Turning a Spotlight on Anxiety Disorders
You may be restless at night, tossing and turning in your bed
because of excessive worry. You may find yourself cracking under
pressure, whether when preparing for a test or when you get
ready to report to the boss. But does your uneasiness qualify as
actual anxiety?
We seem to be an angst-ridden society. Television news programs
offer us a long list of worries: from what's in your toddler's
milk to whether your high schooler will graduate with a 4.0
average. It seems at times as if we are a nation of worry warts.
We obsess about crime, the stock market, civil rights, hunger,
AIDs, the SATs, and global warming. You might even nickname your
local newspaper "The Worry Pages."
In order to effectively deal with anxiety, we must first be
able to define it. There are certain recognizable symptoms of
generalized anxiety disorder which you should pay attention to.
For instance, anxiety can be characterized by restlessness, an
inability to relax, shakiness, and tics. You may feel your heart
racing or feel light-headed. Your stomach might seem queasy and
you may experience shortness of breath.
You might seem overwhelmed by a feeling of fear. You might
dread tomorrow because you wonder what disasters will befall
your family. You may experience insomnia, irritability,
impatience, and an inability to concentrate. You may also feel
impatient or on edge.
If any of these symptoms persist for more than a month, you
have probably succumbed to generalized anxiety disorder. Your
anxiety might be so severe that you also experience a phobia.
This is an irrational worry about a situation--a worry so
debilitating that you go out of your way to avoid a certain
object or situation. While you yourself may sense that something
is wrong, you may feel as if you lack the power to do anything
about it. If the fear is severe, it is considered a full-fledged
disorder. While phobias may not always plague those with anxiety
disorders, they may accompany anxiety.
You should know that there are three major types of phobias.
Agoraphobia is a fear of a public place such as a shopping mall
or town square. You may have a fear that you will not be able to
escape the area if you need to. Meanwhile, a social phobia is a
fear of talking with or otherwise interacting with people. You
may fear that you will embarrass yourself in front of a person
or group. A simple phobia is a fear of a particular object or
activity such as dogs, flying, or germs.
Anxiety can also lead to a panic disorder. A panic attack
generally involves racing heart beat, chest pain, dizziness,
perspiration, or a fear of dying. It can be highly debilitating,
preventing an individual from being able to perform work or
another important function. It can seriously curtail one's
social life, causing an individual to become isolated.
There are numerous causes of anxiety. These include stress,
nutritional problems, and chemical imbalances. Treatment most
often comes in the form of prescription drugs such as Clonidine
or Clonazepam. You should be careful, however, to review the
side-effects of such drugs. In some cases, patients might find
themselves to be dependent on the medication.
You might also find that it helps to become part of a support
group. There is a special bond which grows between individuals
who are forced to combat the same demons. You may discover that
you can draw strength from talking with other people who share
the same struggles you do. With such support, you won't feel so
alone. It's comforting to know that there is someone you can
turn to in the midst of your pain.
Anxiety can be a painful and debilitating condition, harming
one's self-image, one's relationship with family members, and
one's ability to perform one's job. It can also lead to panic
attacks, which lead to another set of serious problems.
Fortunately, there has been a great deal of research in recent
years regarding anxiety disorders. With appropriate treatment,
people who suffer from anxiety disorders can learn to function
effectively. However, treatment often involves a great deal of
work and determination. In time, you should be able to ascertain
the most effective methods of treating your condition.