Much like depressive disorders, most people can relate to experiencing some of the signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders. Anxiety is an incredibly common emotion for people to deal with at some point in time. Anxiety disorder treatment is accessible to everyone.
Anxiety is generally characterized as an unpleasant feeling of worry, nervousness, discomfort, or unease about a future event or outcome. Anxiety is usually regarding the future where as fear is more immediate and often more direct. While the two do have some similarities and overlap they are markedly different.
Fear is generally an immediate unpleasant feeling in regard to a direct stimulus, like a snake, heights, people, or something else specific and usually present at the moment. Anxiety involves discomfort about the future, it is often not directly present, and can be more vague and subjective. Think of fear like the weather outside right now, and anxiety like the climate.
People have varying levels of anxiety and are triggered by different stimulus. For some people speaking in front of groups is exciting and fun. For others, public speaking is terrifying, intimidating, and can even cause panic attacks. Most people know what stimuli causes anxiety and stress for them and and will often go to great lengths to avoid them,
Every person has some disposition for anxiety. Do you have any friends who are just always anxious and worried? Maybe a test, housing situation, job, or relationship causes them to get even worse. The anxiety and worry controls their entire being, anxiety almost appears to consume their entire existence. How about the opposite, a friend who is care-free that their hair could be on fire and they would barely respond. Everyone’s anxiety levels are different and can vary greatly.
For many people anxiety will almost “flare up” at certain times. Meaning that maybe around finals, a stressful time at work, family issues, or other situations cause their anxiety to be exacerbated. Ever notice when you go on vacation that your anxiety often decreases? Or when summer break rolls around you feel stress free? That is because for most people anxiety is something that is often manageable and circumstantial.
People who have an anxiety disorder diagnosis, while anxiety levels may fluctuate and vary, the anxiety will be present much more. Much like all diagnosable disorders, people who have an anxiety disorder will have greater intensity, frequency, number of symptoms, and duration. Anxiety can be debilitating and those who have an diagnosis will often feel controlled, dominated, and often defined by their anxiety symptoms.
Causes of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders can be developed by a variety of factors. It is likely not a singular reason and is multi-faceted. Generally, people will have a genetic heritability that is impacting the development of the anxiety disorder.
- Genetic Predisposition/DNA/Family History A genetic predisposition is basically the likelihood you develop a trait, this is based off the DNA that your biological parents passed on to you. Other mental health disorders present in a family, like depressive disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorders can also increase the probability of developing an anxiety disorder.
- Chemical Imbalances Having low levels of certain chemicals can help to explain the development of depressive disorders. Low levels of GABA, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine all have shown to impact anxiety disorders. Brain injuries can also be influential.
- Trauma Experiencing a traumatic event can have a drastic impact on mental health. The issues can manifest in a variety of ways, including through increased anxiety and the development of anxiety disorders. Trauma is essentially experiencing an event where a person is physically, mentally, or emotionally harmed or threatened, or witnesses something distressing or disturbing. All people are impacted differently and will have subsequently unique reactions.Until 2013, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was considered to be an anxiety disorder, Post Traumatic disorders are their own category, but really PTSD contains many elements of anxiety.
- Learned Behaviors People do learn negative behaviors that can become patterns. Things like family environment, relationships, drinking, fighting with people, drugs, poor communication, laziness, apathy, and other negative traits can strengthen anxious thoughts. Learning how to cope with anxiety is also very important.
- Conditioning Learning through conditioning means that a stimulus happens and a reaction occurs. If a person asks for help and does not get it, he or she could learn that there is no point in asking for help because it doesn’t matter.
- Negative Experiences Much like learned behaviors and trauma, having a negative experience, like being embarrassed in public, getting bitten by a dog, abuse or neglect, or other hurtful encounters can increase anxiety and worry leading to anxiety.
- Physical Health Finding out a person has a serious illness, injuries, obesity, heart disease, and other forms of illness can all impact anxiety symptoms.
- Drug Use Using a variety of recreational and pharmaceutical drugs can increase anxiety and even lead to the diagnosis of an anxiety disorder. Cocaine, amphetamines, and other stimulants can lead severe issues with anxiety.
Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders
Each specific disorder will have unique symptoms, however, all disorders center around anxiety, worry, and nervousness. Here is an overview of some of the symptoms associated with anxiety disorders:
- Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness
- Excessive worry
- Problems sleeping
- Can’t control your mind or thoughts
- Cold or sweaty hands or feet
- Shortness of breath
- Irrationality
- Heart palpitations
- Not being able to be still and calm
- Dry mouth
- Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
- Nausea
- Chronic indigestion
- Muscle tension
- Self consciousness or self doubt
- Panic atacks
- Lack of control
- Compulsive behaviors
- Dizziness
Anxiety Disorders According to the DSM-5
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
- Selective Mutism
- Phobias
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Substance Abuse/Medication Induced Anxiety Disorder
- Anxiety Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition
Anxiety Disorder Treatments
Like most types of disorders, anxiety disorder treatments options will vary greatly. Here are a few treatment methods
- Talk Therapy. Also called counseling or therapy, this is usually done with a Licensed Professional Counselor or Psychologist. The aim is to talk through problems to hopefully help empower a client to make emotional and behavioral changes that lead to a happier life and minimizing of anxiety symptoms. Types of talk therapy differ greatly.
- Behavioral Modification Often done in conjunction with talk therapy, a person changes their behaviors to change the way they feel. This can include being more active, social, or things like drinking less. The thought is that changes in behavior need to occur for changes in happiness to occur. Making better decisions will usually lead to better feelings. Including, spending time with friends, hobbies, writing, hiking, etc.
- Yoga/Meditation. For thousands of years people have used these two practices to help with both physical and mental health. There is a great amount of support for yoga being helpful for fighting anxiety disorders and stress issues.
- Exercise. Being physically active offers a variety of health benefits, both physical and mental. Some of these are physical, the production of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine all make us feel better, think runner’s high. Also, exercise can build confidence in self, form positive relationships, minimize negative decisions and worry.
- Diet The food that we ingest is what fuels our body and mind. If we constantly feed our brains processed junk, sugars, and bad fats how can it possibly run well? Improving your diet to include more whole foods and healthier options can help mental health functioning.
- Natural Herbs/Supplements/Vitamins A variety of different options exist for those who would like to try to naturally treat an anxiety disorder. Many of these options have been around for thousands of years and a much safer and healthier way to treat depressive disorders without all the incredible risks of psycho-pharmacological options. Check out this website for more information on the specific details. A great, safe, natural way to give your body the chemical boost it may need to help with the symptoms of a depressive disorder.
- Writing/Journaling/Art. Expressing yourself can be a fun and affordable way to help with depressive symptoms. Finding whatever your passion is can help improve your mental health. Trying out different artistic ventures can show immediate and prolonged improvement.
- Breathing techniques. Focusing on breathing, slow, calm, breathing. 3 square breathing. Breathe in for 3 seconds. Hold for 3 seconds. Exhale for 3 seconds.
- Mindfulness. Engaging all your senses and being present in the moment is a great way to help combat anxiety. Being aware of your surroundings, seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting, and hearing intentionally can help minimize racing and anxious thoughts.
- Gratitude. Practicing gratitude is one way to help shift focus from worry onto appreciation. Listing and identifying everything you are grateful for can shift a mindset from negative to positive. When anxiety gets overwhelming, try listing everything you have instead of what you are worried about.
- Spending time with Friends/Family/Dogs/Nature. Changing the people you spend your time with can have a huge impact. Who are you happiest around, makes you feel good about being you? Spend more time with those people. Who is negative, brings you down, and is high maintenance? Minimize time with them.
- Be Productive and Active. Sometimes the hardest part of making changes is getting off the couch. Get things done, they don’t have to be big things, but clean your house, chop wood, do yard work, organize your closet, just do things. And chopping wood helps relieve stress and anger as well!
- Medications. The use of psychopharmacological options should be a last option, only after all other options have been explored. Also, medication alone will not solve all your problems. A person with an anxiety disorder will still likely need improve diet, make behavioral changes, exercise, talk to someone in order for medication to have the best effects. This needs to be done under the care of a licensed psychiatrist or medical doctor. If you are on meds, you should not stop taking them without your doctor. Frequently anti-depressents and anti-anxiety medications will be used, including benzodiazepines like Xanax, Klonopin, or Valium will be used to help a person reduce the symptoms of anxiety.
- Systematic Desensitization is a process aimed to reduce anxiety and fear by using relaxation techniques and a gradual exposure to feared situations or objects. Clients create a list of fears about a specific stimulus and then, using the relaxation and breathing techniques gradually are exposed to those fears.
Anxiety disorder treatment options are available. If you want to overcome stress issues just start trying anything positive and healthy. If it is healthy, safe, and reduces stress it is an anxiety disorder treatment!