ANXIETY DISORDER
Anxiety is something we all feel it when we are in a situation that is threatening or difficult. The anxiety goes away when we have got used to the situation, when the situation changes, or when we leave the situation.
If it just goes on and on, or if it happens out of the blue, or for no obvious reason, it can make life very difficult.
This leaflet deals with anxiety in general, and with three particular kinds of anxiety:
- generalised anxiety disorder
- panic attacks
- phobias
What is anxiety?
Anxiety feels like fear. When it's caused by a problem in our life that we can't solve, such as money difficulties, we call it worry. If it is a sudden reaction to an immediate threat, like looking over a cliff or being confronted by an angry dog, we call it fear.
Although these feelings are unpleasant, they exist for a purpose. Worry, fear and anxiety can all be helpful.
- Psychologically - they keep us alert and give us the motivation to plan and to deal with problems.
- Physically - they prepare our body for sudden, strenuous exercise, to run away from danger or to attack it – the 'fight or flight' response.
How common are anxiety problems?
About 1 in every 10 people will have troublesome anxiety or a phobia at some point in their lives. However, most of us never ask for treatment.
Are these feeling the same as 'stress'?
People talk about ‘stress’ when they feel they cannot cope with the pressures they are under in their lives. This can lead to problems like anxiety, depression and overuse of alcohol or drugs.
Isn't anxiety bad for you?
Actually, some anxiety is good for you. It keeps you alert and can help you to perform well. But only some. If it gets too intense, or goes on too long, it starts to interfere with your performance, can make you depressed and can damage your physical health.
Anxiety and physical health
Anxiety seems to be linked – although we don't understand how – with a number of medical conditions. In most cases, the anxiety seems to have come first. For example, older people with panic attacks seem to be more likely to have heart problems.
Symptoms of anxiety
In the mind:
- feeling worried all the time
- feeling tired
- unable to concentrate
- feeling irritable
- sleeping badly
- feeling depressed
In the body:
- feeling worried all the time
- feeling tired
- unable to concentrate
- feeling irritable
- sleeping badly
- feeling depressed
- fast or irregular heartbeats (palpitations)
- sweating
- face goes pale
- dry mouth
- muscle tension and pains
- trembling
- numbness or tingling
- breathing fast
- dizziness
- faintness
- indigestion
- passing water frequently
- nausea, stomach cramps
- diarrhoea
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfoforall/problems/anxietyphobias/anxietyphobias.aspx