is a constant feeling of anxiety that lasts for at least six months, provided that there is no reason to be nervous or they are insignificant, and the emotional reactions are disproportionately strong. This means that anxiety changes life: you give up work, projects, walks, meetings or acquaintances, some kind of activity just because you are too worried.

Other symptoms of Generalized anxiety disorder in adults - Symptoms. that hint that something is wrong:

• constant fatigue;
• insomnia;
• constant fear;
• inability to concentrate;
• inability to relax;
• trembling hands;
• irritability;
• dizziness;
• frequent heartbeat, although there are no cardiac pathologies;
• excessive sweating;
• pains in the head, abdomen, muscles - despite the fact that doctors do not find any violations.

There is no exact test or analysis that can be used to identify an anxiety disorder because anxiety cannot be measured or touched. The decision on the diagnosis is made by a specialist who looks at all symptoms and complaints.

Because of this, there is a temptation to go to extremes: either to diagnose oneself with a disorder, when a black streak just began in life, or not to pay attention to one's condition and scold a weak-willed character, when, out of fear, an attempt to go out into the street turns into a feat.

Don't get carried away and confuse constant stress and constant anxiety.

Stress is a response to a stimulus. For example, a call from a disgruntled customer. When the situation changes, the stress goes away. And anxiety can remain - this is the body's reaction that occurs even if there is no direct effect. For example, when an incoming call comes from a regular customer who is happy with everything, but it’s still scary to pick up the phone. If the anxiety is so strong that any phone call is torture, then it is already a disorder.

There is no need to hide your head in the sand and pretend that everything is fine when constant stress interferes with life.

It is not accepted to go to a doctor with such problems, and anxiety is often confused with suspiciousness and even cowardice, and being a coward in society is a shame.

If a person shares his fears, he would rather receive advice to pull himself together and not become limp than an offer to find a good doctor. The trouble is that it will not work to overcome the disorder with a powerful willful effort, just as it will not work to cure tuberculosis with meditation.

How to treat anxiety

Persistent anxiety is treated like other mental disorders. For this, there are psychotherapists who, contrary to popular myths, do not just talk with patients about a difficult childhood, but help them find techniques and techniques that truly improve their condition.

Someone will feel better after a few conversations, someone will be helped by pharmacology. Your doctor will help you reconsider your lifestyle, find the reasons why you are a lot nervous, assess how severe the symptoms are and whether you need to take medications.

If you still think you don't need a therapist, try taming the anxiety yourself.

1. Find the reason

Analyze what you are experiencing more and more often, and try to exclude this factor from life. Anxiety is a natural mechanism that is needed for our own safety. We are afraid of something dangerous that might harm us.

Maybe if you are constantly shaking with fear of the boss, it is better to change jobs and relax? If you succeed, then your anxiety is not caused by a disorder, nothing needs to be treated - live and enjoy life. But if you can't isolate the cause of anxiety, then it is better to seek help.

2. Exercise regularly

There are many blind spots in the treatment of mental disorders, but the researchers agree on one thing: regular physical activity does help keep the mind in order.

3. Let your brain rest

The best thing is to sleep. Only in sleep does the brain overloaded with fears relax, and you get a break.

4. Learn to inhibit imagination with work

Anxiety is a reaction to something that has not happened. This is the fear of what can only happen. In fact, anxiety is only in our head and is completely irrational. Why is it important? Because dealing with anxiety is not calmness, but reality.

While all sorts of horrors happen in the disturbing imagination, in reality everything goes on as usual, and one of the best ways to turn off the constantly itching fear is to return to the present, to the current tasks.

For example, keep your head and hands busy with work or sports.

5. Quit smoking and drinking

When the body is already a mess, it is at least illogical to shatter the delicate balance with substances that affect the brain.

6. Learn relaxation techniques

Here the rule is "the more, the better." Learn breathing exercises, look for relaxing yoga poses, try music or even ASMR, drink chamomile tea, or use lavender essential oil in the room. Everything in a row until you find several options that will help you.