Identifying And Managing Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a perfectly normal emotion for your body to experience. Anxiety is the way in which your brain and body react to potential danger as a way to warn you of said danger. However, while occasional moments of anxiousness can be beneficial for us, anxiety disorders cause the sufferer to experience frequent long-term periods of overwhelming panic and fear to the point where the sufferer cannot engage with the rest of the world.

Anxiety disorders are also much more common than you may think, with as many as one in four people across the United Kingdom suffering from an anxiety-related mental health disorder according to studies. When it comes to identifying and managing anxiety disorders it is important to understand as much as you can about them. Knowledge of severe anxiety disorders will help you to manage your own anxiety better.

 

What Are The Types Of Anxiety Disorders?

There are many forms that anxiety disorders can take. One of the most common of these is a generalised anxiety disorder. This is where you will feel a palpable sense of worry and tension in your daily life with no tangible reason behind it. This can be quite similar to social anxiety disorder, which is where you will experience an overt sense of worry and self-consciousness in regard to social engagements or places. Your worry will often take the form of convincing yourself that others are mocking you or planning to do something horrible to you when this is not the case.

Panic disorders will mean that you often experience very sudden, overwhelming feelings of fear — often called panic attacks. Panic attacks can range from mild to severe and have very serious physical side-effects that you may experience. These side-effects may include the likes of excessive sweating, chest pains, and heart palpitations. They can often make you feel as though you are suffering from a heart attack.

Phobias can also be a form of anxiety disorder. A phobia is when the fear you experience when confronted with a specific item, thing, or experience far exceeds the normal amount of fear you should be experiencing. One of the most common phobias which are associated with anxiety disorders is agoraphobia. Broadly speaking, agoraphobia is where you become scared of visiting almost all places outside of your home where you may feel that you cannot escape. This is a complex illness and is best to be treated with a professional therapist.

 

The Signs And Symptoms Of Anxiety Disorders

While a lot of people will boil anxiety disorders down to a simple sense of “worry,” they are complex disorders. As such, you need to be aware of the various side effects that anxiety disorders can cause you to present with. These include the likes of:

  • Sudden, unsubstantiated feelings of dread, panic, or danger.
  • Inability to sleep properly.
  • Finding it difficult to remain calm and still.
  • Shortness of breath, either in bouts or long-term.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Clammy palms, or a tingling sensation in your hands and feet.
  • Frequent nausea.
  • Constantly tensed muscles, even when sat at rest.
  • Bouts of dizziness.
  • Finding yourself to be dwelling on past mistakes over and over again, with an inability to stop these thoughts.
  • Becoming obsessed and scared of specific events, places, or objects that you should have no reason to be scared of.

If you are worried that you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, and some of the above symptoms resonate with you, then do not delay in getting treatment. Step 1 Recovery can help you.

 

Anxiety Disorder Treatments

There are many ways that you can receive treatment for an anxiety disorder, as well as ways to manage the symptoms for the long term. When you reach out to a specialist about your anxiety, they will often perform a psychiatric evaluation which will inform the form that your treatment takes.

Medication is one of the most common forms of treatment for anxiety disorders. Each of the medications that you may receive will have pros and cons, which will be taken into account by your doctor and therapist. One of the first medications that people receive is often antidepressants. While modern antidepressants can calm your overactive brain, they can also have some negative side effects for some individuals. If this is the case, you may be switched to a course of Buproprion, Benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, or antipsychotics.

Psychotherapy, however, is one of the most effective ways to treat an anxiety disorder. At a professional mental health treatment centre, you will likely undergo one-to-one talking therapies which will get to the root cause of your anxiety disorder. Once you understand more about the disorder you are suffering from, you will be able to manage it better. Some of the most effective examples of therapies that achieve this are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT).

 

Where To Get Help Managing Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Fortunately, there are many places and treatment centres where you are able to receive treatment for anxiety disorders. By calling Step 1 Recovery on (0) 800 012 6006, you will be able to be referred to the treatment centre best suited for you.

With a combination of psychotherapy, lifestyle analysis, medical support, and assistance with personal issues, you will be able to manage your anxiety symptoms for the long term.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How to treat anxiety disorders?
The best way to treat anxiety disorders is through a combination of therapies and treatments. The most effective treatment plans will implement a physiotherapy aspect, a medication element, as well as teaching you how to live your day-to-day life healthier.

How to help a family member who is struggling with anxiety?
Anxiety disorders, as mentioned previously, are very complex illnesses. The best way that you can help a family member who is struggling with anxiety, is to try and get them to accept professional help. Do not force them into treatment, but try to calmly assure them that it is the best option.

Can you fully recover from anxiety disorders?
There is some debate on this subject. However, through proper behavioural therapy and lifestyle coaching, it is possible to live a life that is filled with happiness, positivity, and not a shred of anxiety. The key is managing your anxiety to the point where keeping your anxiety at bay is second nature, leaving you free to live life to the fullest.

 
Source
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/