Anxiety

Like depression, anxiety is a more common mental health disorder that is generating more and more conversation about the topic. Medline Plus defines it as, “Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat. It can be a normal reaction to stress. For example, you might feel anxious when faced with a difficult problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. It can help you to cope. The anxiety may give you a boost of energy or help you focus. But for people with anxiety disorders, the fear is not temporary and can be overwhelming.” Anxiety is unique in each case in each individual.

Anxiety disorders are conditions of anxiety that persist and do not go away, and can also worsen over time. According to Medline Plus, there are three main types of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and phobias.

GAD is defined as, “People with GAD worry about ordinary issues such as health, money, work, and family. But their worries are excessive, and they have them almost every day for at least 6 months.”

Panic disorder is defined as, “People with panic disorder have panic attacks. These are sudden, repeated periods of intense fear when there is no danger. The attacks come on quickly and can last several minutes or more.”

And finally, phobias is defined as, ” People with phobias have an intense fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. Their fear may be about spiders, flying, going to crowded places, or being in social situations (known as social anxiety).”

Anxiety has unknown reasons for its appearance. It can happen to anybody and does not discriminate.

Symptoms include:

• Anxious thoughts or beliefs that are hard to control. They make you feel restless and tense and interfere with your daily life. They do not go away and can get worse over time.
• Physical symptoms, such as a pounding or rapid heartbeat, unexplained aches and pains, dizziness, and shortness of breath
• Changes in behavior, such as avoiding everyday activities you used to do

Anxiety is diagnosed through a licensed doctor based on your history and symptoms. Treatments include medicine and therapy.

Anxiety can be crippling. It’s important to check in on the close people in your life, you never know who is struggling.