Anxiety Disorders – an overview

Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness, worry, or unease that is a normal human experience. It is a normal response to a threat or to a 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 again and again
• Is so intense and long-lasting that it interferes with your normal activities

Anxiety disorders are more common than any other category of mental health disorder. Significant anxiety can persist for years and begin to feel normal. Hence is often not diagnosed or treated. In addition to this, people often also have varied physical symptoms. These disorders often substantially change your daily behaviour. You may start to avoid certain things, places and situations.

Anxiety disorders are diagnosed using specific established criteria.

Whatever form of anxiety you have, treatment can surely help.

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 anxieties more than others.

Do you know …

Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health disorder.

It affects about 301, 000, 000 people worldwide.

People with an anxiety disorder are twice more likely to have depression than others.

Common Signs and Symptoms of anxiety disorders

Anxiety can arise suddenly, as in panic, or gradually over minutes, hours, or days. And 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 your life that they can lead to depression. People may develop a substance use disorder. People who have this disorder (except for certain very specific phobias, such as fear of spiders) are at least twice as likely to have depression as those without it. Sometimes people with depression develop an anxiety disorder.

People with anxiety disorders often

• breathe rapidly (hyperventilation)
• sweat more
• shortness of breath
• trembling or tremor
• dizziness or black outs
• feel nervous, restless or tense
• continuous sense of impending danger, panic or doom
• increased heart rate
• trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry

Constant anxieties can prevent people from doing what they usually enjoy and starts to affect the body as well. They may develop various physical symptoms as well as unexplained 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.

Your worries may not go away on their own, and they may get worse over time if you don’t seek help. See your Homeopathic doctor before your anxiety gets worse. It’s quicker to treat if you get help early.