Suffering from anxiety is something a lot of Americans have experienced. Many of us at one time or another will suffer from a form of anxiety. It is how we deal with this anxiety that contributes to whether it is something that will affect us long-term. At one time or another, we will all feel anxious about something, expecting a large bill that we can’t afford, or whether the weather will be nice enough to go out tomorrow. These are natural anxieties, and we all face them.
People who suffer from anxiety long-term become anxious about trivial things that under normal circumstances would not bother them. This could be as small as going to the grocery store – they worry about who they will see, what they will do when they get there, etc.
These all seem like things that shouldn’t worry us; however, when you suffer from an anxiety disorder, they are all things that become extremely important. Some people’s anxiety becomes bad enough that it hurts their day-to-day lives. It is hard to list the exact symptoms that could be experienced by someone who is suffering from an anxiety disorder, simply because there are so many different types of anxiety that people can suffer from.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
- Phobias – Phobias are a fear of something, usually way out of proportion to the real danger that they face. For example, being scared of a spider, even though you know a small spider cannot harm you at all. Although phobias are common and people live with them every day, if they are so extreme that they affect your everyday life, then they are classed as an anxiety disorder.
- Social Phobia – Social phobias are actually more common than we realize. One form of this type of phobia could be severe anxiety when having to speak out loud in pubic – i.e., giving presentations at work.
- Agoraphobia – This is another common phobia, but affects people in different extremes. While many people are wary of entering new places or unknown situations, someone suffering from agoraphobia would probably experience a panic attack if they tried to do this.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – OCD is the compulsion to do recurring tasks. This could be anything from saying things in a certain order or washing your hands several times a day. Often, OCD starts small, but the number of tasks a person has to do to feel safe often increases over time. People with OCD often feel like they need to act out these compulsions, or bad things will happen.
- Panic disorder – Simply put, this is when you live your life being in fear of being in fear. It often triggers panic attacks because you start to worry that something bad might happen.
These are just a few of the common anxiety problems that many adults throughout the United States suffer from daily.
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety symptoms vary from disorder to disorder. Each of them leaves you with an anxious feeling, however, they can also leave you with a range of physical symptoms indicated below:
- discomfort in your abdomen
- very dry mouth
- upset stomach
- shortness of breath
- pain in the chest
- dizziness
- needing to go to the bathroom more often.
It is not just physiological symptoms that you will encounter. You can find that you also suffer from:
- difficulty sleeping
- general feeling of being worried all the time
- irritability and being on edge
- unable to concentrate
- fatigue
Anxiety disorders vary largely from person to person, and therefore, the way that they are treated will be different for everyone.
Popular Treatments For Anxiety
- Self-help – Using relaxation techniques and exercise to help you stay calm. Your doctor can help teach you the best methods you can use to do this; many of them you can implement from your own home.
- Seeking Help – Your doctor could also help provide you with recommended help lines and websites that you can use, whereby you can talk to people in similar situations for help, advice, and support.
- Counseling – Speaking to a trained professional. They can help you realize what makes you anxious and help you understand the reasons why you do not need to be anxious.
- Medication – Although medication is an extreme measure, it can sometimes be used to help a person overcome their ongoing anxiety problems.
Medications that may be prescribed include:
- Beta Blockers – These tablets can help relieve some of the physical symptoms that you may be feeling. They don’t treat the anxiety as such, but will treat the other symptoms that anxiety causes.
- Tranquillizers – These can help in the short term, however, are rarely used as a long-term solution as they are highly addictive. Tablets such as benzodiazepines can help the sufferer stay calm in situations where they would usually become anxious.
- Antidepressants – Although these are not right for everybody, they are commonly used to treat anxiety disorders such as social phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety brought on by depression.
Anxiety symptoms do vary from person to person, but the good news is that they are treatable. If you feel anxious over things you would not normally, then it is wise to seek advice from your doctor. They can help you go through treatment options and help you decide on your best treatment plan for anxiety.
When Anxiety Becomes an Emergency
The idea of anxiety being an emergency might sound odd, but bear with us. While it isn't an emergency in the same way that a burst appendix is, there are some scenarios where you need to act fast to deal with it. One example is if your anxiety is stopping you from being able to carry out necessary tasks for your well-being. This can include eating, practicing good hygiene, going to work, or drinking. It might sound odd that anxiety could stop a person from doing this, but extreme iterations of anxiety can cause these issues.
Another example is if your anxiety causes you to feel suicidal. Suicide often comes from a desire to escape pain; in this case, it comes from the desire to free oneself from the difficulties of living with severe anxiety. Suicide is not the right treatment for anxiety. There is always another answer, even if it feels like you've tried everything else.
If you're feeling suicidal, seek help immediately. Go to the hospital and tell them you are suicidal; they will get you checked into an inpatient facility for help. Or, call your therapist and talk to them. Suicide hotlines are also a good option. Anything you can do to seek help is a good idea. Don't turn to alcohol or other substances; they are not the answer. Therapy, prescribed medication, and other professional forms of treatment can help you get past this.
The content of this article should not be taken as professional medical advice. Always consult a medical professional before making any decisions that affect your health.
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