Of course, everyone has anxiety. Anxiety is a vague word meaning any one of several unpleasant emotions, usually involving the anticipation of some misfortune to come. Stress, as well legitimate worries about every day live, bring about anxiety.

However, there is a difference between regular anxiety and an anxiety disorder. Whereas anxiety is simply a negative emotion, an anxiety disorder involves chronic anxiety, usually approaching extreme levels. Such extreme levels might see an otherwise healthy and normal person become suddenly and irrationally afraid of something, or nervous and irritable, or may cause mild to severe panic attacks. Panic attacks are simply a peak of anxiety and do not necessarily mean a person is developing a panic disorder, though it is a probability.

A person may also develop an unnatural fear of public places, other people or of specific phobias. They may constantly feel the need to escape, and feel quite agitated if they feel they are trapped in a situation. This is linked to agoraphobia, once of many types of anxiety related phobias that can develop.

Anxiety disorders can easily lead to physical symptoms as well as mental and emotional ones. People suffering from chronic and intense anxiety may also experience nausea, trembling, chills, and lightheadness. In addition, severe symptoms like chest pains, numbness and a shortness of breath might appear, thus scaring someone into believing they are having a heart attack or even dying.

What causes an anxiety disorder to develop? Anxiety, of course but from what source? It could due to external surroundings; stress and difficult living situations can be traumatic and can cause a person to feel very anxious throughout the day for a long period of time. There is also evidence that genetics can cause anxiety disorder to be inherited.

If you feel that you may have an anxiety disorder then there is cause for concern-the fact that you feel anxious enough to question your wellbeing, means either you are under a lot of stress or feel you may be developing an unnatural fear or reluctance in every day life. The best thing to do is to consult a family physician. He or she will give you a physical examination and rule out any physical factors that might be bringing on your symptoms. If there’s no problem there then the doctor could refer you to a mental health specialist who will conduct a further evaluation.

Traditional medication may be recommended, or psychotherapy could be suggested as an alternative. One mistake people make is to put off going for an examination because they don’t want to be put on medication. Understandably, since there are many risks involved in potentially addictive antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills, not to mention the rising cost of pharmaceutical drugs. However, the doctor will work with you and may be willing to treat the problem without medication. Aside from herbal remedies or self-help techniques psychotherapy has proven successful in many cases.

Avoidance is another symptom of anxiety disorder. But avoiding a professional examination may be too much of a risk to take, considering that your mental and physical health could be at stake.

Among types of anxiety disorders there are also phobias, which are specific fears that a person develops, which may be intense and are often irrational. Common phobias may include closed in spaces, a fear of heights, driving, water, flying, spiders and blood.

What’s the difference between having a healthy fear of something and having an anxiety-related phobia? Many people have various instilled or natural fears, some of which are intense. If you have never flown before then you may be afraid of the idea of flying. But that doesn’t mean you have an anxiety phobia. Phobias do not involve just intense fear; they are an irrational and an extreme fear of one particular object or situation. People who are affected by phobias are often fearless in other aspects of life–they may be able to fly in a plane but are scared to go above the fifth floor of an elevator. Or they may work a dangerous job with plenty of risks but still have a great fear of spiders.

Phobias can be very specific and there are many recorded cases in which common objects were specified, and even extremely rare objects or situations were the source of much anxiety. These fears are usually without merit, and the sufferer may realize that. That does not change the level of anxiety, however. The anxiety caused by the phobia may lead to other disorders such as panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The more common the phobia, the more the person affected by it will seek isolation in a desperate attempt to avoid the source of anxiety. If the phobia relates to something in ordinary life-large crowds, open spaces, small rooms, meeting new people or travel-then it obviously will affect the person’s ability to enjoy life.

Physical symptoms will usually accompany the phobia and these may include: profuse sweating, a heart rate increase, panic attacks, nausea, chest pain, dizziness or faint spells. Just because a person can survive an episode of exposure to the phobia doesn’t mean that they have conquered their fear or that their anxiety level will somehow decrease.

Phobia disorders affect an estimated nineteen million Americans. The cause is believed to be linked to genetics, though the development of the disorder is not entirely sure. Trauma may also be a factor involved, if a person learned the fear of a certain object or situation through a life-threatening experience. Development usually occurs in childhood or adolescent years and then continues into adulthood.

What is the best treatment for phobias? Some believe that avoidance is the best solution, and that may be the answer but provided that the phobia is a rare object or situation and not frequently encountered in normal life. If the phobia is unavoidable however, then it’s best to seek professional help. This type of assistance will not require medication but psychotherapy. It will likely involve the technique of systematic desensitization. This process involves gradually exposing a patient to the phobic object after an education of how to react to the object and maintain control.

The failure to treat a serious condition of anxiety related phobia could lead to other disorders, physical health problems and disappointment in a person’s personal or professional life.

Most people in general are uncomfortable being the center of attention-especially if it’s in front of a large group of people and something extraordinary is expected. Polls show that more people are afraid of speaking in front of groups than they are of death. So the evaluation of others always remains a sensitive issue with most people.

However, a social anxiety disorder is something far beyond nervousness or discomfort in public places. People suffering from a social anxiety disorder are anxious and self-conscious to an extreme degree in every day living situations. They have an unwholesome fear of being watched and judged by other people, as well as embarrassing themselves in public. Thee fear this produces is far beyond uneasiness; it’s a crippling, intense and chronic fear that can lead to total isolation and physical ailments as well as emotional turmoil.

A person afflicted with the disorder are often aware that they have some sort of social phobia, but are unable to overcome the problem by just summoning up the courage like most shy people. Even if they can somehow force themselves into a scary situation, they will still feel tremendous anxiety before, during and after the event. This type of phobia can be broad or very specific. A generalized social phobia would be anxiety around any new persons besides family and friends, whereas specific social phobias could include conversations with others, writing or speaking in front of others, or being in large crowds.

Physical symptoms of social disorder to watch out for including blushing, sweating, nausea, trembling and speech difficulty. Who is likely to suffer from social anxiety? Anyone-in fact some fifteen million Americans are believed to have a serious and chronic social phobia. Social phobia doesn’t develop overnight, though there are cases known that involved neither genetics or trauma. The condition is believed to be inheritable and so it most frequently develops in childhood and adolescent years.

Like other anxiety disorders, social phobia if left untreated can lead to the development of other anxiety disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder or panic disorder. Abuse of alcohol and drugs and chronic depression also tend to develop in social phobia cases if isolation is involved. Even prescription drugs can be a risk, as some people who suffer from disorders may try and self-medicate themselves beyond the daily dosage.

What is the best treatment for social phobia? While it is possible for a person to ignore the problem and simply summon up the courage to face their fears, this could be counter productive. For one thing, just because a person can meet the test of a social setting does not alleviate the extreme levels of anxiety that it brings, which can affect emotional and physical health. In cases where social phobia is extreme, then a professional evaluation is recommended. Treatment will vary according to the opinion of the doctor and requests of the patient. There may be psychotherapy involved or traditional medication or a combination of both. The important issue here is for the chronic sufferer to seek help and not live with high levels of anxiety.

Anxiety disorders usually develop due to an inherited condition or some form of trauma. Very traumatic events in a person’s life, particularly ones involving emotional or physical violence, can damage a person and cause a recurring problem with anxiety for years to come. In the case of children who suffered trauma, the situation is far more complex and difficult to successfully treat. Victims of sexual violence such as rape or child molestation, or survivors of war or assault, will very likely develop post traumatic stress disorder and will be forced to relive the worst moments of their life at inconvenient times, and sometimes for no apparent reason at all.

Post traumatic stress is not limited to suffering through a violent incident only, however. Witnessing an act of violence has been known to cause the disorder, as well as car accidents or train wrecks, bombings, natural disasters, robbery or losing a family member or friend in death. PTSD is related to the threat of violence, or the loss of something precious through violent means.

A person with PTSD may exhibit some very obvious symptoms. They often become emotionally numb, (even to people whom they have affection) lose interest in hobbies, become easily irritable and more aggressive, even violent. The most difficult times will be anniversaries of the traumatic incident as well as encountering situations that recall the event. Symptoms usually don’t appear randomly but are triggered by an incident, even something small, that recalls the past experience vividly to mind. It could be a simple phrase uttered by someone else, a particular sight or sound or just a negative experience with parallels to the trauma.

Many PTSD sufferers will actually relive the trauma at some point, whether in their daydreaming thoughts or in nightmares. These episodes are known as flashbacks and are often triggered by something small but related to the trauma. It is possible, though not always the norm, that a person will literally relive the experience and lose touch with the real world for several moments.

However, not everyone who who has suffered trauma will develop post traumatic stress syndrome, nor will every person who has it develop extreme cases of anxiety or flashbacks. Symptoms generally appear within three months of the trauma, but can emerge even years afterward. Because of the nature of trauma, doctors usually won’t diagnose PTSD until a month or so after the event. Some people go through minor stages of PTSD but recover within six months. To others however, it may become a chronic condition.

Untreated anxiety disorders can actually lead to the development of more disorders and phobias. It’s not uncommon for post traumatic stress sufferers to turn to alcohol or drugs as a way of escaping hints of thr trauma. But this is a dangerous way to treat a serious problem. Recommended treatment is traditional medication or psychotherapy to gradually relieve the heavy symptoms of PTSD. The traumatic memories will never be forgotten, but with professional treatment the symptoms can be relieved.

Obsessive compulsive disorder starts with a thought, perhaps an upsetting thought or merely a reminder. In order to control the thought process, a person will use rituals, or compulsions, to satisfy the uncertainty in their mind. However, the rituals and the obsessive thoughts will eventually start to control them. Common fixations include the fear of germs which leads to obsessive hand washing, or the fear of invasion which leads to locking and relocking their doors.

These behaviors are not fun, in fact they can be as frustrating for the compulsive personality as they are for friends and family members. People who have this disorder cannot control themselves, as the ritual gives them some temporary relief from the obsessive thoughts; in a way, it’s like an addiction to chronic behavior, as opposed to drug abuse.

Some obsessive compulsive personalities develop a fixation on numbers. They constantly count everyday items and perhaps touch things in a particular sequence. Other symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder may not be related necessarily to ritual, but with recurring obsessive thoughts-many of which will be disturbing and even shocking to the person thinking them.

Unfortunately, many who develop an obsessive compulsive disorder will not realize what is happening. They may not even think about their irrational behavior besides simply wanting to silence the recurring thoughts. This is especially true when dealing with children or teenagers, who usually do not think in terms of being mentally healthy or unhealthy.

Worse yet, if obsessive compulsive disorder is left undiscovered and untreated it may start to bring on more disorders, such as general anxiety or panic disorder, depression, drugs or alcoholism, or even eating disorders. Interestingly, researchers claim that one third of adults who have OCD develop the disorder as children, as genetics is believed to be one of the causes.

Symptoms of the disorder may come and go, or may get progressively worse. A person may become so affected by the compulsive thoughts and rituals that they prefer not to leave the house or venture out any where they might lose control. However, avoiding the triggers out of fear is usually not the best way to cope with OCD, nor is using drugs or alcohol as a temporary tranquilizer effective. In fact, using nonprescription drugs and over indulging in alcohol can be very dangerous to the body, in addition to worsening the obsessive condition.

The recommended treatment for diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder may involve traditional medication or psychotherapy, including exposure and desensitization techniques. This sees a doctor gradually expose a patient to the feared object or situation and learn coping mechanisms besides ritualistic behavior or avoidance. Obsessive compulsive behavior can vary in degree; to some it may be relatively harmless but annoying (locking the doors, counting objects), but to others it can literally be a matter of life and death, as some obsessive compulsive personalities could have suicidal or masochistic tendencies. If you or someone you know exhibits symptoms associated with obsessive compulsive disorder, then professional diagnoses and treatment is recommended.

This type of anxiety disorder may be generalized, but it is still intense and one of the most difficult conditions to live with. Whereas people with specific phobias can avoid the object of distress, general things that easily stress and worry them to extreme levels surround people who suffer from GAD. This anxiety will often come about with little or nothing to provoke it.

People affected by the disorder are often overly concerned with health problems, money, family issues or difficulty at work. They anticipate the worse and generally cannot get through a simple day without excessive and unhealthy worrying. People who have a general anxiety disorder cannot just drop their concerns, and they cannot be forced to stop worrying. They often do realize that they have some form of disorder even before an official diagnosis is made. The diagnosis period is about six months before a doctor will conclude the anxiety level is beyond normal.

Physical symptoms are intense and very difficult to live with. They may include an inability to relax, concentrate, insomnia, fatigue, headaches and muscle aches, trembling, irritability, nausea, shortness of breath and lightheadedness. Beyond physical symptoms, if you believe that you or someone you know may have GAD then pay attention to the emotional signs of distress beyond the physical. It is when the anxiety reaches an extreme level that you should be concerned-when extreme anxiety starts to affect simple daily activities and makes life a painful chore.

Over six million people suffer from GAD and it is not limited to age groups. Children can develop this form of chronic anxiety, as it is evidenced that genetics plays a part in the spread of the disorder. If it is not dealt with it can lead to other anxiety disorders or even problems with drug or alcohol abuse. A person with the disorder, especially one who does not realize they have a condition, might seek to escape the anxiety by indulging in some addictive behavior, such as alcohol abuse. However, avoiding the anxiety is not the best way to cope with it.

Professional treatment is recommended for extreme cases of general anxiety disorder. After a diagnosis, then either traditional medication is recommended or cognitive behavioral therapy. Many people prefer psychotherapy instead of medication, though a chemical imbalance with symptoms of intense stress would merit medication, or maybe both forms of treatment.

As stated, children can also develop this anxiety disorder. It might be a mistake to assume that medication is the only way to treat this disorder. This might either scare parents away from treatment or make them push their child to take potentially addictive drugs at a young age. Talk to a pediatrician about psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder in children before assuming the worst and not getting the help your child need.

Adults should likewise be careful not minimize the danger of general anxiety disorder. Stress kills and so chronic anxiety can only make things worse as you grow older. Confronting the source of the anxiety is an effective treatment and should not be dismissed for an fast but temporary fix.

• Types Of Anxiety Disorders Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
• Types Of Anxiety Disorders Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Types Of Anxiety Disorders Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Types Of Anxiety Disorders Social Anxiety Disorder
• Types Of Anxiety Disorders Specific Phobias

Sufferers of panic disorder describe an attack as a very scary and even violent experience. They may feel disconnected from the world, or that they are losing control over their own mind. A shortness of breath and an overwhelming mix of feelings have also been described as symptoms. Panic attack victims may feel completely helpless or even anticipate death, so it’s certainly not just a feeling of discomfort or overreaction.

There are also physical effects in addition to the emotional distress. A pounding heart, faintness, dizzy spells, chills, sweatiness, chest pains and numbness in the limbs are typical physical effects associated with the disorder. This type of attack is often confused for a heart attack and comes just as unexpectedly, met with the same amount of dread. Panic attacks can even strike a person while in a deep sleep.

The average time frame for an episode is ten minutes though physical symptoms have been known to last longer. This type of disorder affects some six million Americans every year. However, people who endure panic attacks do not necessarily develop a panic disorder. They may have panic attacks now and then but unless these episodes are chronic, they would not be diagnosed as a full panic disorder. Genetics and traumatic events decide the development of a panic disorder, whereas general chaos in life determines the occasional panic attack.

A panic disorder is treatable with professional care. People who suffer from the condition are advised to seek treatment before they start avoidance patterns, namely by avoiding the object or situation with triggers the attack. This is important not only for the effectiveness of the therapy but also to prevent the panic disorder from affecting any major part of the person’s life, such as work or school. About one third of panic disorder sufferers become house bound, afraid to confront various situations or objects in the outside world. Agoraphobia can also develop which will only worsen the panic disorder.

Panic disorder is not always diagnosed correctly. A person might believe they are having heart problems and so check themselves into the emergency room every time a panic attack is felt. They might also go from doctor to doctor reporting different physical symptoms, but never quite understand the disorder until it’s properly diagnosed. Panic disorder is treatable, however.

Certain types of medication have proved helpful in treating this disorder, although medication is not the only solution. Cognitive psychotherapy has also proven successful in treating the disorder by having the patient’s thinking patterns reshaped to better alleviate the anxiety. Some doctors would prefer to combine the two practices, dispensing some medication and working with psychotherapy to help relax the person’s thinking.

Not treating a serious case of panic disorder could lead to more disorders developing, such as depression and drug or alcohol abuse. Therefore if you or someone you know suffers from consistent and intense panic attacks, then it’s possible the condition is a serious panic disorder. Professional treatment is the best solution in this instance.

What is the best way to treat anxiety disorders? After an official diagnosis, a psychiatrist prescribes usually traditional medication or a licensed therapist employs specific types of psychotherapy. Some doctors will also suggest a combination of both medication and progressive therapy. Who decides the best form of treatment? Usually the condition itself will merit the best form of treatment as suggested by a doctor. But a doctor always remains open to the patient’s wishes if they prefer treatment without medication.

Some prefers medication, as it usually is a quick and effective fix for many anxiety related problems. However, there are side effects to taking powerful medication, the most important being that they prove to be addictive. Other side effects, depending on the type of medication, could include impaired judgment and thinking ability, sexual side effects, withdrawal symptoms and rare instances of disease.

The advantage to psychotherapy is obviously treatment without medication. However, this could process could be longer and arguably more expensive. Both the price of prescription drugs and the price of therapy sessions continue to rise. In the treatment of children, many parents would prefer psychotherapy, as the use of potentially addictive medication at such a young age would be a health risk physically and mentally.

Before any sort of treatment begins, a doctor will conduct an evaluation of the patient. A medical examination will be required to determine if the patient is suffering from a physical problem or exclusively a mental disorder. From there, a questionnaire and or interview follow and the doctor determine what kind of anxiety disorder appears to have developed. In cases where alcohol or substance abuse are apparent, some time will be needed to treat those disorders since no therapy or medication would be very effective while a person is under a strong addiction.

It is also important that people who receive treatment for anxiety disorder, and who stop for some reason, whether for relocation or another circumstance, communicate to their present doctor all of the previous treatment. If certain medications were prescribed and taken or if certain forms of therapy were tried, the new doctor needs to know all of this to determine the next step. Much detail here is needed from the number and regularity of therapy visits to the dosage of the medication and its effects or side effects.

Sufficient time must also be given in therapy or when trying a new medication. Some patients are quick to determine that the treatment is not helping and they might ask to try something new or cease therapy altogether. But it’s possible that the treatment has not had sufficient time to work; it’s even possible the patient is not administering the medication or therapeutic techniques correctly. Before deciding to try something else, make sure to follow the doctor’s directions for the full length of time.

Anxiety disorders can be successfully treated whether through medication or psychotherapy. The worst mistake is in assuming that nothing can help the condition.

1. Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety attacks and panic attacks often can go hand in hand, and if they or something like them has happened to you recently and you didn’t know what it was, here is a quick run down of what some of the symptoms are.

Anxiety attacks manifest themselves in three different ways. Externally visible symptoms where the bodily functions show a reaction can include cold sweats, shaking, trembling, pale skin and wide open eyes. Behaviour can change to both voluntary or involuntary actions all directed at escaping or avoiding the source of the anxiety.

Finally, the most obvious signs to the person with the anxiety attack is the emotions it stirs. This can include an overwhelming sense of panic or fear, nausea, chills as well as hyperventilation and light headedness.

Hyper ventilation incidentally is the shortness of breath that happens when we panic and inhale too much oxygen. This leads to feeling disoriented, light headed and if you don’t know what is happening, it can accelerate the anxiety to the point where we can end up passing out.

2. Managing the onset of anxiety

There are several things you can do to calm yourself down if you feel the anxiety rising. For instance if you are experiencing shortness of breath and feel that it may be a symptom of a panic attack you can cup your hands and place them over your nose and mouth while at the same time concentrating on taking long, slow, breaths of air, as controlled as possible.

Breathing is a great way to manage your levels of anxiety, because the body’s stress responses are influenced by how we are breathing. Slow, calm breathing for instance will reduce the presence of this fight or flight response because your instincts assume that the danger is over if you can breath that slowly again.

Also, if you tell yourself that this is not a natural reaction and that it will go away, that should help too. You can help yourself further if you have a “happy place” or something else to focus on while you concentrate on calming your breathing down and talk calmly to yourself.

3. Focus on something else

Although anxiety disorders are not completely curable, advances in medication and therapy, not to mention public awareness, have helped to ensure that people are still able to successfully function in society, despite their problem. But it is also important to realize that like all problems there are solutions to all anxiety disorders.

If you are a panic attack sufferer, take heart. There are ways to get around the symptoms you are feeling, and there are people out there who are willing to help you, if you just look. The anxiety you feel during a panic attack will eventually go away after a while, even though it may not feel like that at the time. It’s just a matter of learning to take control of your mind, or your body.

One of the things that you can do to take control over your anxiety is to occupy your mind with things that make the anxiety go away or reduce. It is far better for you to focus on something that you experience as a positive as it can help you deal with the onset of any anxiety much better.

Anxiety and related panic disorders affects almost 20 million Americans every year; many of the people you deal with each day suffer from panic attacks in the privacy of their own homes, but can you tell? Probably not. The environment around you is proof evident that many people in the world have panic attacks, but they have their problem under control enough to where they are able to lead perfectly normal existences.

Anxiety is something we all feel on an every day basis in life, this may be because of finances, work, relationships; it may be just be thinking about arriving on time for an event or social outing.

Most people can easily manage the anxiety they feel in one way or another but not every one finds it easy, there is a small percentage of the population that suffer with anxiety on a higher level, this group suffer with a larger amount of anxiety and find it difficult to manage the anxiety they feel.

For those who suffer with a larger amount of anxiety they normally feel a mix of both mental and physical affects, these affects manifest themselves in emotions such as fear, apprehension, worry and in some cases embarrassment, and physical effects such as chest pain, loss of breath, heart palpitations, trembling and in some cases nausea.

Anxiety can be categorized by the symptoms a person feels, there is three categories in total, which are

• Generalized anxiety disorder – the most common of the three categories and is caused by over anxious about feelings from daily life.
• Phobia disorder – the feeling of anxiety due to social interaction, this normally comes in the form of an overwhelming feeling that people are watching your every move and judging you as a person.
• Panic disorder – short bursts of heightened anxiety make up a panic disorder, the amount of anxiety is so high that it causes the sufferer to feel like they may die.

In a lot of cases the sufferer will not actually know what is causing the anxiety to take over, this is because the initial reason why anxiety started is not the reason why it is still apparent later on. The reason why the anxiety changes is because anxiety breeds more anxiety, this means that if you take away the anxiety a person feels there may not actually be a reason behind it.

To combat anxiety a person who has been to see a medical professional may see himself or herself prescribed the same medication that a person suffering with depression would have. If the medication does not manage to control the anxiety then alternative treatments like meditation or breathing exercises can help to relax the body. In extreme cases counseling can help to reduce the feelings of anxiety although this can actually increase a persons feelings of anxiety initially.

One method of self-treatment that a number of anxiety sufferer’s use is alcohol. While alcohol is good at alleviating the anxiety a person it feels, its affects are only short lived and alcohol is also a natural depressant.

Anxiety is something we all have to deal with on a daily basis, the only issue is some people have to deal with anxiety more than others due to the life they lead. To make sure you do not end up having anxiety rule your life then it can help to start a hobby that can take your mind off the stresses of everyday life and give you time to relax.

The Definition Of Anxiety

Strictly by definition, anxiety refers to a combination of negative emotions includingapprehension and fear. Anxiety can lead to physical symptoms such as nausea, trembling, chills, pale skin, chest pains and a shortness of breath. While everyone becomes anxious at some point in their life (or even their daily routine) many people also suffer from anxiety disorders, where the conditions are chronic rather than just occasional bouts due to stress.

What causes anxiety, both in everyday life and in the case of anxiety disorder?

Stress leads to anxiety—a fear of something to come, something that has already happened or is happening that one has no control over. Anytime a person becomes afraid, for his or her own security or that a loved one, this can lead to tremendous anxiety. Emotional and physical dangers are constant in life and so one is rightfully concerned with the welfare of the family. Anxiety can also be caused by apprehension, or other forms of general uneasiness with an unfamiliar situation. Many people are afraid to speak in front of crowds or to be the center of attention in any way. Oddly enough, polls consistently show that more people are afraid of speaking in front of a large group than they are of dying.

Anxiety disorders, the chronic condition of anxiety, is caused by other physical conditions. It may be genetic or it may be caused by some form of past trauma. There are a few types of anxiety disorders including general anxiety, panic attack disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and various types of phobias, or specific fears.

Stress is just a part of life, and so people who suffer from occasional bouts of stress choose to live with the anxiety attacks without treatment and better organize their life to handle unexpected setbacks. However, sometimes living with the anxiety is simply not an option. Some people are constantly surrounded by negative emotions, whether they are caretakers of a mentally ill family member or have had some other form of trauma affect them. Some forms of trauma may even be recurring, thus forcing the sufferer to seek some kind of treatment to cope with the anxiety or perhaps even the anxiety disorder.

Medication is one frequent solution. Valium is one kind of anti-anxiety medication, along with other drugs such as Klonopin and Xanax which are based on Valium’s scientific formula. However, these drugs have shown the possibility—though not always the consistency—that they are addictive in nature.

There is also the option of psychotherapy to treat such disorders. Although it can be argued that psychotherapy is “addictive” in that the patient needs constant attention to treat the problem, it can be a far healthier solution than taking potentially addictive medication.

There are also alternative forms of treatment such as herbal supplements, self-help and relaxation techniques. What is important is that a chronic sufferer of anxiety seek treatment rather than live in constant mental duress.

Professional treatment is recommended for extreme cases of general anxiety disorder. After a diagnosis, then either traditional medication is recommended or cognitive behavioral therapy. Many people prefer psychotherapy instead of medication, though a chemical imbalance with symptoms of intense stress would merit medication, or maybe both forms of treatment.

As stated, children can also develop this anxiety disorder. It might be a mistake to assume that medication is the only way to treat this disorder. This might either scare parents away from treatment or make them push their child to take potentially addictive drugs at a young age. Talk to a pediatrician about psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder in children before assuming the worst and not getting the help your child need.

Adults should likewise be careful not minimize the danger of general anxiety disorder. Stress kills and so chronic anxiety can only make things worse as you grow older. Confronting the source of the anxiety is an effective treatment and should not be dismissed for an fast but temporary fix.

Anxiety

People, especially women with high levels of nervousness, worry and nervous tension need to find more effective ways to deal with the stresses and pressures that they face each day. Although many women have a healthy emotional balance, they can become overwhelmed if their anxiety responses are triggered very easily.

These stresses can vary. Taking a ride in an elevator, going to the dentist or being in a crowded area can trigger certain stresses making the individual become extremely anxious, frightened or upset.

A person who is already feeling anxious and tense will find certain life changes such as divorce, losing a job, financial problems, death of a loved one will probably find it impossible to cope.

An inability to cope with stress can cause damage to an individual’s self esteem and confidence. As a person’s inability to cope with usual day to day activities can have a diminishing effect on self worth.

Even if the stresses in one’s life do not alter too much, a person’s ability to deal with them makes a huge difference.

All of us experience some sort of anxiety from time to time. It is our natural response to a situation that we find stressful. For some of us, some level of stress can improve our performance.

However, some of us find that experiencing severe anxiety on a day-to-day basis can interfere with life. This is a condition known as anxiety disorder and treatment usually involves psychotherapy and counselling, often alongside some form of medication.

For those who feel they have not yet suffered with anxiety, it is a feeling of unease. The vast majority of us experience some form of anxiety when we are faced with a particular stressful event or situation. For example, those jitters that we feel before a job interview or an important exam. We may experience these unpleasant feelings when we are worry about our finances or we have a family member suffering from an illness.

Of course it is perfectly normal to experience some degree of anxiety when we face a particularly difficult situation but one in ten UK people find that anxiety interferes with their normal everyday life. Acute anxiety may be linked to other psychiatric conditions, for example, depression. Anxiety is not considered normal when:

* it absence even when there is no stressful event

* it interferes with normal everyday activities such as socialising and work

* it is considered severe and prolonged

Symptoms of anxiety are triggered by the brain, which sends messages to different areas of the body in preparation for the ‘fight or flight’ response. Certain organs in the body such as the lungs and heart work faster, whilst the brain releases an increased amount of stress hormones such as adrenaline.

As a result, certain physical symptoms can occur such as:

• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain or discomfort.
• Increased/rapid heartbeat and/or palpitations
• Pain and tightness in the chest
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Dry mouth
• Swallowing difficulties
• More frequent urination
• Dizziness
• In addition to physical symptoms, there are also psychological symptoms, which can include:
• Inability to sleep (insomnia)
• Anger and irritability
• Inability to maintain concentration
• Not feeling like one can control their actions (depersonalisation)
• Feeling unreal
• A fear of madness

A person’s emotional and physical reactions towards stress are determined by the sympathetic nervous system with produces the fight or flight reaction in response to excitement and stress. This speeds up the pulse rate, muscle tension, respiration, circulation of the blood and glandular function.

Those people who have recurrent anxiety and nervous symptoms coupled with emotional problems often have an overreaction within the sympathetic system. Those who have a particularly stressful life find that their sympathetic nervous system is more poised to react to a crisis putting an individual in a state of permanent tension.

Because a person in this state, they tend to react to smaller stresses in a similar way to how they would react in real emergencies.

In order to bring the body back into its balance, the energy that accumulates in the body to meet the ‘emergency’ must be discharged.

Energy reserves can be depleted by repeated episodes of the above mentioned fight or flight reaction. A continuance of this will create a downward spiral, which will lead to an emotional burnout and complete exhaustion. By learning how to manage stress where energy levels are protected if not increased, this spiral can be broken.

There are a number of techniques which can be used for relaxation and coping with stress more effectively. Many people also notice an improvement in their physical health.

One recommended exercise requires an individual to sit quietly and engage in an activity that is simple and repetitive. This allows one to empty the mind and provide it with rest. Another is mediation, which allows one to reach a state of deep relaxation. This is healing for the whole body. Physical functions such as the metabolism, blood pressure and heart rate slow right down. The waves in the brain also slow down to a level that is present during deep relaxation, just before sleep. One can relieve anxiety by practising these techniques regularly.

There are different types of anxiety disorders. They are often associated with a physical condition such as a thyroid disorder. The anxiety usually improves when the physical illness is treated. Anxiety is also the main symptoms of mental illnesses, which are known as anxiety disorders. It is very often the symptom of a further mental health problem for example depression, alcohol misuse, personality disorder or a withdrawal from a long-term use of tranquillisers.

Some sufferers experience what is known as ‘acute stress reaction’ where the symptoms develop quicker following the event. This reaction type occurs usually following an unexpected event such as bereavement. For some, this reaction may occur before the event, for example an exam. This is known as situational anxiety and the symptoms usually disappear fairly quickly and no treatment is required.

The war can commence at any time; the onslaught of anxiety can catch many innocent civilians off guard. Anxiety has a tendency to take over people, who have a lot of stress in their life, this stress can be the cause of relationship problems, financial worry, work related stress, losing a loved one or being involved in a large event that caused a lot of trauma.

Many people suffer with mild anxiety in their everyday lives due to simple things like being late for work or having to speak out loud at a presentation, what sets this apart from the attack of anxiety is the fact that these people can control the anxiety they feel, and that the mild affects only last for a short period of time.

When a person starts losing the war with anxiety they will become quiet, lose interest in social activities, find excuses to stay at home and stop people from visiting them. The anxiety affects them so much that they may not even remember what caused the anxiety in the first place.

The problem with anxiety is that it breeds with itself, anxiety has a habit of causing more anxiety, this causes a huge problem when trying to identify the cause as it may be something long forgotten from days past that now bears no relevance on the sufferers life.

It can be a trying time coping with anxiety, as many sufferers become reclusive they lose touch with reality and start to have feelings that could be classed as border line depression. These feelings make them feel like life is not worth living and can cause suicidal thoughts in those worst affected.

There are ways of combating the affects of anxiety, some of these can be self-medicated like meditation, breathing exercises and simple relaxation techniques, the other treatments are medically prescribed, these normally come in the form of medication given to those suffering with depression. This type of medication is used because it can control the serotonin levels (serotonin helps control your mood) within the central nervous system.

Living with someone who has anxiety can also be very difficult as the suffer may find it awkward to live with others; this can cause the break down in relationships. It is common for sufferers to jeopardize their relationships through their loss of sex drive, lack of trust and lack of will for anything to succeed.

Anxiety is a dangerous condition. Although it may not be a condition that kills, it is a condition that can change your life forever. If you know of someone who suffers with anxiety, the best position you could take with him or her is to be patient and supportive.

If you notice the mood of a friend or family member start to diminish try talking to them, this way you may be able to find out what is causing their anxiety and help them find a way to alleviate the issue and return to normality.

Anxiety is an awful condition, lets work together to try and alleviate the issues it causes.