What is an anxiety disorder?
Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder affecting millions of people each year. It is a mental health condition where one experiences a mixture of emotions such as worry, fear, and anxiety simultaneously. For instance, if a person experiences severe panic and anxiety due to a traumatic incident, he is most probably suffering from an anxiety disorder. The panic and fear are due to past experiences whereas anxiety is with regard to future events.
Anxiety can be severe and in some cases, it can lead to unconsciousness or even death. The two mental illnesses are also a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. A chemical imbalance in the brain occurs when there is a presence of an indefinite amount of neurotransmitters. It is termed as a serious mental health disorder when the anxiety begins interfering with your daily life activities.
Types of anxiety disorders:
there are 6 types of anxiety disorders:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): When a person experiences anxiety in almost every situation. However, this type of anxiety disorder lasts for 6 months or more.
- Social anxiety: When a person becomes repeatedly anxious in public places. The person will experience panic attacks and severe worry along with fear in most of the public places or situations.
- Phobias: When a person fears an object or a situation such severely that he may go to any extent to avoid it.
- Panic disorder: This type of disorder is experienced when an individual experiences panic attacks along with several physical symptoms such as drowsiness, shortness of breath and chest pain.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder: A person has silly thoughts that are exaggerated (overthinking) and therefore he experiences panic along with severe anxiety.
- Post-traumatic disorder: A person who has been subjected to some traumatic incidents in the past are the ones who experience this disorder. Moreover, the individual experiences flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia along with panic attacks.
What causes an anxiety disorder?
Several factors cause anxiety disorders. The factors include:
- Family history – Anxiety disorders can run in the family.
- Personality factors- One’s personality also influences anxiety. For instance, people who are perfectionists are most likely to suffer from anxiety disorders.
- Other factors that cause anxiety are chemical imbalance in the brain, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, excessive consumption of alcohol, pregnancy and giving birth, traumatic events, family/ relationship issues, and verbal or sexual abuse.
Treatment
There are two types of treatment suggested for anxiety disorders depending on their severity. Some natural treatments are Stay active by regular exercise, Avoid alcohol, Stop smoking, Sleeping well, Yoga & Meditation and having a healthy diet.
The other professional treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and counseling by psychologists.
Comments