A sudden onset of anxiety are crippling and even though everyone experiences anxiety one day or another, this feeling can occur in situations that are perceived as intimidating or stressful, such as an oral presentation, a near-miss car crash, or waiting for medical test results.
Feeling anxiety is in many circumstances something normal and a certain level of anxiety can be beneficial. Anxiety can help us cope with a worrying situation, study more intensely for an exam or increase our athletic performance. Anxiety is not necessarily harmful, and it is rare that it lasts very long.
When anxiety persists to the point of interfering with our ability to deal with everyday problems and disrupts our lives, it could be an anxiety disorder. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including:
panic disorder (sudden anxiety attack without any warning)
of agoraphobia (avoid specific situations as places or public spaces where crowds gather to where it could be difficult to escape);
phobias (various types of intense fear reactions triggered by particular situations or objects: spiders, planes, heights);
a social anxiety disorder or social phobia (fear of an embarrassing situation in society);
a generalized anxiety disorder (a persistent feeling of generalized anxiety).
Anxiety disorders are often accompanied by other conditions such as depression, eating disorders or addictions.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders. About 1 in 4 adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, and about 1 in 10 people currently have an anxiety disorder. These disorders affect women more frequently and can affect adults and children alike.
Many people misunderstand the nature of anxiety disorders and think that they will be able to overcome them on their
own (without treatment). This strategy only rarely succeeds. Fortunately, there are many treatments that can help them.
CAUSES
Although researchers do not know exactly what causes anxiety disorders, they know that many factors are at work. An anxiety disorder, like other mental health problems, comes from biological and psychological factors that combine with other personal factors.
Our way of thinking and acting when we are dealing with certain situations can play a role in the onset of anxiety. Some people may perceive situations as more dangerous than they actually are (eg fear of flying). Others have had a bad experience and fear that it will happen again (eg a dog's bite). Psychologists believe that the experiences that marked childhood can also play a role in the onset of anxiety.
Researchers have learned that some imbalances in brain chemistry can contribute to the onset of anxiety disorders. Neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in the brain that play a role in anxiety include serotonin, norepinephrine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Scientists have also noticed that anxiety is accompanied by changes in the activity of certain regions of the brain. Many anxiety disorders are more common in some families and are likely to have a genetic cause.
The symptoms of anxiety may be caused by certain conditions such as anemia and thyroid disorders. Other factors such as caffeine, alcohol and some medications can also trigger the symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety disorders are sometimes caused by traumatic events, such as the agony of a loved one, death, war and natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes.
Symptoms and Complications
Many symptoms of anxiety are common to all types of anxiety disorders. Other symptoms are more specific to certain anxiety disorders in particular. Here is a list of the most common symptoms of each type of anxiety disorder:
Panic disorder is characterized by panic attacks that occur unpredictably without any overt triggering factor. It may include chest tightness, palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, unreality, tremors, dizziness, nausea, hot flashes, or chills. the feeling of losing self-control, or the fear of dying. Some people start by avoiding situations that could trigger attacks. Attacks usually last 10 minutes or less, but may last longer.
Agoraphobia is defined as the fear of being in a situation where it is not possible to escape easily or to get help, especially in public places or places of assembly. Many people with agoraphobia are also affected by panic disorders. The fear of having another panic attack generally leads them to avoid situations / places that these people see as triggers for panic attacks.
Specific phobias are fears triggered by something specific like an animal, thunderstorms, heights or the prospect of flying. They are accompanied by sweating, muscle tension and dizziness. People who are affected sometimes take extreme measures to avoid the situation they fear;
social anxiety disorder or social phobia is more than just shyness. This is an exaggerated feeling of anxiety that arises when a person is afraid of being embarrassed or socially mocked. Situations that can trigger social anxiety are small group discussions, dating, parties, and sports. Common symptoms of this type of anxiety are redness, sweating and dryness of the mouth. People who are struggling with social phobia generally avoid the social situations they fear;
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is defined as a feeling of excessive and continual anxiety caused by a host of things and situations (eg, work, financial status, children, or health). The fear is not due to a specific cause. Generalized anxiety can cause symptoms of muscle tension, tremors, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, difficulty sleeping and decreased concentration .
The complications of anxiety disorders are mainly related to feelings of inadequacy or depression because they know that their behavior is irrational and disrupts their lives. Depression very often accompanies anxiety disorders.
Diagnostic
A person who thinks they have an anxiety disorder should consult a doctor. The latter will order him to have health examinations in case the anxiety has a physical cause, and he will ask him about the anxiety with which he is preyed to determine whether it is an anxiety disorder or 'a disorder related to a type of depression.
It is important that the person gives the doctor what she feels, and what concerns her, so that she can diagnose the exact cause of the anxiety.
Treatment and Prevention
Treatment will differ depending on the type of anxiety disorder observed.
Many psychological therapies can relieve anxiety, but cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT is the most effective of all.
In CBT, irrational fears are refuted logically. Exposure therapy can be practiced as part of the treatment of confronting the object of fear. This intervention must sometimes be done gradually. Exposure therapy is most effective in cases of specific phobias (such as fear of spiders or fear of flying) that rarely respond to medication. Support groups can also be useful for some people.
Medications that help control anxiety change the concentrations of the 3 main chemical messengers that play a role in anxiety: serotonin, norepinephrine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The drugs used include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, eg, fluoxetine *, paroxetine, escitalopram), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI; duloxetine, venlafaxine), GABA derivatives (eg, pregabalin) and anxiolytic drugs such as benzodiazepines (eg, lorazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam). Benzodiazepines can be addictive for a few people.
Other drugs may also be used, including tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) (eg clomipramine) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs eg phenelzine, tranylcypromine) and buspirone.
Some medications used to treat anxiety disorders have not been approved for this purpose by Health Canada. Some people with mild anxiety or anxiety in easily avoidable conditions may decide not to be treated.
Many people found that some lifestyle changes had a positive effect on their anxiety, including the following methods:
a decrease in their caffeine consumption;
a more moderate alcohol consumption;
smoking cessation or reduced smoking;
the practice of relaxation techniques (eg breathing techniques, yoga, meditation);
healthy eating, restful sleep and regular physical activity;
externalizing their feelings to a loved one or a professional counselor.
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