An anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive and persistent worrying that is hard to control, causes significant distress, and occurs on more days than not for at least six months. In fact, when you have anxiety disorders, you become controlling and you become worried over minor issues.
Examples of anxiety disorders include panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Symptoms
Include stress that's out of proportion to the impact of the event, inability to set aside a worry, and restlessness.
In our everyday work, most patients found with anxiety disorders come in complaining of many longstanding symptoms that are hard to explain medically such as;
Poor sleep
Fatigue
Difficulty relaxing
Headaches
Pain in the neck, shoulders, and back
Anxiety is relatively more common than it is thought to be. On average, it affects one in every 10 people in a lifetime, and it is approximately twice as common in women as it is in men.
These factors that predict having anxiety disorder:
Recent adverse or traumatic life events
Chronic illness
Chronic mental disorder
Parental loss or separation
Low effective support during childhood
History of mental problems in parents
Lack of financial resources
Unfortunately, when you are suffering from anxiety disorders, you tend to abuse illegal substances and have other mental health diseases such as depression, panic disorder, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The good news
Though anxiety disorders might be debilitating, only 1 in 5 patients develops a persistent illness that causes daily symptoms over at least 12 months. Others respond well to the combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), applied relaxation, and medications. The earlier you seek healthcare, the better outcomes you get.
Treatment includes counseling or medication, including antidepressants by doctors' prescription.
Are you or do you know someone experiencing the symptoms discussed above? There is an opportunity for the right and affordable care by experienced psychologists and psychiatrists. Download the BYON8 app now, the service is available 24/7.
Until next time – Stay safe
Sources:
Kessler, R. C et al. Co-morbid major depression and generalized anxiety disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey follow-up. Psychological medicine, 38(3), 365–374. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707002012
Zhang, X et al. Risk factors for a late-onset generalized anxiety disorder: results from a 12-year prospective cohort (The ESPRIT study). Translational psychiatry, 5(3), e536. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2015.31
Roemer, L et al. An investigation of worry content among generally anxious individuals. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 185(5), 314–319. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005053-199705000-00005