According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, anxiety is the most common mental illness in America, with nearly 20% of the adult population affected. Woman are twice as likely than men to experience life disrupting general anxiety disorder or GAD.
When generalized anxiety disorder is professionally diagnosed, the usual treatment involes antidepressants and anxiolytic agents used in conjunction with other forms of therapy. However, in some people, medication can stop working because the body begins to adapt to the lower levels usually prescribed in the initial stages of treatment. This can result in periods of clinical depression and can affect general health. Doctors are challenged with finding the correct balance of medication dosage and therapuedic treatment. It is difficult as each person is an individual with inidivual needs.
There are many symptoms associated with anxiety, anxiety attacks, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, stress disorders, sleep disorders, and depression. And, because we are all unique, based upon physical and mental history, the symptoms and their intensity will vary from person to person.
If generalized anxiety disorder is particular severe, patients might find themselves with a life that has been completely sidelined. In this case, deep fears about money, work, and health overshadow everything else. Before too long, a sufferer might find him or herself unable to function in everyday activities.
Symptoms of anxiety attack include shortness of breath, chest discomfort, dizziness, fear of death, or going crazy, nausea or stomach distress, just to mention the most serious symptoms. Not all these symptoms will be present for everyone at any given time because we are all different in our mental and physical makeup.
For example, when preparing to give a speech, a normal anxiety reaction or an abnormal anxiety attack may occur. The normal person may get "butterflies in the stomach" or experience an intense fear of failure. The normal person pushes through the symptoms and gives the speech.
On the other hand, the person who experiences an anxiety attack is unable to give the speech. They are paralyzed by fear and panic. In fact, just the thought of giving a speech would cause them to refuse to even attempt it. Thus, an anxiety "reaction" is normal for ninety-five-percent of us. An anxiety attack is not for the five-percent among us.
When basic daily functioning is impacted by the anxiety disorder, and the ability to enjoy life is disrupted, a family member may need to seek advice on how to best encourage their loved one to obtain necessary help. The need for this intervention is a vital one. An anxiety disorder left untreated can easily escalate to include other mental health concerns, including depression and suicidal thoughts.
Your brain deals with stress or anxiety in different ways. What determines your success is how you handle this stress. How do you normally handle stress? Do you scream, yell? Do you throw things? Do you hold it inside and then blow up later? These are very important questions to ask yourself. You really want to be be aware of how you handle stress.
People who suffer from anxiety attacks and OCD do not have a proper way of dealing with stress. For some people exercise is what is needed, others it could be to have a spiritual relationship with God. Other people need to talk to someone. Some simply need sleep. What's important is for you to know what it is that you need.
There is no one size fits all in dealing with stress. Everyone is different and everyone has different needs. What you should do is to test different methods of dealing with stress and see which work best for you. What I find for most people is that once they find a hobby, their stress goes way down.
Once you find your passion, this will be your outlet in which you can release your stress and recharge your batteries. Whatever your passion is, it will not feel like you are going to work. It may be work, but it will be something that you enjoy doing. I cannot stress the importance of finding your passion. Find what you are meant to do!
God made us for different reasons. What did He design you to do? What is your purpose in life? Once you find your passion, your purpose, you will have a very constructive way of dealing with your anxiety. Once you have a good way of dealing with your anxiety, if you suffer from anxiety attacks or OCD, this will be very valuable for you.
What are you going to do today that is different? Are you going to continue in your old ways and continue to be stressed out about every little thing? Don't sweat the small stuff! Everything is small! Any big thing is just a whole bunch of little things strung together. If you learn how to deal with the little things in life, you can deal with anything.
What you should do right now is to write down things that relax you and not only do those things when you are stressed, but also bring that list with you and think about doing those things even if you can't do them. Thinking about doing them will actually help you feel the same feelings you would have if you were actually doing those things. The mind is a very powerful thing and if you learn how to harness it's power for good, you will be well on your way to getting control of anxiety.
Both Jim Desantis & Derek Soto are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jim Desantis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Depression Cure, Get Ex Back and Affiliate Programs. Stop wondering if you have chronic anxiety disorder. Jim DeSantis is an award winning broadcast journalist who provides a Free ebook