Anxiety disorders are varied and include things like social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias. Millions of people around the world are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder during their lifetimes, and so many are looking for answers as to what has caused this medical condition, which can be quite serious. The title here may be misleading, because there really is no one cause of anxiety disorders. You may have an anxiety disorder for any number of reasons, or a combination of reasons. In order to learn more about your condition and try to pin point its cause, here are a few of the things that play into the development of an anxiety disorder.
First and foremost, many people want to know if anxiety disorders are genetic and can be passed on to future generations. Studies show that this may be the case. If a parent has an anxiety disorder, there is a chance that you may get this disorder as well. However, family factors may play a role in this as well. When you are raised in a household in which someone has an anxiety disorder, you are essentially taught these panic behaviours as well. Phobias are especially common to be passed to other family members. Insure relationships with parents may also cause anxiety disorders later in life. In short, this may be partially due to genetics, but also has something to do with your childhood environment as well.
Other environmental experiences outside of your childhood living conditions play into the development for anxiety disorders as well. If you have a traumatizing event as a child, or even as an adult, that even could either stay with you, causing post-traumatic stress disorder, or could affect your thinking, causing other types of anxiety disorders. Social pressures and culture may play a role in this as well, teaching people to become anxious at certain times or fearful of certain things.
An anxiety disorder may also be the result of health factors not related to genetics. Phobias and other anxiety disorders sometimes develop due to a chemical imbalance in the brain, especially with the chemical serotonin, which also affects depression in some people. Evolution comes into play, because you automatically have a fight-or-flight system built into our brains. The foods we eat, amount we exercise, and sleep we get every night all play roles into how our brain functions.
Lastly, anxiety disorders may develop due to stress. When you are stressed about something, you may find that you slow start to wear out. While our bodies are built to handle certain amounts of stress, over time, this simply breaks down and we give in to anxiety, which can develop into an anxiety disorder. No matter what the reason, however, it is simply important that you ask for help dealing with your condition.
More than a Worrywart
Everybody worries from time to time, but if your worrying extends to interrupt your daily life and cause debilitating anxiety, you may have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD. While people with GAD may start out by worrying about simple things, this disorder can easily take over a person’s life and cause other medical problems. If you think that you have GAD, you should see your doctor immediately and talk about your various treatment options.
People with GAD worry about normal things like money, healthy, relationships, and jobs. It is normal to worry about these things, even on a daily basis. However, if you have GAD, you will find that this worry is constant and excessive—and in many cases, irrational. People who are diagnosed with GAD are often so distracted and consumed with worry that it is impossible to think about or do anything else. From the moment a patient awakes to the moment he or she falls asleep, worry is a part of life. Often times, the worry has no foundation.
Medical professionals do not yet know what causes GAD, so treatment and diagnosis can sometimes be difficult. There are a number of symptoms stemming from GAD which include nausea, difficulty breathing, muscle tension, headache, restlessness, fatigue, sleeping problems, a change in appetite, and sweating or hot flashes. If you are experiencing some of these symptoms and find yourself worrying often, you should see your doctor for help with what could be GAD.
Treatment for GAD begins with ruling out other anxiety disorders. Therefore, it is crucial for you to be very specific about your symptoms. Treatment that works well can than include both therapy and medication. Every person worries in a different way, so every person needs different treatment as well. You should work together with your doctor to find the best form of medical treatment for your specific GAD situations. Work with your own body’s wants and needs.
No matter why you’ve developed GAD, there is help. Most people suffering from GAD do not know that there can be help. If you are constantly consumed with worry, talk to your doctor immediately to find out how medical treatment can help you. From having enough money to pay for bills to getting that job promotion, you may feel as though there is always something to worry about. In a normal life, you may think about these things once or twice a day, and a doctor can help you achieve this, even if you have GAD.
Live and Learn: Anxiety Disorder Knowledge
Anxiety disorders are varied an include agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a number of other medical conditions. Most people do not learn about anxiety disorder normally, so it is important to put effort into learning about anxiety disorders if you or a loved one is diagnosed with one of these medical conditions.
The first place you can start when looking for information about anxiety disorders is, of course, you medical professional. If you think that you may have a problem with anxiety to the point where it is disrupting your life, you should see a doctor immediate and describe your symptoms. Your doctor will run tests and check your health in order to make a diagnosis, and be sure to save enough time during your appointment to ask questions about you anxiety disorder and your treatment options. If you feel rushed, make sure that you make another appointment in order to go over your anxiety disorder. If you doctor seems too rushed to talk to you, you are probably better off finding a new doctor who will be able to help you.
Once you leave your doctor’s office, don’t go home—hit the library. There are hundreds of books devoted to anxiety disorders and you can find general information here, that has probably already been covered by your doctor, as well as specific information, including theories on the causes of anxiety disorders and the best treatment options. Along with the books you’ll find at the library, you will also find medical journals and magazine, which will provide you with the most up to date information in the medical community regarding anxiety disorders.
At home, you can continue your education online. The Internet is a wonderful resource when it comes to research just about any topic, including anxiety disorders. You can do this without leaving the home, which is an advantage to people who are suffering from anxiety disorders that are not yet under control. The Internet also allows you to connect to others dealing with the same conditions or in the health care world through email, forums, and chat rooms. However, remember that the information you find on the Internet may not always be the most accurate. Anyone can post on the Internet, from someone with a Ph.D. to your mailman.
No matter how you chose to research your anxiety disorder, it is simply important that you do so. Only when you have all of the information available to you can you truly be able to totally make the best decisions for your body.
Saying Goodbye to Stress
Anxiety disorders are often a product of stress. From GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) to panic disorder, you can cut back on the anxiety in your life simply by reducing stress. Stress is normal in daily life no matter who you are, but if you let your stress take control of your life, serious problems will arise. Fortunately, ongoing stress is easy to overcome, but it is important to know the steps to doing so.
Stress is an internal reaction triggers by external factors, like pressure. One of the best ways to overcome these reactions is with plenty of exercise. Daily exercise can help you learn to physically deal with stress by improving your tolerance to stress during exercise. During a panic attack, most people feel short of breath and a pounding heart. A hard workout gives you these same experiences, but in a healthy way. AS you exercise more and more, you push your body to accept these conditions without panicking.
Getting a good night’s sleep is also very important to reducing stress. Stress can physically wear out a person’s body, and without sleep, you will feel the effects of stress much more readily. This can lead to anxiety disorders very easily. To get enough sleep, make sure that you schedule at least 8 hours for sleeping. Don’t eat or drink lots of sugar or caffeine products before bedtime and try to do relaxing activities in the few hours before bedtime. If necessary, see your doctor for help with sleeping problems.
Another key to reducing stress is to schedule time for non-work related activities. Take vacations or at least days off in order to have fun. Work is a major cause of stress, and with that stress comes worry about money, health, and many other things. By setting aside specific time to enjoy yourself with loved ones or on your own, you can physically and mentally set aside the stress for at least a few hours. Try to have at least an hour to yourself every day and an entire long weekend every few months to purely enjoy fun activities.
Lastly, work to reduce stress by learning to think a bit differently about life. Some of the most stressed-out people are perfectionists. While this can be a good trait, it can also go too far. Know when to let something go. Also, think positively about your life. When you worry that you aren’t good enough or are upset about little things, they really add up to hurt you. Managing your thought process is just part of the battle, but if you work at reducing stress, you can avoid developing anxiety problems.
Alternative Anxiety Therapies
If you’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, it is crucial for you to seek medical treatment. This is the first step to recovery. Anxiety disorders include medical conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, agoraphobia, and panic disorder. When you talk to your doctor about your conditions, he or she will probably recommend certain talk therapies, in which you work with a therapist and cognitive-behavioral therapy to overcome your disorder. You may also be recommended to take specific medications. However, there are also a number of other therapies that you can consider to help you overcome your anxiety disorder.
If you are interested in oral medications, there are a number of supplements that may be able to help with your anxiety. Supplements are generally more naturally than the chemicals found in medications, so you body may be less likely to react to them in an adverse way. However, it is important to remember that supplements can still be dangerous if abuse. Common supplements that can be used to treat anxiety disorders include passion fruit, passionflower, kava, valerian root, St. John’s wort, hops, chamomile, magnesium, and glycine. Your doctor can instruct you taking these supplements in a safe way.
If you have very low anxiety symptoms, you can also work by yourself to combat the development of full-blown anxiety disorders. First, get a proper diet. This will include all the nutrients you body needs to stay active and healthy. Reduce the amounts of caffeine and sugar you ingest to help with anxiety. Also make sure that you are getting both sleep and exercise. This can help you manage stress more readily. If you believe you may be developing an anxiety disorder, trying to use stress management skills is very important.
Many people also advocate that alcohol is a great tool for combating anxiety. Typically, patients with anxiety disorders feel stimulated, so alcohol, which is a depressant, can really help you to calm down. However, the disadvantage to this is that alcohol also can make you become intoxicated and anxiety is sometimes found in conjunction with depression, which alcohol will only cause to get worse. Therefore, this is usually not a good option, unless your doctor recommends it.
Techniques like hypnosis, virtual reality use, acupuncture, and meditation can also help patients deal with anxiety. While these alternative treatment options do not help everyone, they may be able to help you. Be sure to ask your doctor about all treatment options available so that you can make the best choices for your body.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
