Anxiety – Mental Health Treatment – Psychiatric Disorders.
Anxiety is how we respond to stressful situations that occur in our daily lives. This response to normal life stressors is considered normal. Anxiety is only considered a disorder when our response to the stressor is considered to be an out of proportion response.
It is not uncommon for most people to become anxious in particular life situations. Making a speech in front of strangers, applying for a new job, asking your loved one to be your wife/husband are simple examples of these situations and therefore anxiety symptoms that raises its head in these situations are considered to be absolutely normal responses.
When the severity of the stress of one’s ability to function becomes significantly impaired due to anxiety or one loses complete control, it is at this point that it becomes a disorder. Anxiety is a very real mental health condition and can originate from the following:
- Traumatic life event
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
The following is a list of the various types of anxiety disorders:
- Social Anxiety disorder
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Panic disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Anxiety can appear in a myriad of conditions and it can present very differently from individual to individual. It may present emotionally, however some individuals may present by displaying signs of physical distress. The one factor that binds all various forms of anxiety is a massively and significant overwhelming irrational fear.
Here are some signs that someone is experiencing anxiety:
- Excessive worry with an inability to control it
- Intense episodes of fear or panic
- Recurring nightmares
- Avoidance of social situations
- Difficulty concentrating
- Repeated, unwanted thoughts or obsessions
- Sleep disturbances
- Upsetting, intrusive memories of a traumatic event
- Physical symptoms such as nausea, stomach pain, rapid heart rate, muscle tension, sweating, shaking, dizziness, numbness, or difficulty breathing.
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