Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling that virtually everyone experiences at some time and in varying degrees. It is worry or uneasiness about something that may happen. That is the crucial distinction about anxiety. It is uneasiness about a possible situation, not a current reality. It is normal to have some degree of worry about an upcoming test or major event in your life. But when the anxiety reaches a level of worry and fear that has a negative impact on your life, it needs attention.

An anxiety disorder is defined as going beyond the normal range of anxiety or fear. There are several types of anxiety disorders. Some people suffer from only one while others have a combination of disorders.

A generalized anxiety disorder is when a person suffers from anxiety on an ongoing, chronic basis without perceivable cause or with very little cause.

A panic disorder is when a person experiences a sudden attack of terror and fear. Physical conditions accompany the panic and include a racing heart, sweating, weakness, dizziness or even fainting.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is also a type of anxiety disorder. The trauma may be a major event like war but could also be a personal trauma like surviving a fire, seeing a murder, being in a natural disaster like a flood or hurricane.

People who suffer from social anxiety disorder have problems coping with normal social situations. These social events trigger overwhelming anxiety and crippling self-consciousness.

Another type of anxiety is obsessive-compulsive disorder. With these disorders people have recurring unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors like hand washing.

Anxiety in one form or another is very common, but is often not discussed with a doctor. People often regard anxiety and other mental concerns as less serious than physical ailments like cancer. The cancer is something that can be seen in a screening and therefore is somehow more real. Anxiety can be viewed as only a state of mind, something that the person should be able to control and stop. People suffering from anxiety are often told to simply stop worrying about whatever is bothering them.

Today doctors are paying closer attention to patients with other conditions to see if anxiety also plays a role. People with anxiety disorders are more likely to suffer from depression. There is also a correlation with insomnia and anxiety disorders. Patients who seek medical help from sleep disorders should also be evaluated for possible anxiety disorders.

As more medical advances are made in the study of anxiety, the general public is becoming better educated and more sympathetic to the disorders. And when people feel that they won’t be ridiculed for seeking help, they are much more likely to be honest with their doctors about their feelings of anxiety.

For those not wanting to take medications for anxiety, studies show that relaxation techniques such as meditation can have a positive impact on anxiety. These methods give the anxiety sufferer a way to combat the feelings of worry and fear.

With transcendental meditation the person focuses on a particular object until their mind reaches a state of stillness. EMG biofeedback is a technique where the person learns to control their muscle relaxation. Mindful meditation puts the focus on awareness of one’s thoughts but with a degree of detachment that allows better control. All of these techniques have shown some amount of success with anxiety disorders.