Worrying about things like family problems, health, or money is a normal part of life; it is occasional anxiety. However, anxiety disorder is a more severe situation of worry.

The fear of people suffering from anxiety disorders does not disappear, and their situation worsens with time. This problem makes it difficult to handle daily activities like relationships, job performance, and school work.

Anxiety has different types; for example, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, phobia-related disorders, panic disorder, and many more. In this article, we will discuss anxiety disorder causes, symptoms, and treatments.

What is Anxiety?

How your body responds to stress naturally is called anxiety. It is a feeling of worry or fear about what will come next in a situation. The best examples of anxiety are; when you have to give a speech on the first day at school or when you have to give a job interview.

However, if your level of fear is very high and your anxiety condition is more than six months longer, you are suffering from an anxiety disorder.

Types of Anxiety

Anxiety disorders have the following types:

1- Agoraphobia

In this condition, you avoid visiting such places or avoid meeting with people that make you feel frightened and you feel embarrassed, trapped, or helpless.

2- Anxiety Disorder as a result of Illness

Some physical problems also cause anxiety disorders. In this condition, you feel high anxiety and panic if you have a disease or disability. You think too much about your illness and worry about it.

3- Generalized Anxiety Disorder

In this condition, you worry about normal events and activities in your daily routine, and sometimes the situation worsens. The feeling of worry is out of your control, and the condition of your body shows your anxiety level. Sometimes, it comes with depression and other anxiety disorders.

4- Panic Disorders

It occurs with unexpected extreme anxiety, and the feeling of fear reaches a high level shortly. Your body will respond to this reaction with a fast heartbeat, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

5- Selective Mutism

This is a condition in which children cannot speak in school or other such situations while they feel comfortable speaking with family members at home or with friends. This situation usually occurs at school work or job levels.

6- Social Anxiety

It is an extreme level of fear or high-level anxiety in which you avoid meeting with people or don’t go to places where you feel embarrassed and think people will judge you negatively.

7- Specific phobias

It is a condition when you are frightened by a specific situation or object. The fear becomes so high that you suffer breath shortening or abnormal heartbeat. Phobias produce panic attacks in some people.

8- Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorders

It is a type of anxiety disorder produced due to withdrawal from drugs, misusing drugs, exposure to poisonous substances, or taking other medications.

9- Separation Anxiety

In this situation, whenever you are away from your home, family, or close ones, you experience fear.

10- Other Anxiety Disorders

Some specified and unspecified anxiety disorders include feelings of fear and worry that don’t meet the particular standards for any other anxiety disorder but are important enough to be stressful and troublesome.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Extreme fear or worry is the main symptom of the anxiety disorders. Some symptoms include shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, difficulty paying attention to something, and staying still. The exact symptoms depend on the anxiety disorder type you have. Some common symptoms are given below:

• Extremely or excessively avoiding feared objects or places
• Uneasiness, fear, and panic
• Feeling difficulty in concentrating
• Sleep problems
• Thinking about a problem repeatedly and don’t stop this
• Unable to stay still and calm
• Fast Heart beating
• Dizziness
• Burning, sweaty, cold, or emotionless hands and feet
• Tense muscles
• Breath problems
• Nausea
• Breathing is faster and abnormal
• Dry mouth

Causes of Anxiety Disorders

Some major causes of anxiety disorders are as follows:

1- Inheritance

Anxiety disorder might occur due to inheritance.

2- Brain Chemistry

The Anxiety disorder might be due to the damaged circuits in the brain. These circuits control the feelings of emotions and fears.

3- Environmental Stress

Sometimes anxiety is caused by uncomfortable situations, and you don’t want to face them again. The stressful life events include the death of a loved one, witnessing violence, or child abuse and neglect.

4- Drug Withdrawal or Misuse

Some drugs are used to reduce anxiety levels. Some people don’t feel comfortable without using alcohol and other such substances.

5- Medical Conditions

Patients of lungs, heart, and thyroid have anxiety symptoms that make their anxiety level more severe daily. When talking to the doctor about this problem, you should do a full physical check-up to get more accurate results.

The Anxiety Treatments

Treatments for anxiety are given as follows:

1- Medication for Anxiety

There are different types of drugs that are used for anxiety treatment. Before deciding on a medicine, talk with the doctor about the advantages and disadvantages of each medicine.

Antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs )

Normally, doctors suggest this medicine when someone suffers from an anxiety disorder. Common examples of SSRIs are escitalopram and fluoxetine. Duloxetine and venlafaxine are suggested as SNRIs.

Bupropion

The medication is used for chronic anxiety and is another type of antidepressant. However, it does not work like SNRIs and SSRIs.

Other Antidepressants

Examples of these drugs are monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricyclic. Mostly they are not recommended because they have some side effects which are unpleasant and unsafe for some people, such as urinary retention, increase or decrease in blood pressure, blurry vision, or dry mouth.

Benzodiazepines

The doctor prescribes these drugs if you have a persistent panic feeling. They help decrease anxiety levels; examples are clonazepam and alprazolam. They work more rapidly than the other medications, but the person becomes used to them and doesn’t feel comfortable without using them. This drug should not be used for a longer period. It is usually suggested with other medicines.

Beta-Blockers

This medicine will work as a high blood pressure drug if you have a physical symptom of anxiety. For example, heart trembling or shaking. This drug is best for you if you are attacked by acute anxiety.

Anticonvulsants

This medicine is usually used to lower the sickness of a patient. It is also used to lower the anxiety levels.

Antipsychotics

This medicine is given with other drugs for more accurate results to lower anxiety levels.

Buspirone

To treat chronic anxiety, usually, this drug is suggested as anti-anxiety medicine. You have to take it continuously for 2 – 3 weeks to eliminate anxiety completely.

2- Psychotherapy

In this treatment, counseling is given to the patient to help them learn how to control their emotions. Some psychologists call it talk therapy. So, a mental health specialist discusses your feelings and emotions and teaches you how to control your emotions and anxiety.

3- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The specialist teaches you how to turn negative and panic thoughts into positive ones in this therapy. And, you will learn ways to face all types of fearful and troublesome situations. In some places, special sessions are organized for families.

Panic Attack vs. Anxiety Attack

Panic Attack

• Panic attacks are more extreme and occur without a cause.
• Most of the time, the symptoms of these attacks occur unexpectedly.
• Their symptoms are worrying, and people want to live alone in these attacks.
• The person calms down after a few minutes.

Anxiety Attack

• This attack occurs due to fear or worry about something.
• The anxiety feeling builds gradually with time.
• Some symptoms of anxiety are mild, and some are severe.
• Some symptoms of anxiety may last for longer periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is caused by anxiety in the brain?

It produces abnormalities in the brain, which are caused by inheritance. It produces gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brain.

What are the five anxiety symptoms?

The five symptoms of anxiety are given below:

1. Feeling difficulty in focusing on something
2. Difficult to control feelings of worry
3. Being short-tempered
4. Having body pain such as headache, muscle pains, and stomach ache
5. Sleep problems

How will I know if I have anxiety?

If your worry and fear are uncontrollable and you are distressed, you are attacked by anxiety. The feeling of fear will affect every activity of your life, like social life, school, or job.

Is anxiety a mental disease?

Anxiety disorder is a mental disease; around 30% of adults get affected by it somewhere in life. However, an anxiety disorder can be controlled with the help of certain medications, and many effective drugs are available to cure it.

What does anxiety in your body?

Anxiety disorder damages your excretory and digestive system; it causes vomiting, stomach pains, irritable bowel, swelling, diarrhea, and so on.

Social Media Handle

For any kind of help regarding the anxiety, you can visit the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/anxietyuk/