Anxiety is a part of normal human life. Everyone experiences some form of anxiety or nervousness when faced with big events such as a job interview or a wedding. Furthermore, small events can also trigger the jitters. Things such as an exam or blind date are just to name a couple.
Anxiety can be a healthy and beneficial thing when at a normal level. It can motivate us to study for that big test or be more cautious and less reckless. Normal anxiety is something that comes and goes without affecting daily life in any significant way. However, for 19 million Americans who suffer from anxiety disorder, these feelings do not come and go and affect their ability to function in daily life.
When Does Anxiety Become a Problem?
In someone with abnormally high levels of anxiety, feelings of dread, worry and fear become part of their everyday lives. These feelings can become more intense and irrational triggered for no reason at all or by some small insignificant event. For these people, anxiety negatively impacts their work or school life, family life as well as their personal habits.
To better understand the difference between normal and abnormal anxiety, let's explore a typical example. Two different people are waiting or a friend to arrive at a restaurant. The person with normal anxiety notices the friend is a half hour late and shrugs it off believing they have been caught in traffic and will arrive shortly. The person with abnormal anxiety will begin to manifest feelings of panic and worry which will escalate into irrational thoughts:
Oh, no. Something happened to my friend. Has she been in a car accident? Should I call the police? Oh, how will her family react to her being in a car accident? Will the injuries be serious?
These are just a few examples f the thoughts that may run through an anxiety suffers mind. These thoughts will be continuous and become more intense even after the friend has arrived.
What Causes Anxiety?
An anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness because it can overwhelm the sufferer with persistent worrisome thoughts and thus be crippling. There are several types of anxiety disorder, but generally a person can be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder after having pervasive feelings of panic, fear, or uneasiness for six months or longer.
There is some dispute as to what causes anxiety disorders, but most researchers agree a person with the disorder is likely genetically predisposed to the condition. Many people with anxiety disorders begin to show symptoms in childhood or adolescence, although adult-onset anxiety is not uncommon. Women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety as men. Anxiety affects all ethnic groups pretty equally.
Just as other mental disorders are affected by a chemical imbalance in the brain, anxiety is thought to have this cause as well. The chemicals Serotonin and GABA are areas of great interest for researchers trying to better understand anxiety. In addition to the chemical imbalance, researchers also believe that outside influences play a major role in affecting anxiety. Factors such as the loss of a job, living in a stressful environment or the death of a loved one can all bring on levels of anxiety.
Treatment
Because of its sensitive physiological nature, anxiety cannot be cured. Not yet.
Anxiety can be managed however with medications and behavioral therapy. Additional methods for managing this disorder also include lifestyle changes including diet and exercise. The first and most important step in managing anxiety is to recognize that a problem exists.
A person who seeks treatment for anxiety has a great chance of living a life that is more normal and fulfilling. - 30437
Anxiety can be a healthy and beneficial thing when at a normal level. It can motivate us to study for that big test or be more cautious and less reckless. Normal anxiety is something that comes and goes without affecting daily life in any significant way. However, for 19 million Americans who suffer from anxiety disorder, these feelings do not come and go and affect their ability to function in daily life.
When Does Anxiety Become a Problem?
In someone with abnormally high levels of anxiety, feelings of dread, worry and fear become part of their everyday lives. These feelings can become more intense and irrational triggered for no reason at all or by some small insignificant event. For these people, anxiety negatively impacts their work or school life, family life as well as their personal habits.
To better understand the difference between normal and abnormal anxiety, let's explore a typical example. Two different people are waiting or a friend to arrive at a restaurant. The person with normal anxiety notices the friend is a half hour late and shrugs it off believing they have been caught in traffic and will arrive shortly. The person with abnormal anxiety will begin to manifest feelings of panic and worry which will escalate into irrational thoughts:
Oh, no. Something happened to my friend. Has she been in a car accident? Should I call the police? Oh, how will her family react to her being in a car accident? Will the injuries be serious?
These are just a few examples f the thoughts that may run through an anxiety suffers mind. These thoughts will be continuous and become more intense even after the friend has arrived.
What Causes Anxiety?
An anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness because it can overwhelm the sufferer with persistent worrisome thoughts and thus be crippling. There are several types of anxiety disorder, but generally a person can be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder after having pervasive feelings of panic, fear, or uneasiness for six months or longer.
There is some dispute as to what causes anxiety disorders, but most researchers agree a person with the disorder is likely genetically predisposed to the condition. Many people with anxiety disorders begin to show symptoms in childhood or adolescence, although adult-onset anxiety is not uncommon. Women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety as men. Anxiety affects all ethnic groups pretty equally.
Just as other mental disorders are affected by a chemical imbalance in the brain, anxiety is thought to have this cause as well. The chemicals Serotonin and GABA are areas of great interest for researchers trying to better understand anxiety. In addition to the chemical imbalance, researchers also believe that outside influences play a major role in affecting anxiety. Factors such as the loss of a job, living in a stressful environment or the death of a loved one can all bring on levels of anxiety.
Treatment
Because of its sensitive physiological nature, anxiety cannot be cured. Not yet.
Anxiety can be managed however with medications and behavioral therapy. Additional methods for managing this disorder also include lifestyle changes including diet and exercise. The first and most important step in managing anxiety is to recognize that a problem exists.
A person who seeks treatment for anxiety has a great chance of living a life that is more normal and fulfilling. - 30437
About the Author:
Funmi Salami is an established writer who loves to share her knowledge about Managing Stress and Anxiety and other information about Anxiety Disorder Drugs on Clivir - the Free learning Community Site.
