Anxiety

Anxiety can take many forms, including normal reactions to stressful situations such as job interviews or public speaking engagements. When individuals experience chronic and repetitive anxiety, they may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders can be divided into five major types:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Anxiety, worry or tension toward certain situations or environments.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – Characterized by recurring and unwanted thoughts or behaviors and rituals done with the intention of preventing these thoughts or behaviors.
• Panic Disorder – Intense and unexpected episodes of intense fear or worry with accompanying physical reactions such as chest pains, nausea, etc.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – An anxiety disorder that develops after an exposure to a traumatic situation, event or ordeal.
• Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder) – Exceptional fear, anxiety or self-consciousness in one or many common social situations (speaking, eating, etc.)

Anxiety symptoms may vary by individual and situation, but some of the most common symptoms include:

• Racing thoughts and overthinking
• Feelings of panic or dread
• Difficulty concentrating and irritableness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Headaches
• Trouble sleeping or staying alert
• Changes in appetite
• Chest pains or shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations

Anxiety is characterized by a state of high alertness in which you may experience racing thoughts, dread or trouble concentrating not entirely appropriate for the situation you face. This can often come with physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath or, in some cases, chest pains and heart palpitations.

There are many things that can cause anxiety, depending both on the type of the anxiety disorder as well as the specific individual’s personality type. Often, the situations may evolve, resolve or change over time – meaning that individuals may experience the same or different symptoms of anxiety toward different things throughout their mental health journey.

It is normal for you to feel stressed in uncertain situations, when facing upcoming deadlines or in the midst of interrelational strife (among other situations). The stress may transition into anxiety when racing thoughts, feelings of dread and physical or mental symptoms that you are experiencing are not appropriate for the situation you find yourself in.

Anxiety disorders can be diagnosed by your primary care physician or a mental health professional by asking about your symptoms and the situations that cause them. It is important to note that some physical medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism can cause or worsen symptoms of anxiety disorders, so a physical examination and/or blood test may be helpful.

While anxiety (or “panic”) attacks are temporary in nature, usually peaking within 10 minutes and rarely lasting more than 30 minute, anxiety disorders are cyclical in nature and may affect individuals for months, years or even a lifetime.

The important thing to remember is that while individuals may struggle with anxiety for this period, no two days or weeks will be the same.There will be periods of time in which they may experience no anxiety, followed by others that are more intense. A proper anxiety care plan can allow these individuals to destress and live healthy, balanced lives.

If unmanaged, anxiety can cause individuals to be in a constant state of stress. It is important to learn techniques to manage stress and reframe difficult situations in order to reduce stress and help manage personal reactions to stressful situations.

The physical symptoms that often accompany anxiety attacks (racing heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, etc.) can be reduced through coping techniques such as breathing exercises and reframing,

It is possible for individuals to grow out of anxiety triggers; however, it is also important to note that new anxieties may develop over time. A proper wellness routine and prioritizing mental health can help individuals overcome anxiety symptoms and triggers.

CBT involves helping individuals reframe difficult situations to better understand them as they are and to react in a way that is appropriate to the stimulus of the situation.

You can absolutely see a therapist for anxiety, and in fact, we recommend it (although we’re biased)! Therapists can help you understand your situation, what exactly it is that is triggering the reaction, how to overcome this difficult situation, and where to go from there.

The exact length of time that you may want to work with a therapist may vary on a number of individual factors, but you will likely see benefits from your work with your therapist quite quickly. They will often help you talk through issues while giving you tasks to practice with throughout the week. The more you invest in your own treatment, the better the results will be.

Individuals experiencing severe anxiety will likely see the most benefit from a comprehensive care plan. This may involve talking with a therapist on an ongoing basis, developing personal healthy habits such as exercise and diet, learning de-stressing techniques such as CBT and breathing exercises, and perhaps also seeing a psychiatrist who can prescribe the proper medication for them.

While that may seem overwhelming, the opposite is true! This type of care plan will help the individual regain control over their lives and improve their overall wellness in the long term.

If medication can be avoided, then that is always the first avenue to pursue. But if medication is needed to help manage severe or chronic symptoms, then therapy will still be a necessary and extremely helpful addition to your care plan, and the appropriate place to start.