What is anxiety?

 

Anxiety is the feeling of being afraid of problems that could arise or dangers you might need to face, accompanied by unpleasant physical symptoms. Adults often feel anxiety as one of many normal human emotions. However, feelings of anxiety spiral out of control in some people and become overwhelming.

 

Anxiety has several forms, including:

 

Generalized anxiety disorder

 

Generalized anxiety disorder causes you to worry excessively about many aspects of your life.

 

Social anxiety disorder 

 

Social anxiety disorder is a fear of interacting with other people, especially in large gatherings.

 

Separation anxiety disorder

 

With separation anxiety disorder, you may feel severely distressed at the prospect of being apart from the person you’re attached to – typically a spouse or child.   

 

Panic disorder

 

Panic disorder is when anxiety peaks, resulting in panic attacks. These attacks cause intense feelings of fearfulness or terror with physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, and a sensation of losing control.

 

Phobias

 

Phobias are irrational fears of something specific like spiders, flying, or blood. These fears cause such intensely unpleasant feelings that you may go to extreme lengths to avoid the source of your phobia.

 

What symptoms does anxiety cause?

 

Anxiety causes a variety of symptoms, which vary between individuals. Some common anxiety symptoms include:

• Chronic stress

• Restlessness

• Fatigue

• Difficulty concentrating

• Irritability

• Muscle tension

• Problems sleeping

• Repeated nightmares 

• Headaches or stomach aches

• Nausea or vomiting

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Individuals suffering from anxiety often worry obsessively about their relationships with friends and peers, their performance at work, and other important issues in their lives. These worries are frequent or constant and tend to be exaggerated. 

 

Anxiety makes it difficult to feel joy, limits social interactions, and could stop you from achieving your goals. However, with expert assessment and support, you can overcome anxiety. If your displaying these symptoms, schedule an appointment with our providers at DMV Psychiatric Wellness.  

 

How is anxiety treated?

 

The sooner you get the proper treatment, the sooner you can learn to manage your anxiety. At DMV Psychiatric Wellness, one of the most successful anxiety treatments is behavior therapy. That form of treatment focuses on changing anxiety-related behaviors.

 

For example, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you reorganize your thoughts, encouraging positive and assertive functioning. You learn how to recognize anxiety and how your body responds to the emotion and develop a plan to tackle the feelings when they appear.

 

Other behavioral health techniques that can help treat anxiety include role-playing, gradual desensitization, relaxation techniques, and modeling appropriate behaviors. Medication might also be necessary for some.

 

Overcome anxiety by calling DMV Psychiatric Wellness today or scheduling a consultation online today.