Overview
Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness, worry, or unease that is a normal human experience. It is also present in a wide range of psychiatric disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobias. Although each of these disorders is different, they all feature distress and dysfunction specifically related to anxiety and fear.
In addition to anxiety, people often also have physical symptoms, including shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and/or tremor.
Anxiety disorders often substantially change people’s daily behaviour, including leading them to avoid certain things and situations. And are diagnosed using specific established criteria.
Anxiety is a normal response to a threat or to psychologic stress. Normal anxiety has its root in fear and serves an important survival function. When someone is faced with a dangerous situation, anxiety triggers the fight-or-flight response. With this response, a variety of physical changes, such as increased blood flow to the heart and muscles, provide the body with the necessary energy and strength to deal with life-threatening situations, such as running from an aggressive animal or fighting off an attacker.
However, anxiety is considered a disorder when it
- Occurs at inappropriate times
- Occurs frequently
- Is so intense and long-lasting that it interferes with a person’s normal activities
Anxiety disorders are more common than any other category of mental health disorder and affect about 15% of adults in the United States. Significant anxiety can persist for years and begin to feel normal to the person with the anxiety. For this and other reasons, anxiety disorders are often not diagnosed or treated.
Anxiety disorders include
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic attacks and panic disorder
Specific phobic disorders
The mental distress that occurs immediately or shortly after experiencing or witnessing an overwhelming traumatic event is no longer classified as an anxiety disorder. Such disorders are now classified as trauma and stressor-related disorders and include acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Our individuality or uniqueness as a person, which is influenced by our upbringing and life situations, is the reason why some people experience anxiety more than others.
Do you know …
Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health disorder.
People with an anxiety disorder are more likely than other people to have depression.
Homeopathy is supposed to work miracles.
Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
Causes of anxiety disorders
The causes of anxiety disorders are not fully known, but the following may be involved:
Genetic factors (including a family history of an anxiety disorder)
Anxiety tends to run in families. Doctors think some of this tendency may be inherited, but some is probably learned by living with anxious people.
Environment (such as experiencing a traumatic event or stress)
An anxiety disorder can be triggered by environmental stresses, such as the breakup of a significant relationship or exposure to a life-threatening disaster.
Psychologic makeup
When a person’s response to stresses is inappropriate or a person is overwhelmed by events, an anxiety disorder can arise. For example, some people find speaking before a group exhilarating. But others dread it, becoming anxious with symptoms such as sweating, fear, a rapid heart rate, and tremor. Such people may avoid speaking even in a small group.
A physical condition
Anxiety can also be caused by a general medical disorder or the use or discontinuation (withdrawal) of a drug. General medical disorders that can cause anxiety include the following:
- Heart disorders, such as heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Hormonal (endocrine) disorders, such as an overactive adrenal gland (hyper-adrenocorticoids) or thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or a hormone-secreting tumor called a pheochromocytoma.
- Lung (respiratory) disorders, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Even fever can cause anxiety.
- Anxiety may occur in dying people as a result of fear of death, pain, and difficulty breathing ( see Depression and Anxiety).
The use or discontinuation (withdrawal) of a drug
Drugs that can trigger anxiety include the following:
- Alcohol
- Stimulants (such as amphetamines)
- Caffeine
- Cocaine
- Many prescription drugs, such as corticosteroids
- Some over-the-counter weight-loss products, such as those containing the herbal product guarana, caffeine, or both.
- Withdrawal from alcohol or sedatives, such as benzodiazepines (used to treat anxiety disorders), can cause anxiety and other symptoms, such as insomnia and restlessness.
Symptoms of anxiety disorders
Anxiety can arise suddenly, as in panic, or gradually over minutes, hours, or days. Anxiety can last for any length of time, from a few seconds to years. It ranges in intensity from barely noticeable qualms to a full-blown panic attack, which may cause shortness of breath, dizziness, an increased heart rate, and trembling (tremor).
Anxiety disorders can be so distressing and interfere so much with a person’s life that they can lead to depression. People may develop a substance use disorder. People who have an anxiety disorder (except for certain very specific phobias, such as fear of spiders) are at least twice as likely to have depression as those without an anxiety disorder. Sometimes people with depression develop an anxiety disorder.
People with anxiety disorders often also feel tired, have problems sleeping, lose their appetite and/or taste for food, and lose weight. Their sex drive may decrease. These problems develop gradually.
Constant anxiety can prevent people from doing what they usually enjoy and starts to affect the body as well. They may develop various physical symptoms and pain. They may stop their activities, withdraw socially, and become preoccupied with health. The mind-body complex is now fully affected and becomes a vicious circle which keeps an individual in suffering mode. 
Diagnosis of anxiety disorders
A doctor’s thorough evaluation which includes physical; mental; emotional; social health and environmental influence. Through this evaluation doctors try to identify the cause of anxiety, factors modifying it and the impact of such anxiety on the daily life quality of a person.
Deciding when anxiety is severe enough to be considered a disorder can be complicated. People’s ability to tolerate anxiety varies, and determining what constitutes abnormal anxiety can be difficult. Doctors usually use the following specific established criteria:
- Anxiety is very distressing.
- Anxiety interferes with functioning.
- Anxiety is long-lasting or keeps coming back.
Doctors look for other disorders that may be causing anxiety, such as depression or a sleep disturbance. Doctors also ask whether relatives have had similar symptoms, because anxiety disorders tend to run in families.
Doctors also do a physical examination. Blood and other tests may be done to check for other medical disorders that can cause anxiety.
Doctors ask how the person feels; eats; sleeps and goes through a routine day. Identifying these changes is critical because they can make the situation better or worse and, if present, must be treated for the disorder to be treated effectively.
Homeopathic Treatment of anxiety disorders
After a thorough evaluation, each case is worked upon and a set of similar medicines is derived from which one single medicine which fits the patient’s presentation at that time, in relevant intensity and repetitions is given.
All of the anxiety disorders can occur along with other psychiatric conditions. For example, anxiety disorders often occur along with an alcohol use disorder. It is important to treat all of these conditions as soon as possible. Treating the alcohol use disorder without treating the anxiety is unlikely to be effective since the person may be using alcohol to treat the anxiety. On the other hand, treating the anxiety without addressing the alcohol disorder may be unsuccessful because daily changes in the amount of alcohol in the blood can cause levels of anxiety to fluctuate.
Some need only one medicine throughout the duration of treatment and some need few in sequence one after another across the treatment.
Timely follow-ups are essential to keep moving forward towards the goal of treatment and to identify, manage and overcome any obstacles to the outcome.
Outcome of Individualized Homeopathic treatment
With Individualized Homeopathic treatment focused on the person who is suffering, the outlook is as follows:
- Relieves anxiety
- Boosts metabolism
- Improves sleep
- Improves activity
- Relieves fatigue
- Restores function
- Better moods
- Improves quality of life
Each person is unique and hence the time taken for treatment and the results achieved are also unique.
Try to consult a well-qualified professional homeopath who practices adhering to the tenets of Hahnemannian Homeopathy for Best Outcomes.
