“Anxiety.” The word has become common in today’s society. You may hear your co-worker say he’s experiencing anxiety around a presentation he has to give, or your older children talking about the anxiety they are feeling about an upcoming exam.
Anxiety has actually become one of the most common health problems in Australia. Approximately 1.3 million adult Australians (12% women and 7.1% men) are affected by anxiety disorders during a 12-month period.
But what is anxiety, and how does it manifest in everyday life?
Anxiety is defined as “painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill / fearful concern or interest.” Of course, most of us have experienced anxiety before, as a common response to stressful environments or situations. Luckily, these feelings generally subside when the situation or stressors are removed.
However, an anxiety disorder develops when negative feelings of stress, worry, or confusion are present for long periods of time. Quite understandably, a disorder like this can seriously affect a person’s ability to cope with daily life, and/or his ability to find pleasure in daily activities.
When someone suffers from an anxiety disorder, she may feel fearful, anxious, or even irritable for a long period of time, often without any apparent reason or cause. She may also experience depression in addition to the anxiety, and/or struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
Wondering if you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder?
Below are 3 common symptoms to help you decide:
- You feel stressed, “on edge,” and irritable much of the time, even when things are going relatively smoothly. You’re often “close to ‘snapping,’” and you feel like you can’t handle any more. You find yourself dreading or avoiding certain situations, because you anticipate feeling too far outside of your comfort zone.
- You struggle to make decisions, because you’re worried about the possible outcomes. You often feel confused and overwhelmed – like your life is out of your control.
- You experience physical symptoms you can’t really explain, like body aches, allergies, chest pain or tightness, itchy skin, excess energy or fatigue, nausea, night sweats, or persistent infections. These symptoms become more noticeable when you’re faced with the prospect of doing something that makes you uncomfortable.
Because there are so many different kinds of anxiety disorders (including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder/Social Phobia, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Substance/Medication-Induced Anxiety Disorder), the symptoms can manifest in many different ways.
People with an anxiety disorder may experience the following symptoms at a level so intense, it keeps them from functioning at their normal capacity:
- Are you spend a lot of time worrying about everyday things?
- Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities?
- Do you have fears that you know are irrational, but can’t shake?
- Do these fears interfere with your life?
- Do you believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren’t done a certain way?
- Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they may cause panic or anxiety?
- Do you experience heart palpitations due to panic?
- Do you feel like danger and catastrophe often around every corner?
If any of these sounds familiar, you can get help, and when you do, you can begin to enjoy your life much more fully.
Psychological treatment has been found to be very effective in the treatment of anxiety. Aspire Health & Psychology is a professional psychological service in Newport Victoria, Australia. Psychologists in Aspire Health & Psychology will be able to provide you with more information in different treatment options and provide most kinds of popular psychological therapies. Our mission is to deliver happiness and better health to every client.