Anxiety
Approximately 25 to 35 percent of people will suffer from an anxiety disorder in their lifetime.(1) Anxiety is due to worrying about the future and focusing on things that you can't control.
Symptoms of Anxiety
The common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Tightness in your chest, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
- Difficulty swallowing, tight throat
- Racing heart, heart palpitations, skipped beats
- Dizziness, lightheadedness
- Flushed face, flushed skin
- Numbness, tingling
- Tremors, shakes
- Muscle tension, twitches
- Excessive sweating
- Nausea, diarrhea
- Difficulty thinking, speaking, forming thoughts, or following conversations
- Feeling like you are going to faint or pass out
What Causes Anxiety Symptoms?
When you are anxious, your body goes into fight or flight mode and releases adrenaline. When you worry about the future or try to control things that you can't control, your primitive brain thinks that you are under threat. Therefore your brain gets your body ready to fight or run by triggering adrenaline to be released.
Adrenaline causes your heart to pump faster, which makes you prone to skipped beats and arrhythmias. You begin to sweat so that you can be cool when you run. You automatically start breathing from your chest instead of from your diaphragm so that you can take in more oxygen. But when you breathe from your chest while you're resting, it's harder to breathe and you feel as if you're being smothered.
Blood is drained away from the nonessential organs like your gastrointestinal tract, which makes you feel nauseous. Your brain becomes hyperactive so that you can detect threats quickly. But it's harder to think clearly. You're more focused on the worst case scenarios, which tends to make you overreact. In other words, adrenaline explains all the physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety.
Some medical diseases can also produce these symptoms. I won't list these conditions, because they are much less common than anxiety.
Anxiety and Depression
Approximately 90 percent of people who are depressed also feel anxious.(2) Anxiety is such a common symptom of depression that some doctors feel if a patient suffers from anxiety, the first explanation that should be considered is depression.
There are other causes of anxiety. Not everyone who is anxious is depressed. Anxiety can exist on its own without depression. But most people who are depressed are anxious. (Reference: www.AnxietyDepressionHealth.org.)
The Causes of Anxiety
In Chapter 21 "Overcome Anxiety" you'll learn:
- The two most common negative beliefs that lead to anxiety
- How early experiences can lead to anxiety
- How anxiety affects relationships
The Consequences of Chronic Anxiety
Chronic anxiety is exhausting. Your body and mind are not meant to be in overdrive for very long. Chronic anxiety burns up neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin and you become mentally and emotionally exhausted.
Background anxiety usually causes the most consequences. It's the anxiety that you push to the back of your mind and try to ignore that has the biggest effect. For example, relationship issues, work stress, and illness can all take a toll on your body and mind.
Here are some of the physical consequences of chronic anxiety:
- Heart: high blood pressure and arrhythmias
- Muscles: neck pain, shoulder pain, and back pain
- Head: headaches, teeth grinding, TMJ pain
- Gastrointestinal: ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort
- Skin: rashes, eczema, psoriasis
- Chest: chest pain in your ribcage. This happens because the muscles between your ribs tighten up and go into spasm. Of course there are also potentially serious causes of chest pain. Do not assume that your chest pain is due to tension. Always consult a doctor.
These are some of the emotional consequences of chronic anxiety:
- Poor concentration
- Irritability
- Exhaustion
- Loss of enjoyment
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Feeling hopeless or pessimistic
- Depression
- Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
How to Reduce Anxiety
Learn relaxation techniques to reduce your anxiety.
Learn cognitive therapy techniques to reduce your anxiety.
Learn More
In the book "I Want to Change My Life" you'll learn:
- How to treat and prevent anxiety
- Mind-body relaxation techniques to overcome anxiety
- Cognitive therapy to treat and prevent anxiety
- Common types of negative thinking that make you prone to anxiety
- Numerous thought record examples that you can use for anxiety
Last Modified: January 28, 2010
In AnxietyDepressionHealth.org you will learn the following information. Learn about anxiety, anxiety disorders, including panic disorders. There is information on the symptoms of anxiety, causes plus treatment. The website also has information on panic and anxiety, panic attacks, including more information on panic symptoms, and panic and anxiety disorders. There is anxiety help, including an anxiety test, the symptoms of anxiety, with information on the causes of anxiety, and facts on panic attack symptoms. Also covered are anxiety drugs and anti-anxiety medication. Learn techniques for overcoming anxiety and the treatment for anxiety. Discover what are anxiety effects. Learn the symptoms of panic attack, in addition to the causes of anxiety, and information on overcoming panic. You'll learn about panic treatment, anti-anxiety drugs and medication. Discover facts about generalized anxiety and anxiety stress. In summary, there is information on the diagnosis, symptoms, causes, treatment, and medication for anxiety and depression. For a more information refer to the book, I Want to Change My Life by Dr. Steven M. Melemis..