Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States.  An estimated 40 million adults in the United States have an anxiety disorder.  This does not include teenagers and children who suffer from this disorder.  

There are different types of anxiety disorders with different symptoms.  However, all anxiety disorders have one thing in common: persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threatening.  People can experience one or more of the following symptoms:

Emotional symptoms:

• Feelings of apprehension or dread

• Feeling tense and jumpy

• Restlessness or irritability

• Anticipating the worst

Physical symptoms:

• Pounding or racing heart and shortness of breath

• Upset stomach

• Sweating, tremors and twitches

• Headaches, fatigue and insomnia

• Upset stomach, frequent urination or diarrhea

Below are different types of anxiety disorders including:  

Panic Attacks

The feelings of a panic attack have similar symptoms to a heart attack.  A panic attack can have symptoms such as chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath and stomach upset.  Many people will go to desperate measures to avoid having an attack, including social isolation or avoiding going to specific places.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The feelings with disorder are chronic, exaggerated worrying about everyday life.  This can consume hours each day, making it hard to concentrate or finish routine daily tasks.  This can cause you to be exhausted by worrying and may experience headaches, tension or nausea.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Unlike shyness, this disorder causes intense fear about social humiliation–“saying something stupid,” or “not knowing what to say.”  Someone with social anxiety disorder may not take part in conversations, contribute to class discussions, or offer their ideas, and may become isolated.

Causes of these anxiety disorders can be genetic and/or stressful/traumatic events such as abuse, death of a loved one, violence or prolonged illness.

The physical symptoms of an anxiety disorder can be easily confused with other medical conditions like heart disease or hyperthyroidism.  Therefore, a doctor will likely perform an evaluation involving a physical examination, an interview and lab tests. After ruling out a medical illness, the doctor may recommend a person see a psychiatrist to make a diagnosis.  A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in mental health disorders and can prescribe medications if needed.

As each anxiety disorder has a different set of symptoms, the types of treatment that physician may suggest can vary as well.  But there are common types of treatment that are used such as counseling, medications and/or learning relaxation techniques.

I pray this provides good information in understanding one area of mental health issues.