Anxiety is a very normal part of the human experience. Almost every person feels anxious or nervous before big events in life, like an important job interview, or deciding to start something new. In fact, even smaller events, such as an upcoming exam or a blind date can cause the jitters.
For the most part, normal levels of anxiety can be quite health and beneficial. These feelings tend to motivate us to study for that exam or be more cautious and less reckless. However, for about 19 million Americans suffering from anxiety disorder, normal anxiety is far from what they experience on a daily basis.
When Does Anxiety Become a Problem?
For those with abnormally high levels of anxiety, thoughts can become serious and irrational for no known reason or as a result of some small event. Feelings of fear, worry and dread become normal to them which then impacts negatively on their work or school life, family life and personal lives.
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.
The cause of anxiety disorder is part of a great debate; however researchers do agree that a genetic predisposition to the disorder is a common link. Symptoms of anxiety usually begin to manifest in childhood and adolescence although adult onset is not uncommon. Furthermore, women are twice as likely to experience anxiety disorders than men and all ethnic groups are affected 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.
It can however be managed through medication and cognitive behavior therapy. In addition, changes in lifestyle such as physical activity and diet can also assist in managing the symptoms of anxiety. The first step a person must take is to recognize that a problem exists and seek help.
If someone afflicted with anxiety disorder seeks help, they have a much greater chance of living a more normal and fulfilling life. - 30309
For the most part, normal levels of anxiety can be quite health and beneficial. These feelings tend to motivate us to study for that exam or be more cautious and less reckless. However, for about 19 million Americans suffering from anxiety disorder, normal anxiety is far from what they experience on a daily basis.
When Does Anxiety Become a Problem?
For those with abnormally high levels of anxiety, thoughts can become serious and irrational for no known reason or as a result of some small event. Feelings of fear, worry and dread become normal to them which then impacts negatively on their work or school life, family life and personal lives.
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.
The cause of anxiety disorder is part of a great debate; however researchers do agree that a genetic predisposition to the disorder is a common link. Symptoms of anxiety usually begin to manifest in childhood and adolescence although adult onset is not uncommon. Furthermore, women are twice as likely to experience anxiety disorders than men and all ethnic groups are affected 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.
It can however be managed through medication and cognitive behavior therapy. In addition, changes in lifestyle such as physical activity and diet can also assist in managing the symptoms of anxiety. The first step a person must take is to recognize that a problem exists and seek help.
If someone afflicted with anxiety disorder seeks help, they have a much greater chance of living a more normal and fulfilling life. - 30309
About the Author:
Funmi Salami is a featured health writer on Clivir.com. She loves to write and share her knowledge about What is Anxiety Attack and Anxiety Disorder Types on Clivir.
