Anxiety is a subjective state of apprehension, uneasiness, and/or worry. In an extreme form, someone with an anxiety disorder may feel detached from him/herself and may feel that they are going to die even in the absence of a physical illness.
In addiction to psychological symptoms, the experience of anxiety almost always includes physiological symptoms as well. Common bodily reactions include sweating, dry mouth, upset stomach, muscle tension, and a rapid heartbeat.
Many people with anxiety difficulties or disorders find it hard to even specify what it is they are anxious or nervous about. It may seem like a reaction to a very vague or unrecognizable danger. Some people may often worry about losing control of their actions. Others may have ever-present feeling that something bad is about to happen.
What are the types of anxiety disorders?
DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) defines a number of different anxiety-related disorders including:
Panic Disorder - A sudden wave of intense fear and physiological arousal which happens "out of the blue" and usually lasts for a few minutes.
Agoraphobia - Intense fear of being in situations from which escape might be difficult (or help unavailable) if one suddenly had a panic attack. Often the fear is related to what others may think if they see the person having a panic attack. Avoided situations and environments may include grocery stores, movie theaters, and highways.
Social Phobia - An unreasonable fear of embarrassment or humiliation in situations where one may be judged by others.
Specific Phobia - A strong fear and avoidance of one particular situation or object. Even though the person recognizes that the fear is irrational, it results in significant distress and interferes with normal school, work, and/or relationship activities.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder - Persistent and out-of-proportion anxiety and worry about many issues without panic attacks, phobias, or obsessions.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Obsessions are recurring ideas, thoughts, or images which seem trivial but are repeated over and over again in one's mind. These obsessions are accompanied by behaviors or rituals which are performed to reduce the anxiety created by the obsessions. For example, compulsive hand washing may occur as a response to obsessions about germs or becoming sick.
Treatment for Anxiety Disorders
All anxiety-related difficulties are (of course) not addressed using the exact same method. However, as a broad outline, most treatment methods do involve:
1) Using relaxation and stress-reduction methods to reduce physiological tension.
2) Slowly reducing the avoidance behavior which is maintaining the anxiety.
3) Changing "self-talk" (e.g., "I can't handle this", "I'll die from embarrassment", etc.) to more realistic appraisals of the situation and your coping abilities.
If you or someone you know would like to receive help for dealing with anxiety or stress (and live in the Halifax area) please feel free to contact me to set up an initial consultation.
Anxiety is a subjective state of apprehension, uneasiness, and/or worry. In an extreme form, someone with an anxiety disorder may feel detached from him/herself and may feel that they are going to die even in the absence of a physical illness.