Anxiety As A Normal Part Of Our Lives
Anxiety is a normal way to deal with day to day stress. This is how we are able to effectively deal with tense situations that come up in our lives such as when we have to prepare a presentation for a customer or when we are facing a difficult exam at school. These anxious feelings are normal and help us to focus on the issue at hand but then after we have dealt with the problem the tension and anxiety is gone.
When Anxiety Becomes A Problem
While anxiety is a normal part of daily living and can actually help us to focus on important events or tasks there is another side to anxiety that can prevent many of us from dealing with those events normally. There are some people who worry excessively and sometimes irrationally about everday life events such as work, finances, school and social activities. This worry is exaggerated, unrealistic and puts these sufferers in a constant state of fear and dread. It is when we reach this point that we need to seek help.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
When you find yourself worrying about every little detail of your life and you are anxious over alot of everyday problems that you can’t seem to get over, even though you realize that your level of anxiety is higher than the situation warrants, then you are suffering from generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. Those that suffer with generalized anxiety disorder always have the feeling that something disastrous is going to happen and they can’t do anything to prevent it.
Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD affects the thinking process of a person and can lead to various physical symptoms including irritability, sweating, headaches, restlessness, nausea, difficulty in concentrating, fatigue, trembling, difficulty falling asleep, hot flashes and being easily startled.
The causes of anxiety disorders are not fully known but there are various factors that can contribute to its development. These factors are brain chemistry, genetics and environmental stress. People with a family history of anxiety are more likely to suffer from stress disorders.
GAD has been linked to abnormal levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, these are the chemical messengers passing information between nerve cells, and when they get out of balance the brain does not receive messages properly. This alters the brain’s reaction to certain situations and can cause severe anxiety. Certain unpleasant events such as trauma, divorce, death of a loved one, or job stress may intensify the symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Those suffering from anxiety disorders should seek treatment by a psychologist, psychiatrist, or a mental health professional. These professionals are trained to diagnose and treat any kind of mental illness. Treatment can include the combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and medications.
If the symptoms have started to interfere with daily functioning there are medicines that are available for GAD that can be very helpful. These medicines are also called tranquillizers as they make the person more relaxed and calm by reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people learn to recognize the factors that cause the troubled feelings, and then they are taught to change their thought and behavior patterns to deal with them. The therapy helps by providing a realistic approach towards worries, and limiting the distorted thinking that brings on the stress.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder cannot be prevented, but there are some things that can be done to decrease or better control the symptoms. This includes reducing the consumption of products that contain caffeine such as tea, coffee, chocolate and cola. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any over the counter herbal remedies or medicines, as they may contain the chemicals that increase the anxiety symptoms. Also, a well-balanced diet and regular exercise may help to calm anxiety and stress.
If you have suffered a disturbing or traumatic experience you should seek support and talk to a mental health professional.