• Don’t let anxiety ruin your life.
• Do I have an anxiety disorder?
• Types of anxiety disorders
• What causes anxiety disorders?
• Treatment for anxiety
• Discover ways to tame your anxiety.

Anxiety is a normal emotion that we all experience at points in our lives. Yet sometimes it becomes invasive, debilitating, or even paralyzing. Here is how to distinguish a disorders from a normal response to the situation.

We all feel anxious about the uncertainties of existence. This emotion is normal, and it plays an important role in our capacity to anticipate problems and make judicious decisions. For instance, it is our fear of becoming sick that helps us chose a healthy lifestyle.

For some of us, however, these fears become irrational. It becomes pervasive and impairs our ability to function. We start worrying too much. We lose sleep at night. We feel out of control. Sometimes, it comes without a warning and becomes a panic attack. People around us do not understand what is worrying us. They try to reason with us but it does not calm us down.

Don’t let anxiety ruin your life.

Do I have an anxiety disorder?

How can you know if your anxiety is no longer a normal response to your circumstances? If it comes with intense symptoms that prevent you from fully living your life, you may have a disorder.

Anxiety is considered unhealthy:
– When there is nothing serious to worry about and your anxiety appears exaggerated.
– When it seems that your can’t stop being anxious.
– When your anxiety becomes too intense, overwhelming, paralyzing, or painful.
– When it rules your life.

If you believe you are in one of these situations, you may consider being evaluated by a professional.

Types of anxiety disorders

While excessive anxiety can be characterized by an intensity that impairs our ability to function, it can manifest in many ways. There are many types of disorders and they are given different names depending on what triggers the symptoms.

Panic disorder is defined by the repetition of panic attacks. Because it is difficult to predict when a panic attack will occur, people with this disorder end up constantly dreading the next one, resulting in a fear of being afraid.   

Phobias are all characterized by an excessive fear of objects or situations that are not really dangerous. Any confrontation (real or imagined) with the object or the feared situation causes an intense anxious response, sometimes even a panic attack. However, the symptoms diminishes as soon as the subject feels “safe”.    

Two forms of phobias are distinguished: 

• specific phobias concern a single type of object or simple situation, such as zoophobia – the fear of animals, hemophobia – the fear of blood, or aerophobia – the fear of flying.
• agoraphobia, defined by fear and avoidance of situations where the person will have trouble escaping or finding help such as crowds, department stores, concert halls, or public transport.

Social anxiety disorder is characterized by an intense fear of the gaze and judgment of others. Individuals with social anxiety fear daily activities such as speaking or acting in public. These symptoms are extremely distressing and cannot be confused with simple shyness. 

Generalized anxiety disorder is an almost permanent and lasting concern about various aspects of daily living (risk of accidents or diseases for relatives or oneself, anticipating financial or professional problems, etc.), without the possibility of “reasoning” and controlling these ruminations. These generate a permanent state of both physical and mental tension.   

Having a name for our anxiety is the first step towards relief. The good news is that anxiety disorders are treatable.  

What causes anxiety disorders?

Recent research has framed anxiety disorders as an exaggeration of normal biological functioning. New methods of exploring the body and the brain, such as brain imaging, neurobiology, and genetics, show disturbances in the brain activity of those with anxiety disorders. The brain structures involved in fear appear highly sensitive and easily triggered.  

This heightened sensitivity does not have a single origin. It is partially due to biology and genetics, but may also have psychological causes such as childhood events, education, and experiences that have shaped our personalities. Finally, there are our current stressors, life events, medical conditions, or the effects of substance abuse or withdrawal.  

Symptoms may get better or worse depending on your current circumstances. They may be exacerbated during difficult times and periods of stress, conflict, or illness.

Treatment for anxiety

The main approach to improving the lives of people with an anxiety disorder involves symptom management: learning to accept anxious feelings so that they are no longer obstacles in life. We can learn to tame our anxiety so that we don’t get controlled by it. We can learn techniques to alleviate our symptoms and, little by little, change the way we react to stressful situations.

When symptoms are stronger and more resistant, we can resort to medical treatments. As a basic treatment, antidepressants can act as an emotional filter and are sometimes recommended. Anxiolytic drugs temporarily relieve anxiety but are prone to addiction. The use of drugs, therefore, should be temporary and limited to help relieve symptoms when it is not immediately possible by other non-medicated means. Medications should be associated and later replaced with some form psychotherapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT can help to identify and modify the distorted thought patterns that generate anxious feelings. Relaxation and meditation techniques also help relieve symptoms. CBT and mindfulness meditation have equivalent efficacy to drugs with the advantage of better stability in their effects and prevention of relapse.

Anti anxiety medications are prescribed when it is necessary to relieve symptoms and it is not immediately possible by other non-medicated means. It should not be considered that it is the solution, it is necessary to engage in another treatment which implies a personal commitment like cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBT). Relaxation and meditation techniques also help relieve symptoms. CBT and mindfulness meditation have equivalent efficacy to drugs with the advantage of better stability in their effects. They also prevent relapse.

Discover ways to tame your anxiety.