It is normal to feel anxious. We've all experienced anxiety at one point in our lives during stressful situations or traumatic events. You may feel a strong pounding on your heart when you try to talk to someone you like, or feel butterflies fluttering in your stomach before presenting in front of a group. We feel jittery and agitated worrying about domestic problems. Anxiety is but a natural reaction to stress, a fight-or-flight mechanism our bodies have.

But for some people, anxiety starts to become overwhelming that the natural reaction of fear and worrying starts to disrupt them from functioning normally in life. If the same thing is happening to you, it may be possible that you are suffering from anxiety disorder. But you need to understand more about anxiety disorders before you can take steps to reduce anxiety and gain control of your life again.

Anxiety disorder

People with anxiety disorder feel a persistent and overwhelming fear or worry that can be distressing, immobilizing, and disruptive. Those afflicted with anxiety disorders often feel a free-floating anxiety without an exact knowledge of why they feel that way. They just all of a sudden feel intense panic attacks that strike without warning. Anxiety disorders can get so intense that it may push a sufferer to self-imposed isolation or emotional withdrawal. It can also cause an afflicted person to develop unwanted obsessions and compulsions.

Anxiety disorder can be so debilitating that it can lead to other problems such as low self-esteem, depression, alcoholism, and even drug abuse. It may take a toll on your professional and personal relationships.

Anxiety attacks

Also called panic attacks, these are sudden episodes of extreme fear or terror. Like anxiety disorders, attack episodes come without warning. The fear felt during an anxiety attack is generally unfounded, but the danger perceived appears very real. People who've experienced anxiety attacks reported feeling as if they were about to die or pass out.

Symptoms of anxiety attacks

There are a lot of physical manifestations of anxiety attacks, including the following:

?Shortness of breath

?Palpitations or racing and pounding heart

?Chest pain or discomfort

?Trembling or shaking

?Dizziness

?Nausea or stomach distress

?Hot or cold flashes

?Pins and needles sensations in the limbs

?Blurred vision

Treatment

It's a relief to know that there are different of treatments available for anxiety disorders. These treatments include:

?Talk therapy. Talking to a licensed psychologist may help sufferers to identify and challenge the negative feelings that cause the anxiety, and eventually find a way to work around those fears.

?Medications. Traditional anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and beta-blockers are used to treat and manage anxiety disorders.

?Miscellaneous therapy. Relaxation techniques, hypnotherapy, and acupuncture are some of the tried and tested alternative treatments used to relieve people of anxiety.

You do not have to live in fear forever. You do not have to keep letting your fears control you. Do not be afraid to seek help and break loose from the clutches of anxiety. It is time to take control of your life.