Do You Need Anxiety Therapy? How You Know You Have Too Much Anxiety?

 

Your body’s natural response to a stressful situation is anxiety. The crushing feeling of unease, edginess and fear about the outcome of the situation. It can be before an important exam, interview, speech or even a meeting. This is anxiety in a nutshell for you and everyone of us has been through it, lived it and overcome it at some point of time in our lives. But here we aren’t talking about this anxiety which subsides after the situation passes, we are talking about the anxiety that meddles with the normal life of a human being, he might need anxiety medication or even anxiety therapy.

Understanding Anxiety More Profoundly

When the feeling of anxiety is intense, extreme, persistent and most importantly interfering with your normal life then this isn’t the normal anxiety, it’s called the anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are common in women, men and even children. People with anxiety disorders have a looming sensation of fear and worry that keeps getting worse, eventually making them feel drained and debilitating. During an episode of anxiety, a person can feel nauseous, heart rate quickens, blood pressure increases, cold sweats breakout and in extreme cases dizziness. This is also known as panic attacks, which leave a devastating and tormenting effect of the mental and physical health of the individual.

Anxiety disorders can occur in any stage of life, but middle-aged people are more prone to it. In fact, women are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorder than men. Stressful experiences in life, a traumatic accident, any tragedy or an unpleasant experience in life can trigger this disorder sometimes immediately or sometimes over the years when similar kinds of situations or events are repeated. There Are many kinds of anxiety disorders that have diverse solutions like anxiety medication, therapy and even natural supplements. But first of all, we need to understand the different types of anxiety disorder in order to seek appropriate help for it.

Types of Anxiety Disorders  

1.    Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

This is the most common yet chronic anxiety disorder of all. In this kind of disorder, a person worries excessively about insignificant events, situations and objects. People suffering from this disorder anticipate disaster and expect the worst even though the situation isn’t that bad at all.

2.    Phobias

A phobia is an irrational fear of any particular object, living thing or a situation. A phobia is not like other anxiety disorders as it triggers only when the person encounters that specific situation or thing. There are different types of phobias like agoraphobia; fear of leaving the home, claustrophobia; fear of enclosed places, trypophobia; fear of holes, social phobia; fear of meeting people and many others.

3.    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Probably the only anxiety disorders that interfere the most with the normal life of an individual, making that person a nuisance for others around. In OCD a person has a strong obligation of performing certain routines (compulsion) or having uncontrollable thoughts and feelings (Obsessions) that can be distressing. Some common instances are, a strong urge to wash hands over and over again, to keeping things in a certain order all the time or repeatedly checking or counting something.

4.     Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

This kind of anxiety disorder develops after a person witnesses or suffers from a severe physical or emotional shock. The symptoms for this order can come immediately after the trauma or it can be triggered after many years as well.  This disorder commonly occurs after a war, natural disaster, accident, childhood abuse or a physical attack. The flashbacks can cause a person to go in complete seizure unable to move or think straight.

5.    Panic Disorder

In this anxiety order a person suffers from recurrent episodes of panic attacks. A panic attack is severe anxiety that overwhelms a person with intense fear and stress that reaches its peak in mere minutes. Sweating, rapid palpitations, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, fear of death and trembling are common problems that a person goes through while having a panic attack.

Do You Need Anxiety Therapy? 

Anxiety disorders need anxiety therapy, be it by a doctor or any other outer source, but you need help and there is no shame in it. You need to have anxiety therapy when your anxiety is interfering with your work, sleep, and other aspects of life. You are living in the constant fear of the next time you’ll encounter that same feeling and you will not be in a favorable setting. You’re constantly feeling depressed, tired, stressed, lethargic and finding solace in alcohol, drugs or sedatives. You’re having suicidal thoughts and finding the courage to get out of the bed seems like a task. Also, if you think that a physical pain or problem is leading to anxiety attack you must seek anxiety medication.

How can you Treat Anxiety Disorders?  

Once you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder the next step is the seek help from a doctor, in order to formulate a plan to combat it. In some mild cases, changes in lifestyle, having a supportive environment and withdrawing from addictive stuff can cure the disorder but in severe cases anxiety medication or anxiety therapies will work better. The treatment of an anxiety disorder can be done with psychotherapy or medication. Meeting a psychologist or therapist will help you learn ways by which you can face the attack or combat it altogether. Both the patient and the doctor work together to spot the triggers and then develop a plan to cope up with it.

Anxiety medications can be a mix of antidepressants and sedatives that help balance the brain chemicals and make you strong enough to face off the next assault. Stress management, exercises, relaxation techniques, strong support system, counselling and avoiding addictive stuff like alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and caffeine can also help in curbing the frequent anxiety episodes.

Viewpoint   

Anxiety orders can be treated very well and a person with this disorder can lead a happy life. By anxiety medication and therapies one can control the panic attacks and other problems as well. Even though the disorder may not go immediately one can have the courage and support to face it.