Anxiety is a debilitating mental health condition that affects millions of people every year in the United States. Anxiety can manifest itself in many ways, and the symptoms can vary from person to person. In this blog post, we are going to take a look at anxiety disorders and how it feels to suffer from an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental illnesses that cause people to feel stressed and afraid even when there is no real danger. Anxiety disorders can also make it hard for a person to complete everyday tasks or interact with other people.
These mental illnesses are characterized by excessive fear and apprehension about everyday life events. This is manifested as chronic unease or tension with symptoms that can include physical reactions.
What is the Difference Between Stress and Anxiety?
It is important to understand that anxiety is very different from normal stress. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences between them. Stress refers to a temporary reaction towards pressure or difficult situations that fades away with time. On the other hand, anxiety refers to an intense and persistent fear of uncertainty that leads to worrying thoughts and crippling physical and emotional reactions.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
As we have established, there are several types of anxiety disorders. They include social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, specific phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and separation anxiety.
What Causes Anxiety?
There are many factors or combinations of factors that can lead to the development of anxiety disorders. They include genetic predisposition, trauma, excessive stress, brain chemistry, and a history of mental illness.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
Different anxiety disorders have different symptoms and the symptoms can vary from person to person. However, some symptoms are common to most anxiety disorders. They include:
- Hypervigilance
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Poor concentration
- Racing thoughts
- Fatigue or sweating
- Anxiety
- Excessive worry and fear
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Palpitations and trembling
What Does Anxiety Feel Like?
For most people, living with anxiety is characterized by a constant sense of dread that never goes away and always keeps them on the edge. Anxiety can feel like pressure in your chest, shortness of breath, or tightness in your throat. It also might make you think about things over and over again without being able to stop worrying.
Anxiety disorders often cause physical symptoms such as fatigue, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle aches, headaches, elevated blood pressure, sweating, and heart palpitations. People who suffer from anxiety are also likely to experience depressive episodes.
How is Anxiety Treated?
Anxiety is a serious mental illness that can have dire consequences if left untreated. Although there is no cure for anxiety at the moment, certain treatments can help manage the symptoms.
The treatment options vary depending on the disorder and severity. They include counseling, psychotherapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Severe cases of anxiety may require a combination of two or more treatment options or the use of non-traditional treatments like ketamine therapy.
Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms of an anxiety disorder so they can help identify which type of treatment might work best for you.