adminReoyce Muzanenhamo
Health Matters
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and it alerts you of potential danger. Anxiety is also normal in situations like public speaking and when taking a test. It can be an indicator of an underlying condition when the feelings become excessive and interfere with activities of daily living.
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental illnesses that cause constant and overwhelming anxiety and fear. These disorders can make you avoid work, school or family activities that may trigger symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders
Signs and symptoms differ according to type of anxiety disorder that you have but the most common are as follows;
Panic, fear, uneasiness, Feelings of panic, doom or danger, Sleep problems, Not able to stay calm and still, Cold, sweaty, numb or tingling hands and feet, Shortness of breath, Hyperventilation, Palpitations , Tense muscles, Dizziness, Lack of concentration, Obsessively avoiding feared objects or places.
Causes and risk factors of anxiety disorders
A complex mix of things play a role and who gets and who does not suffer from anxiety disorders but most common causes are as follows;
Genetics — anxiety disorders runs in the family.
Brain chemistry — anxiety disorders are linked to faulty circuits in the brain that control fear and emotions.
Environmental stress — stressful events you have seen or experienced may also have an impact in anxiety disorders. Such events may be death or loss of a loved one, childhood abuse and neglector seeing violence.
Drug abuse or withdrawal — anxiety disorders often goes hand in hand with alcohol and substance abuse and withdrawal from certain drugs may also trigger anxiety disorders.
Medical conditions — some medical conditions such as lung, thyroid and some heart conditions may cause symptoms similar to anxiety disorders or make them worse.
History of mental health disorder — having a mental health disorder such as depression also raises your risk for anxiety disorder.
Childhood abuse — physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect during childhood is linked to anxiety disorders later in life.
Trauma — living through a traumatic event increases the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and this can cause panic attacks.
Severe illness or chronic diseases — constant worry about your health can make you feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Being shy as a child — shyness and withdrawal from unfamiliar people and places during childhood can lead to social anxiety in teenage and adulthood.
Low self-esteem — having negative perceptions about yourself may cause social anxiety disorder.
Types of anxiety disorders
There are several types of anxiety disorders but the most common ones are as follows;
Generalised anxiety disorder — this is the most common type and is characterised by excessive, unrealistic worry and tension with little or no reason. This one affects your daily activities like work, energy, concentration and sleep.
Panic disorder — this is when you experience regular panic attacks with no particular trigger. You break out in a sweat, have chest pain, palpitations and sometimes you feel like you are choking.
Social anxiety disorder — is also known as social phobia. It is normal to worry about social performance or situations but in this case you will have an intense fear of social situations. Such situations include public speaking, dating, eating or drinking in public. You obsessively worry about others judging you or being embarrassed.
Specific phobias — these develop when a person has heightened feelings of danger towards a situation, object, feeling or animal. The fear goes beyond what is appropriate and may cause you to avoid ordinary situations.
Selective mutism — is a type of anxiety in which young children who talk normally their family do not speak in public. For example, at school.
Separation anxiety — you feel anxious when a person you are close to leaves your sight. You always worry that something bad might happen to them.
Obsessive compulsive disorder — these are excessive thoughts that lead to repetitive behaviors. Examples include, checking doors repeatedly to make sure they are locked, hand-washing until your skin becomes raw, arranging your canned goods to face the same as well as checking the stove repeatedly to make sure its off.
Diagnosis and treatment
A mental health assessment is carried out by a psychiatrist or a psychologist. They ask questions and use tools to find out if you have anxiety disorders.
Treatment is aimed at reducing and managing symptoms and include medication, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Rejoyce Muzanenhamo/0777595174/[email protected]
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