Everyone experiences anxiety, anxiety and fear at certain moments. But sometimes they literally interfere with life — then we are talking about pathological anxiety or an anxiety disorder.
What are anxiety disorders?
In psychiatry, this is a group of disorders associated with an increased sense of anxiety and fear — and the behavioral deviations caused by them. According to WHO, 264 million people suffered from anxiety disorders in 2015. According to some studies, these are the most common mental disorders (at least in the United States).
Treatment of anxiety can take a long time with the wrong approach. The main thing is to choose a good specialist in this field. Many experts recommend buying Cymbalta for anxiety.
This category includes generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others. Owners of specific phobias usually know the cause of their anxiety — for example, in the case of agoraphobia, anxiety worsens when a person is in open spaces. But generalized anxiety disorder is easy to miss: anxiety is not directed at something specific, and there may be almost more physiological symptoms than psychological ones.
Is any anxiety a disorder?
“Some people are more sensitive and perceive different situations more vividly and emotionally — including with greater anxiety. This does not make them the owners of an anxiety disorder — it’s just such a personality trait, it is within the norm.
Does such a person need to contact a specialist? Yes, if he does not cope with his experiences and emotions, does not enjoy life, can not perform some familiar everyday actions or important life tasks for him — related, for example, to work or relationships.”
That increased anxiety can be situational. That is, it can manifest itself in response to an unstable social or economic situation, life changes or very intensive long-term work. Anything that increases excitability increases anxiety.
How to understand that your anxiety is most likely a generalized anxiety disorder?
It’s perfectly normal to be nervous before a public speech or an important exam. But an anxiety disorder makes you constantly worry about the most ordinary things: household and work duties, health, finances or the prospect of being late for work.
At the same time, the concern is clearly disproportionate to its cause. For example, not having time to get into the subway car seems to be no less a frightening prospect than being late for a plane. You can’t cope with this emotion: you postpone, postpone or cancel things because of anxiety. Anxiety spreads to different areas of your life: you feel it at work, at home, and among friends. It does not pass for at least six months. Another sign is a gratuitous feeling that something terrible is bound to happen soon.
You are constantly on edge
Can’t sit still, everything in the world causes irritation, and it’s easy to scare you? It looks like a few more signs of an anxiety disorder. According to studies, many patients with this diagnosis noticed increased irritability and restlessness.
You get tired more easily than usual
Sometimes there are simple reasons for fatigue — maybe you haven’t been on vacation for a long time. But if you get tired quickly or just constantly feel tired, this may be due to increased levels of the hormone cortisol, insomnia or chronic pain — the three companions of an anxiety disorder.
It is difficult for you to work — and relax
Anxiety disorders affect efficiency at work: they reduce the ability to concentrate and affect short-term memory. But in addition, they interfere with quality rest: because of anxiety and the feeling that there are too many thoughts in your head, you can’t really relax.
Do you have trouble sleeping
People with anxiety disorders often complain of insomnia: in the evening it is difficult for them to fall asleep, and at night they constantly wake up. Despite the fact that scientists have found a link between insomnia and anxiety disorders, the nature of this connection is still unknown. According to some studies, insomniacs have a higher risk of experiencing an anxiety disorder, according to others, chronic insomnia usually begins simultaneously or after an anxiety disorder. According to the third — they mutually influence each other.
Your body is scared, even when you are not
Fear activates our sympathetic system: the body prepares to respond to danger. The pulse and breathing become faster, the mouth becomes dry, sweat appears on the forehead, palms and back. The problem is that with an anxiety disorder, this happens even without reasons for fear and anxiety. If you are dizzy, you are shivering and you are thrown into a fever or cold — this is the same here.
Do you have any pain
Anxiety disorders are associated with such seemingly different pain syndromes as tension headache, chest pain, chronic pain (fibromyalgia, migraine, arthritis), as well as abdominal pain, muscle pain and cases of pain that there is nothing to explain. This is also due to the fact that stress changes our perception of pain and can cause hyperalgesia — increased sensitivity to pain.
Your body is failing
Anxiety disorders can also be indicated by symptoms that, it would seem, are quite far from psychiatry and neurology. For example, the need to go to the toilet often. Also, gastrointestinal disorders are associated with anxiety disorders-nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
All this is ruining your life
Generalized anxiety disorder differs from stress-induced anxiety in that the symptoms strongly affect the quality of life: they prevent you from doing normal things, working, building and maintaining relationships.
What to do next
The first is to contact a specialist
Even if you have found several signs from the list above, you should not get carried away with self-diagnosis. The diagnosis of “generalized anxiety disorder” can only be made by a psychiatrist, guided by special diagnostic criteria. When he determines whether a patient has an anxiety disorder, he is faced with the task of excluding other possible diseases with similar symptoms. Under the mask of anxiety, a variety of diagnoses can be hidden: from depression and Alzheimer’s disease to diabetes and hyperthyroidism.
If anxiety affects the quality of life, it makes sense not to wait for additional symptoms or voiced six months and contact a psychotherapist. Or to a psychologist — if he suspects that a psychiatric consultation is necessary, he will refer him to the appropriate doctor.
In modern medicine, anxiety disorders are treated with pharmacotherapy( drugs), psychotherapy and their combination. Different schools of psychotherapy have different approaches to understanding and treating generalized anxiety disorder. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered one of the most effective types of psychotherapy, and its combination with medications is recommended as the main treatment strategy.
The second is to change the way of life
“Home” methods will not replace qualified help in the case of an anxiety disorder, but they can relieve the symptoms of anxiety. By leading a healthier and more conscious lifestyle, we can reduce stress levels — and thereby reduce anxiety.
Meditate more often and breathe deeply
Some studies show that mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based meditation, and yoga help relieve the symptoms of anxiety. Perhaps this is due to the use of deep breathing practices in them, the stress-reducing effect of which has been proven by a large number of studies.
Do not forget about physical activity
The American Association for the Study of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders recommends regular exercise — for example, running, walking, cycling or dancing three to five times a week for half an hour.
Do not deprive yourself of sleep
Although we have already mentioned the relationship between anxiety and insomnia, it is not superfluous to repeat that lack of sleep reduces the body’s ability to resist stress and increases anxiety. Therefore, if you notice anxiety, you should try to establish sleep hygiene — sleep enough time, go to bed and get up on time.
Think about a healthy diet
Studies prove the positive impact of certain foods and dietary principles on mental health and anxiety in particular. For example, probiotics and fermented foods (such as kefir and yogurt), omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids (found in sea fish and spinach), fruits and vegetables have proven themselves well. In 2010, a study was conducted with the participation of more than 1000 women. It showed that those whose diet included vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and whole grains were less likely to be depressed and anxious than those whose menu included fried foods, large amounts of sugar, refined cereals and beer.
“Emotional overload, lack of sleep and adequate rest-all this increases our excitability and, accordingly, anxiety. In such cases, it is not superfluous to try to unload yourself, rest more, adjust sleep and observe whether it becomes easier as a result. Although I, as a representative of the profession, of course, believe that in any case it can be useful for a person to go to a psychologist and try to solve their problems not alone, but with a specialist”