WORRY AND ANXIETY

WORRY AND ANXIETY

What is it I’m feeling?! (Oluwasikemi)

Anxiety disorders can cause people to try to avoid situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms. Fear is an emotional response to an immediate threat and is more associated with a fight or flight reaction – either staying to fight or leaving to escape danger hence parts of an individual’s life such as job performance, school work and personal relationships can be affected by the fear which has evolved into anxiety. In general, for a person to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, the fear or anxiety must: be out of proportion to the situation or age inappropriate, and hinder the individual’s ability to function normally.

The five (5) major types of anxiety disorders are:

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
   Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it. A person feels anxious on most days, worrying about lots of different things, for a period of six months or more. Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent and excessive worry that interferes with daily activities. This ongoing worry and tension may be accompanied by physical symptoms, such as restlessness, headache, stomach upset, feeling on edge or being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension or problems sleeping. Often the worries focus on everyday things such as job responsibilities, family health, school work or minor matters such as chores, car repairs, or appointments. Generalized Anxiety Disorder mostly accompanies another anxiety or mental condition such as depression or bipolar disorder.
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
   Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted/intrusive thoughts(obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Although the person may acknowledge these thoughts as silly or trivial, they often try to relieve their anxiety by carrying out certain behaviors or rituals. Repetitive behaviors (which stem from certain fears) such as hand washing, counting, checking on things such as whether or not they’ve locked their house, or consistent cleaning and sweeping for fear of infections are these rituals often performed with the hope of preventing those obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.
3. Panic Disorder
   Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain or tightness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, excessive perspiration, dizziness/light-headedness, or abdominal distress. These symptoms usually occur in a combination of two (2) or more.

The core symptom of panic disorder is recurrent panic attacks or persistent fears, an overwhelming combination of physical and psychological distress for more than a month. During an attack several of these other symptoms may occur: sweating, trembling or shaking, feeling of choking, numbness or tingling, chills or hot flashes, nausea or abdominal pains.

Because symptoms are so severe, many people who experience a panic attack may believe they are having a heart attack or other life-threatening illness or are even few minutes/hours away from their death and may go to a hospital emergency response unit or call an emergency helpline requesting for an ambulance. Panic attacks may be expected, such as a response to a feared object, or unexpected, apparently occurring for no reason. Panic attacks may occur with other mental disorders such as depression or PTSD. Phobias, such as arachnophobia (fear of spiders) or claustrophobia (fear of small spaces), may also cause an individual to experience panic attacks as these fears are usually accompanied by a powerful desire to avoid it. 

1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
   Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, war, accidents such as fire outbreak, automobile or plane crashes, or military combat.

Symptoms can include difficulty relaxing, upsetting dreams or flashbacks of the event, and avoidance of anything related to the event. PTSD is diagnosed when a person has symptoms for at least a month.

1. Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
   Social Phobia, or Social Anxiety Disorder, is characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Such person has discomfort and an intense fear of being criticized, rejected, embarrassed, humiliated and being looked down on in social interactions, even in everyday situations, such as speaking publicly, eating in public, being assertive at work or making small talk. Social phobia can be limited to only one type of situation such as extreme fear of public speaking, meeting new people or eating/drinking in public or, in its most severe form, may be so broad that a person experiences symptoms almost anytime they are around other people. People with this disorder will try to avoid the situation or endure it with great anxiety. The fear or anxiety causes problems with daily functioning and lasts at least six months.

Many people with anxiety experience symptoms of more than one type of anxiety condition, and may experience depression as well. It's important to seek support early if you're experiencing anxiety. Your symptoms may not go away on their own and if left untreated, they can start to take over your life.