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Having An Anxiety Disorder
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For most people, anxiety is a protective response to stress-inducing situations. For the other quarter of the population (as stated above), it is out of control.
A faulty thought process brings about excessive worry and fear. It is persistent and irrational. It most often flares up at times of high stress. Like hypertension, diabetes or depression, it is a medical condition.
Anxiety Disorders
The six main types are listed below. They all have their own characteristics. But, they all share the theme of excessive irrational fear.
· Generalized Anxiety Disorder – excessive worry over simple everyday occurrences.
· Social Anxiety Disorder – worry brought about by the perception of how one is evaluated socially.
· Panic Disorder – recurring episodes of acute fear (panic attack) and the changes brought about to one’s personality as a result.
· Phobias – reacting with severe unreasonable fear towards normal objects or situations.
· Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – a collection of symptoms caused by a previous traumatic event.
· Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – a combination of excessive thoughts and the acting out of those thoughts so as to reduce tension.
Excessive anxiety is often accompanied by physical symptoms. These include but are not limited to; insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, persistent pain, chest pain with or without palpitations, headache, sweating or flushing, multiple physical symptoms for which no medical explanation can be found (weakness, dizziness, fatigue, restlessness, fainting spells, tingling in the extremities).
There are many physical conditions that can either aggravate or make you more vulnerable to panic and fear. These conditions include high blood pressure, mitral valve prolapse, hyper/hypothyroidism, asthma, seizures, adrenal exhaustion, candidiasis, body toxicity, premenstrual syndrome, hypoglycemia and food allergies. Even heavy caffeine, alcohol and drug consumption can cause symptoms.
Anxiety disorder is not a black and white condition. Its symptoms, causes and treatments can be complex. The first step is to realize that you are suffering from this condition and need help. You and your doctor can decide what treatment is best.
Traditional treatments include therapy and antidepressants. The most effective form of therapy for is cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy attempts to transform the thoughts and feelings associated with irrational fear. This in turn changes the behavior associated with the fearful thoughts.
Many natural treatments work very well to curb fear and worry. Herbal remedies including chamomile, kava, passionflower, valerian and St. John’s Wort. I drink chamomile tea before bed and it really relaxes me for sleep. Nutritional supplements including B vitamins, calcium, vitamin C, amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids are all great for helping to combat the effects of stress and neurological functioning.
Holistic healing techniques such as massage, reiki, EFT and many more do wonders for relaxation and regaining a sense of peace. Meditation techniques , visualization and even self hypnosis can turn around those fearful thoughts into more realistic thinking.
There have been many great books written about anxiety disorders. A good place to start would be your local library. The more informed you are the better patient or caregiver you can be.
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