What Is Anxiety Disorder?
A mental health disorder characterised by feelings of worry, anxiety or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities. Examples of anxiety disorders include panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms include stress that’s out of proportion to the impact of the event, inability to set aside a worry and restlessness. Treatment includes counselling or medication, including antidepressants.
What Causes an Anxiety Disorder?
A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.
What Are Five Symptoms of Anxiety?
- nervousness, restlessness, or being tense.
- feelings of danger, panic, or dread.
- rapid heart rate.
- rapid breathing, or hyperventilation.
- increased or heavy sweating.
- trembling or muscle twitching.
- weakness and lethargy.
What Defines an Anxiety Disorder?
An anxiety disorder is a type of mental health condition. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may respond to certain things and situations with fear and dread. You may also experience physical signs of anxiety, such as a pounding heart and sweating. It’s normal to have some anxiety.
What Are Common Symptoms of Anxiety?
- Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge.
- Being easily fatigued.
- Having difficulty concentrating.
- Being irritable.
- Having headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches, or unexplained pains.
- Difficulty controlling feelings of worry.
- Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Is Anxiety a Mental Illness?
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available. Treatment helps most people lead normal productive lives.
What Is Treatment of Anxiety?
The two main treatments for anxiety disorders are psychotherapy and medications. You may benefit most from a combination of the two. It may take some trial and error to discover which treatments work best for you.
Can Anxiety Be Cured?
Anxiety disorders are very treatable. Most patients who suffer from anxiety are able to reduce or eliminate symptoms after several (or fewer) months of psychotherapy, and many patients notice improvement after just a few sessions.
How Long Can Anxiety Last?
From the time of diagnosis, an anxiety disorder can last from a few months to many years. Most people will have symptoms of an anxiety disorder for a long time before seeking professional help, sometimes up to 15 years
How Is Anxiety Diagnosed?
To diagnose an anxiety disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends a blood test, which helps the doctor determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, may be causing your symptoms. The doctor may also ask about any medications you are taking.
What Is an Anxiety Disorder?
Featured Photo by Christopher Ott on Unsplash