Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of worry and unease. It is a very common feeling that most people will experience at least once in their life. It is a natural response to threat. Feelings of anxiety become an anxiety disorder when these feelings are severe enough, are constant or long-lasting, or have a heavy impact on your everyday life. Feelings of anxiety that last for more than 6 months are evident of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can prevent you from doing certain activities and can limit your life. These feelings of anxiety can cause a person to think they are in more danger than they actually are.
​
Anxiety is a common mental illness. Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most prevalent affecting an estimation of 5.9% of adults in England according to the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of 2014, making it the most common mental disorder in the UK. In the UK, women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, however anyone of any gender, age or social status can suffer from an anxiety disorder.
​
Symptoms
​
People who have an anxiety disorder can experience a range of the following symptoms. The symptoms people experience can differ from person to person, some people with an anxiety disorder may experience some of these symptoms and not others. Anxiety affects people in different ways, and certain symptoms and impulses may be specific to that person, but the common symptoms are the following:
​
- Feelings of dread: A constant state of worry and
apprehension, usually out of proportion to the situation.
​
- Restlessness: An inability to relax or keep still from nervous
or anxious feelings.
​
- Being on-edge: Feeling alert or hyperaware of danger
or judgement.
​
- Feeling tense: Experiencing tension in your body as a result
of anxiety.
​
- Shaking sensations: Experiencing your entire body, or parts
of your body, uncontrollably shaking.
​
- Churning stomach: A churning, butterfly-like feeling in
your stomach.
​
- Headaches or light-headedness: Experiencing headaches, a
light-headed feeling, or dizziness.
​
- Breathing changes: Breathing more excessively or struggling
to breathe.
​
- Sleep disturbance: Experiencing insomnia.
​
- Nausea: Feeling sick or like you are about to be sick.
​
- Bladder changes: Needing to use the toilet more frequently
or less frequently.
​
- Heart sensations: An increase heart-rate or palpitations.
​
- Dry mouth: The mouth not producing enough saliva in
response to anxiety.
​
- Concentration disturbance: Having trouble concentrating
on other things.
​
- Irritability: Becoming easily irritable or angered.
​
- Pins and Needles: Experiencing painful tingling sensations in
your body.
​
- Hyperhidrosis: Excessive sweating, or sweating more than
usual for your activity.
​
- Rumination: Over-thinking, or obsessing over a situation
that you have experienced.
​
- Excessive worry over the future: Worrying, or over-thinking,
potential future events.
​
- Panic attacks: A sudden rush of sensations, such as chest
pains, a pounding heart, nausea, shaking, struggles with
breathing, stomach pains, sweating, high temperature
amongst other potential symptoms. These attacks can occur
without an obvious trigger.
​
- Anxiety attacks: Similar to panic attacks, however anxiety
attacks usually follow periods of excessive worry and are
typically less intense than panic attacks but can follow
similar symptoms.
​
People can experience these symptoms at varying levels of severity, and these symptoms could also be indicative of a separate mental condition that is not an anxiety disorder. These symptoms are what is considered when a doctor diagnoses someone with an anxiety disorder.
​
Types of Anxiety Disorders
​
Acute Stress Disorder:
Extreme anxiety caused following a traumatic event.
​
Anxiety Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition:
Symptoms of an anxiety disorder as a consequence to a separate
medical condition.
​
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD):
People who have excessive preoccupations with their physical appearance that is not observable or appears slightly to others, causing the sufferer significant distress.
​
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD):
Worry or anxiety that causes significant distress for more days than not for at least six months.
​
Panic attack Specifier:
The identification of a panic attack. The specifier is an indication of the cause of a panic attack.
​
Panic Disorder:
Constant or reoccurring panic attacks, usually unexpected
and sudden.
​
Separation Anxiety Disorder:
Significant anxiety, fear or distress from permanent or temporary separation from someone.
​
Social Anxiety Disorder:
Excessive fear, worry or anxiety about social situations, causing distress to the sufferer.
​
Substance/Medication-Induced Anxiety Disorder:
Symptoms of an anxiety disorder, such as generalised anxiety disorder, that are caused by use of a substance or medication.
​
Treatment
​
The treatment a person may receive when diagnosed with an anxiety disorder will be specific to their situation. Depending on the levels of severity of the anxiety disorder, various treatments will be advised by
their doctor. One of the main focus of treatment for anxiety is therapy. This can involve seeing a professional psychologist to talk about your problems, or using therapeutic techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or exposure therapy. Medication can be advised if the anxiety is severe enough. The medication used can include antidepressants of sedative substances.
