WHAT IS ANXIETY DISORDER AND HOW TO TREAT IT?
Do you feel scared and anxious most of the time?
Are your worries difficult to control that they affect your day-to-day?
If you have answered yes to both the above, you may be experiencing a condition known as anxiety disorder.
What Is Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that affects your day-to-day activities and decision-making power due to excessive anxiety and worry. Most people will experience anxiety when faced with certain situations, for example, before an important test or a job interview, making important life-decisions, thinking about the unknown, etc. However, if you show excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events, including ordinary, routine tasks, and can’t seem to be able to control those emotions to a point where you are finding it difficult to get through your day, keep reading on to find out how to go about it!
Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder?
People experiencing anxiety may have a range of different symptoms. Here are some common symptoms of anxiety:
Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
Frequent feelings of danger, panic, or dread.
Increased heart rate
Difficulty breathing or hyperventilation.
Heavy sweating
Feeling nervous and scared of something.
Weakness or lethargic feeling
Being easily fatigued
Sleeplessness or difficulty sleeping peacefully.
Indigestion or gastrointestinal problems
Inability to concentrate or mind going blank
Irritability
Muscle tension
If you are facing three or more of the above-mentioned symptoms of anxiety, it is time you seek help from professionals to explore and identify the root causes.
Types of Anxiety Disorder
There are five major types of anxiety disorder:
1.Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
People suffering from GAD feel worried and scared about most of the situations in their daily life without any triggering reason. They often forget when they felt relaxed last and fail to control their feelings.
2.Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
People suffering from OCD face recurrent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) which result in uncontrolled repetitive actions. These repetitive actions (compulsions) such as, washing hands, cleaning, counting, or checking are performed in hope of reducing unwanted thoughts, but the relief is temporary. Moreover, if the patient does not perform such repetitive actions, anxiety increases.
3.Panic Disorder
In panic disorder, patients experience sudden episodes of inconsolable fear along with some physical symptoms such as heart palpitation, sweating, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and others. There is no apparent reason for such attacks and can be repeated at any time.
4.Social Anxiety Disorder
Also known as social phobia, people suffering from social anxiety disorder face overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Social anxiety disorder can be limited to only one type of situation - they may be scared of speaking, eating, or drinking in front of others. Sometimes the phobia is so extreme that people start feeling scared whenever they are around other people.
5.Post Traumatic Disorder (PTSD)
People who have been exposed or survived a dangerous or life-threatening situation may experience PTSD. They may have flashbacks or dreams of a traumatic experience or being in a similar situation will give them a serious panic attack. Officers who have been in a combat are advice to see a therapist of PTSD to avoid PTSD.
Treatment for Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorder is a treatable mental condition. It is advised that if you are experiencing anxiety symptoms that are affecting your daily life, you should consult a mental health professional. The healthcare provider will first assess your condition and any cause of anxiety and then prescribe a suitable course of action. Medication and anxiety counseling are two common treatment plans for anxiety disorders.
Medications (antidepressants, beta-blockers, and anti-anxiety medicines) are usually prescribed to anxiety disorder patients. These medicines do not cure the disorder but help significantly reduce the symptoms and make the patient’s life easy.
Anxiety counseling, on the other hand, helps you deal with your thoughts and emotional reactions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy are common anxiety counseling methods. CBT helps identify troublesome thought patterns and change them.
Exposure therapy exposes the patient's situation and conditions that trigger the anxiety. Over a period, with systematic techniques and controlled exposure, the patient gains control over their thoughts and fears. Therapist of PTSD often use this technique for PTST treatment.
How Can We Help?
At Soul Space, our therapists provide you with a safe space while you express yourself, or if you are in the process of finding your own voice because you matter. Our team of experienced and qualified mental health specialists believes that empathy, compassion, and respect are essential components of mental health treatment as you share your innermost thoughts and feeling without being judged. Each individual is unique with their own life journey. At Soul Space, we honor your experiences, personality, attitude, perspectives, basically anything that makes you, YOU. We personalize the approach we use when working with you based on your concerns and needs. Feel free to book an appointment and let us help you find the tools you need to make real and lasting change.