Anxiety is something that affects almost everyone in our daily lives at some point. However, if your symptoms affect your daily life, you may experience an anxiety disorder. Mental health disorders, physical conditions, drug interactions, or a combination of these cause anxiety.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can help in certain circumstances. It can make you more alert and prepared if danger occurs. Anxiety disorders are different from nervousness or anxiety and involve excessive fear or anxiety.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder, affecting nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lifetime. These disorders are treatable; treatment options are available, and people can live a more productive lifestyle. Most people get surprised learning just how anxiety affects life insurance.
There are several types of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobia, and social anxiety and separation anxiety disorders.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
With generalized anxiety disorder you may experience chronic and excessive worry, anxiety, and tension that interferes with daily activities. Physical symptoms such as restlessness, nervousness, feeling on edge, over-concentrating, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping may also happen with generalized anxiety disorder.
Often the worries revolve around daily concerns such as work responsibilities and family health, or minor matters such as chores, car repairs, or appointments. Many of the symptoms mentioned above may have been present for less than six months, whereas those who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder have them for over six months.
If you suffer from a generalized anxiety disorder, you will likely have excessive worry that is hard to control. One example is spending excessive amounts of time focused on the future and its likely outcomes and your possible reactions to them.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Separation anxiety disorder most commonly affects children, particularly teenagers. Adults can also suffer from separation anxiety if they have very strong feelings that something will go wrong with a close friend or relative.
If separated from their parents, children often show symptoms of fear, panic, worry, and anxiety. Adults also show signs of anxiety when a loved one suffers a tragic incident, even when they are already together.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, is a type of phobia that causes extreme fear when in to social situations. People with this disorder have a hard time socializing, talking, and attending social gatherings. They fear the judgment of others.
They might have difficulty talking with people or being in a large group. People often avoid situations or places that trigger this.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorders are sudden and unexpected episodes of anxiety. People with this condition live in constant fear of having a panic attack. They may have a panic attack when they feel a sudden terror that has no obvious cause. They may experience physical symptoms, like a fast heartbeat, breathing difficulties, and sweating.
Most people have one or two panic attacks during their life. Panic disorder is when you often have a fear of another panic attack or worry about this more than once a month.
Sometimes these are accompanied by physical symptoms including chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, shaking, dizziness, and nausea. You may also have a sense of impending doom.
Diagnosing a Panic Disorder
When someone is having panic attack symptoms, they should seek emergency medical attention. Frequently, people think they are having a heart attack when they’re having a panic attack.
While at the emergency department, the provider will perform several tests to see if a heart attack causes your symptoms. They may suggest blood tests to rule out other conditions that may cause similar symptoms.
If your symptoms are not life-threatening, you will be referred to your primary care provider.
Your primary care provider may conduct a mental health examination. Also, they may ask other questions about your symptoms. They will rule all other medical disorders out before your primary care provider makes a diagnosis of panic disorder.
Phobias and Anxiety Disorders
Phobias refer to a fear of an object, a situation, or a place that is irrational and overwhelming. Anxiety disorders are sometimes classified as phobias. They are severe phobias that are irrational fears of things with little or no true consequence.
There are many specific phobias. Acrophobia is a fear of heights. Agoraphobia is a fear of public places, and claustrophobia is a fear of closed-in places. If you become anxious and self-conscious in everyday social situations, you could have a social phobia.
Other common phobias involve tunnels, highway driving, water, flying, animals, and blood.
Individuals who suffer from phobias try to avoid whatever they are afraid of. Children and teenagers are typically prone to developing phobias that last into adulthood. A specific phobia may be inherited. However, the causes of phobias are not understood. The most common treatment options for phobias are medication, therapy, or a combination of the two.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety Disoders
The first step is to consult with your physician to rule out any physical problems that could account for your symptoms. A mental health professional will assist you in finding the most effective treatment for your anxiety disorder. Thousands of people suffer from anxiety disorders, but many do not seek help.
Even though every anxiety disorder is unique, most respond well to two types of therapies, psychotherapy, and medication. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) involves a pattern of thinking and acting differently to decrease anxiety, while dialectical behavioral therapy tends to focus on mindfulness and accepting that two behaviors can coexist.
Medication for Anxiety Disorders
Although drugs cannot cure anxiety disorders, they can provide significant relief from symptoms. Where legal, some people may use marijuana to help ease anxiety, although the use of marijuana impacts other things such as life insurance rates.
Anti-anxiety medications (usually prescribed only for a limited time) and antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed medications. Beta-blockers are commonly used to control anxiety symptoms and are prescribed for heart conditions.
Self-Help, Coping, and Managing Anxiety Disorders
A variety of methods can control symptoms of anxiety disorders, which makes treatment more effective. Meditation and relaxation techniques can prove beneficial. Additionally, anxiety counseling in East Lyme, CT can help with the treatment of anxiety.
Support groups can serve as a place for members to share coping strategies and experiences. Advise family and friends on how to treat a particular disorder and educate them on the specific features of that illness.
Anxiety can cause significant distress and negatively impact your life. For some people, it gets better as they grow older, but for others, it does not go away on its own without treatment. It is critical to seek treatment if you have symptoms.
Vhanessa Hair researches and writes for the life insurance comparison website, LifeInsurancePost.com. She is passionate about helping people with their health and educating them on their life insurance coverage options.
