What is Anxiety?
We all know what anxiety feels like. Anxiety is a human emotion – It is a normal reaction to stress. It helps people deal with difficult situations. Everyone has experienced it at some time or another in their lives, but for some people anxiety symptoms are a part of their everyday life. It can be such a problem that it can create serious difficulties. Some individuals with anxiety symptoms are constantly scared and worried. They can be so deathly scared of certain situations that they can't face them at all. Severe anxiety can also lead to other problems such as depression and drug and alcohol abuse.
Anxiety is like constantly worrying about everyday things. Thoughts can be racing around your head. It can make you feel edgy, tense, frustrated and it can even give you insomnia. This type of behaviour can affect not only you but others around you, such as work colleagues or your friends and family.
Who Is At Risk?
Anyone can be at risk of anxiety. There is anxiety in adults and adolescents. There is even childhood anxiety. Children are all different in the way they deal with or react to situations. Most children feel shy at times but some are really limited because of their shyness. Childhood anxiety is often passed off as a phase that the child is going through. Parents can help their children to overcome this problem.
Symptoms of Anxiety
People with anxiety can have many different symptoms. There are two types – there are physical types and non physical types. Here is a list of some the physical symptoms you may feel:
- Trembling
- Churning Stomach
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Headache
- Backache
- Heart palpitations
- Numbness or pins and needles in arms and legs
- Sweating or Flushing
- Restlessness
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Trouble concentrating
- Muscle tension
- Frequent urination
- Trouble sleeping or staying asleep
- Being startled easily
Here is a list of the non physical symptoms associated with anxiety:
- Flashbacks or nightmares
- Avoidance of people, places and things that can cause anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
- Closely watching your surroundings
- Depression
- And general feelings of irritability
Managing Anxiety
Psychological treatment, in particular cognitive behavioural therapy is very effective in the treatment of anxiety. Cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the most common treatments for anxiety. It is based on the idea that a person's thoughts in response to an event or situation cause the difficult feelings and behaviours. The aim of cognitive behavioural therapy is to help people to identify ideas and negative thought patterns, which are mostly automatic and irrational, and to substitute these negative thoughts with more constructive ways of thinking. This can be done by learning relaxation techniques and changing the way that certain situations are handled.
Other effective ways to manage anxiety include medication and making changes in one’s lifestyle such as increasing exercise and dietary changes. One should also be directed to not only see their doctor but also by visiting their local health products retailer to speak to an alternative medicine practitioner.
Now you realise that you are not just being silly and you are not over reacting. These are real emotions you are experiencing and something needs to be done about it. So what is the next step? It is a good idea to go to your local doctor. I know it is a lot harder than it sounds and initiating a conversation with your doctor about depression or anxiety is not always the easiest thing to do. If you go to the doctor well prepared and already know what you would like to discuss, you have a better chance of having your questions answered and your condition properly diagnosed.
