How Fear And Anxiety Go Hand in Hand
Anxiety is a mental state in which you worry excessively and experience a feeling of nervousness. It can be brought on by many different factors and usually leads to anxiety and panic attacks.
Anxiety can create tremendous emotional and physical problems. With it usually comes attacks, which make you feel like you can’t breathe. You might feel as though your throat has swollen and the air passage is closing. Some people feel lightheaded and dizzy, too. Overall, a feeling of loss of control overwhelms those who suffer with anxiety.
Fear plays a huge role in all this. In fact, fear can probably be pinpointed as the starting point of worry and anxiety.
The most common way fear worms its way into your mind is by playing the “What if…?” game. You might have a thought, then think, ‘What if…?’ These what if statements end up turning into huge, drawn-out thought processes that leave you feeling helpless and out of control.
It is important when you are fighting anxiety to remember that you are in control of your mind. You must calm yourself into a relaxed state of mind so that you do not trigger those what if thoughts again. You must learn to relax and ignore those hypothetical questions.
When you allow your fears to take control of your mind, anxiety kicks in worse than ever. It will plague your mind and body like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. Take charge of your mind and throw fear out the window.
Is Anxiety Controlling Your Life?
Word Web defines anxiety as a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic. Anxiety causes you to worry about things that could never even happen.
One of the main issues regarding anxiety is the fact that it so easily consumes a person’s life. In very little time, anxiety attacks can cause a person to feel out of control, crazy even. With symptoms like sweating, nervousness, nausea and tension, breathlessness, and anxiety can make you feel as though you might even die.
Many people who suffer from anxiety are ashamed of how they feel. They think that something really terrible must be wrong with them, for them to experience such horrible things. They are often afraid to tell their doctor, for fear they may be hospitalized in a mental institution.
Those suffering from severe anxiety may feel like it will never end. Many become hermits, as they stay indoors to hide from the public because they are afraid their secret will come out if they are around others. In fact, some may even experience feelings of paranoia as well.
If any of these symptoms discussed within this article sound like something that you have been experiencing, there is hope for you. Don’t allow anxiety to take control of your life. If you have been feeling like you can’t be around other people, or that you can’t leave the house, your anxiety could be more severe. Make an appointment to see your physician as soon as possible, to discuss potential medication to help your situation.
Coping With Anxiety
Wikipedia defines anxiety as a physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. Furthermore, Wikipedia says that these components combine to create the feelings that we typically recognize as fear, apprehension, or worry.
The leading cause of anxiety is stress. Stress can be brought on by many different things, including such thing as: family problems, work problems, financial difficulties. Now that we have a clear definition of what anxiety is and what causes it, let’s take a look at some simple coping methods for anxiety.
1. Get more sleep every night. Losing any amount of sleep can take a toll on your body and mind. It can also play a huge role in raising your stress levels because lack of sleep causes you to be even more irritable and nervous.
2. Drink plenty of water. Believe it or not, drinking water can help you tremendously if you are dealing with anxiety. If your body gets dehydrated, it can lead to even more stress and anxiety.
3. Add a dash of humor to your life. Buy a joke book, read the daily comics in the newspaper, or call up a funny friend and ask for a good joke. When you start feeling an anxiety attack coming on, lighten the mood with a smile.
4. Go for a massage. Sometimes you need to treat yourself to a little relaxation therapy. If you don’t like the idea of another person giving you a full-body rub-down, go for a water massage instead.
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common types of anxiety disorders that affects people. [1]It is the source of extreme and unwarranted worry. Those who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder often feel anxious and worried, almost at all times. It is an insufferable illness to those it plagues.
Signs and symptoms associated with generalized anxiety disorder encompass a wide variety of things. Some patients experience feelings of restlessness and irritability. Others feel like they can’t breathe or swallow and have trouble sleeping.
In addition to these psychological symptoms, many patients suffer from physical symptoms as well, like upset stomach, diarrhea or terrible headaches. For most, these symptoms are what bring them to the doctor to begin with.
Generalized anxiety disorder makes you feel on edge all the time. Even during the times when you don’t feel the major effects (like breathlessness or tension), you may still feel a nagging sense of anxiety.
Most patients who are diagnosed with this type of anxiety disorder are treated with medications. Certain types of anti-anxiety and –depression medications available today, like Zoloft, Paxil, and Lexipro can halt the onslaught of anxiety. These medications have a high success rate during treatment of patients with generalized anxiety disorder.
In extreme cases, psychotherapy treatment is used. Patients who have greater tendencies towards negative thought patterns and behaviors are often greater candidates for psychotherapy treatment.
If you have experienced any of the mentioned symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, consult your physician for proper diagnosis and treatment.
[1] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/generalized-anxiety-disorder/DS00502
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