5 Ways to Know You Have Anxiety
anxiety
Anxiety Disorders and Anxiety Attacks
Practise y'all struggle with anxiety? Here's how to recognize the signs, symptoms, and different types of anxiety—and find the relief yous need.

What is feet?
Feet is a normal reaction to danger, the torso's automatic fight-or-flight response that is triggered when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a challenging state of affairs, such as a job interview, exam, or first date. In moderation, anxiety isn't necessarily a bad thing. It can aid you to stay alert and focused, spur y'all to action, and motivate you to solve problems. Merely when anxiety is abiding or overwhelming—when worries and fears interfere with your relationships and daily life—you've likely crossed the line from normal anxiety into the territory of an anxiety disorder.
Since anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions rather than a single disorder, symptoms may vary from person to person. One individual may suffer from intense anxiety attacks that strike without alert, while some other gets panicky at the thought of mingling at a party. Someone else may struggle with a disabling fear of driving, or uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts. All the same another may live in a constant state of tension, worrying well-nigh anything and everything. Just despite their different forms, all feet disorders illicit an intense fear or worry out of proportion to the state of affairs at hand.
While having an anxiety disorder can be disabling, preventing you from living the life you desire, it's of import to know that y'all're non alone. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health bug—and are highly treatable. Once you lot understand your anxiety disorder, there are steps you lot can take to reduce the symptoms and regain control of your life.
Practice I have an anxiety disorder?
If you identify with any of the following seven signs and symptoms, and they just won't go away, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder:
- Are yous constantly tense, worried, or on edge?
- Does your anxiety interfere with your work, schoolhouse, or family responsibilities?
- Are y'all plagued past fears that you know are irrational, but tin't milkshake?
- Do you lot believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren't washed a sure way?
- Do you avoid everyday situations or activities considering they cause you anxiety?
- Practice you lot experience sudden, unexpected attacks of heart-pounding panic?
- Practise you feel like danger and catastrophe are effectually every corner?
Signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders
In addition to the chief symptom of excessive and irrational fear and worry, other common emotional symptoms include:
- Feelings of apprehension or dread.
- Watching for signs of danger.
- Anticipating the worst.
- Trouble concentrating.
- Feeling tense and jumpy.
- Irritability.
- Feeling like your listen's gone blank.
But anxiety is more than just a feeling. As a production of the body'south fight-or-flight response, it as well involves a wide range of physical symptoms, including:
- Pounding centre.
- Sweating.
- Headaches.
- Breadbasket upset.
- Dizziness.
- Frequent urination or diarrhea.
- Shortness of jiff.
- Muscle tension or twitches.
- Shaking or trembling.
- Insomnia.
Because of these concrete symptoms, anxiety sufferers often mistake their disorder for a medical affliction. They may visit many doctors and make numerous trips to the infirmary before their anxiety disorder is finally recognized.
What is an anxiety attack?
Anxiety attacks, also known as panic attacks, are episodes of intense panic or fear. They normally occur suddenly and without warning. Sometimes in that location's an obvious trigger—getting stuck in an elevator, for case, or thinking about the large spoken language y'all have to give—only in other cases, the attacks come up out of the blue.
Anxiety attacks usually peak within 10 minutes, and they rarely last more than than 30 minutes. Merely during that short time, yous may experience terror and then astringent that you feel as if you're about to die or totally lose control. The physical symptoms are themselves so frightening that many people think they're having a heart set on. After an anxiety attack is over, yous may worry about having some other 1, peculiarly in a public place where aid isn't available or y'all can't easily escape.
Feet attack symptoms include:
- Surge of overwhelming panic.
- Feeling of losing control or going crazy.
- Heart palpitations or chest pain.
- Feeling similar you're going to pass out.
- Trouble breathing or choking sensation.
- Hyperventilation.
- Hot flashes or chills.
- Trembling or shaking.
- Nausea or stomach cramps.
- Feeling detached or unreal.
It's important to seek assist if you're starting to avoid sure situations because you lot're afraid of having a panic attack. The truth is that panic attacks are highly treatable. In fact, many people are panic gratuitous within just 5 to 8 handling sessions.
Types of anxiety disorders and their symptoms
Anxiety disorders and closely related conditions include:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
If constant worries and fears distract yous from your day-to-day activities, or you're troubled by a persistent feeling that something bad is going to happen, yous may be suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). People with GAD are chronic worrywarts who feel broken-hearted nearly all of the time, though they may not even know why. GAD oft manifests in physical symptoms like indisposition, tum upset, restlessness, and fatigue.
Panic attacks and panic disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by repeated, unexpected panic attacks, equally well as fear of experiencing some other episode. Agoraphobia, the fear of being somewhere where escape or help would be hard in the event of a panic attack, may too accompany a panic disorder. If yous have agoraphobia, you are likely to avoid public places such as shopping malls, or confined spaces such as an plane.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted thoughts or behaviors that seem impossible to end or control. If you have OCD, you may feel troubled by obsessions, such as a recurring worry that you forgot to plough off the oven or that you might injure someone. You may also endure from uncontrollable compulsions, such as washing your hands over and over.
Hoarding disorder
Hoarding disorder is a chronic difficulty discarding possessions, accompanied by a dysfunctional zipper to even worthless items. Information technology can pb to excessive accumulation of possessions (or animals) and a chaotic living space. You may aspect emotion to inanimate objects, have a stiff sentimental attachment to items, or see the utilise in any object. These beliefs can make discarding items overwhelm you with feelings of anxiety, guilt, or sadness.
Phobias and irrational fears
A phobia is an unrealistic or exaggerated fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that in reality presents niggling to no danger. Common phobias include fear of animals (such every bit snakes and spiders), fear of flying, and fear of needles. In the case of a astringent phobia, you might go to extreme lengths to avoid the object of your fear. Unfortunately, avoidance only strengthens the phobia.
Social anxiety disorder
If yous have a debilitating fear of beingness viewed negatively by others and humiliated in public, you may accept social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia. It can be thought of as extreme shyness and in severe cases, social situations are avoided birthday. Performance anxiety (better known as stage fright) is the most common type of social phobia.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Mail-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an extreme anxiety disorder that tin can occur in the aftermath of a traumatic or life-threatening event. PTSD can be thought of as a panic attack that rarely, if ever, lets upwards. Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks or nightmares about the incident, hypervigilance, startling easily, withdrawing from others, and avoiding situations that remind yous of the event.
Separation anxiety disorder
While separation feet is a normal stage of development, if anxieties intensify or are persistent plenty to get in the way of schoolhouse or other activities, your kid may have separation anxiety disorder. They may become agitated at just the idea of being abroad from mom or dad and mutter of sickness to avoid playing with friends or going to school.
Self-help for anxiety
Not anybody who worries a lot has an anxiety disorder. You may feel anxious considering of an overly demanding schedule, lack of do or sleep, pressure level at home or work, or even from too much caffeine. The bottom line is that if your lifestyle is unhealthy and stressful, you lot're more than likely to experience anxious—whether or not yous really have an anxiety disorder.
These tips tin can help to lower anxiety and manage symptoms of a disorder:
Connect with others. Loneliness and isolation can trigger or worsen anxiety, while talking virtually your worries face to face can often make them seem less overwhelming. Make it a point to regularly see up with friends, bring together a self-aid or support grouping, or share your worries and concerns with a trusted loved i. If you don't have anyone you tin reach out to, it's never too tardily to build new friendships and a support network.
Manage stress. If your stress levels are through the roof, stress management can aid. Look at your responsibilities and see if there are whatever yous tin give up, plough down, or delegate to others.
Practice relaxation techniques. When expert regularly relaxation techniques such every bit mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing can reduce feet symptoms and increase feelings of relaxation and emotional well-beingness.
Exercise regularly. Exercise is a natural stress buster and feet reliever. To reach the maximum benefit, aim for at least xxx minutes of aerobic do on most days (broken up into short periods if that'due south easier). Rhythmic activities that crave moving both your artillery and legs are particularly constructive. Attempt walking, running, pond, martial arts, or dancing.
Get plenty sleep. A lack of sleep can exacerbate anxious thoughts and feelings, so attempt to get 7 to nine hours of quality sleep a night.
Be smart about caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Caffeine and booze can make anxiety worse. And while it may seem like cigarettes are calming, nicotine is actually a powerful stimulant that leads to higher, non lower, levels of anxiety. For help boot the habit, see How to Quit Smoking.
Put a terminate to chronic worrying. Worrying is a mental habit you can larn how to break. Strategies such as creating a worry period, challenging broken-hearted thoughts, and learning to accept uncertainty tin significantly reduce worry and calm your anxious thoughts.
When to seek professional help
While self-help coping strategies can be very effective, if your worries, fears, or anxiety attacks have become so groovy that they're causing extreme distress or disrupting your daily routine, it'south of import to seek professional person help.
If you're experiencing a lot of concrete symptoms, you should start by getting a medical checkup. Your dr. can check to make certain that your anxiety isn't caused past a medical condition, such as a thyroid problem, hypoglycemia, or asthma. Since sure drugs and supplements tin can cause anxiety, your doctor will also want to know about any prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, herbal remedies, and recreational drugs you lot're taking.
If your doc rules out a medical crusade, the adjacent pace is to consult with a therapist who has experience treating feet disorders. The therapist volition work with you lot to determine the cause and type of your disorder and devise a course of treatment.
Treatment
Anxiety disorders reply very well to therapy—and ofttimes in a relatively short amount of fourth dimension. The specific treatment arroyo depends on the type of anxiety disorder and its severity. Just in general, nigh are treated with therapy, medication, or some combination of the ii. Cerebral-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy are types of behavioral therapy, significant they focus on behavior rather than on underlying psychological conflicts or bug from the past. They tin assistance with problems such as panic attacks, generalized anxiety, and phobias.
Cognitive-behavior therapy helps you identify and claiming the negative thinking patterns and irrational beliefs that fuel your anxiety.
Exposure therapy encourages you to confront your fears and anxieties in a safe, controlled environment. Through gradual exposure to the feared object or situation, either in your imagination or in reality, you gain a greater sense of control. As you confront your fear without being harmed, your anxiety will diminish.
Medication
If you accept anxiety that'due south severe plenty to interfere with your ability to function, medication may assist relieve some symptoms. However, anxiety medications can exist habit forming and cause unwanted or even unsafe side furnishings, so exist sure to research your options carefully. Many people use anti-anxiety medication when therapy, exercise, or cocky-help strategies would work just equally well or better—minus the side effects and rubber concerns. It's of import to weigh the benefits and risks of medication so you tin can make an informed decision.
Source: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/anxiety-disorders-and-anxiety-attacks.htm
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