What is Anxiety? How mind is related ?

Anxiety, as they say, is like having a constant ‘dharna’ in your mind, often for no apparent reason.

As a prevalent mental health issue, it affects lakhs of individuals across our country.

Understanding anxiety, its symptoms, causes, and ways to manage it is crucial – for ourselves, our loved ones, and the broader community.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is akin to your car’s alarm going off when there’s no threat in sight. It’s a sense of unease, such as worry or fear, which can be mild or severe.

Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life, like before exams or a job interview.

However, when these feelings persist and affect daily life, we may be dealing with an anxiety disorder.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Chronic anxiety with excessive worry about different things.
• Panic Disorder: Characterised by panic attacks, sudden bouts of terror, often accompanied by a pounding heart and sweatiness.
• Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of social situations leading to self-isolation.
• Specific Phobias: Intense fear of specific things or situations, such as spiders or flying.
• Separation Anxiety Disorder: Worry about being parted from people to whom one is attached.
• Agoraphobia: Fear of places or situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment.
• Other specified or unspecified anxiety disorders: These include situations where anxiety symptoms don’t fully meet the criteria for any of the specific disorders.

Symptoms of Anxiety

• Physical Symptoms: These can include a racing heart, tightening of the chest, or excessive sweating. They happen because the body is preparing itself to face a threat.
• Psychological Symptoms: Feeling restless or worried, having trouble concentrating or sleeping – these are all psychological symptoms of anxiety. It’s the mind response to perceived danger.
• Behavior Changes: You might start to avoid certain places or activities because they make you feel anxious. This is your way of trying to protect yourself from a perceived threat.

Causes and Risk Factors

Anxiety can be due to various factors, such as:

• Biological Factors: Changes in hormone levels or the functioning of certain parts of the brain.
• Environmental Factors: Stressful life situations like work pressure or family disputes.
• Psychological and Developmental Factors: Certain personality types are more prone to anxiety, and early life experiences can also contribute.
• Genetics and Family History: Just like physical traits, anxiety can run in families too.

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The Process of Diagnosing Anxiety

Diagnosis involves a mental and mind health professional examining your symptoms.

They use interviews, questionnaires, and sometimes medical tests to rule out other conditions.

The diagnosis is based on criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).

Treatment Options for Anxiety

• Psychotherapy: This can include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Exposure Therapy.
• Medication: Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines, etc., can be helpful in managing symptoms.
• Lifestyle changes and Self-Care Strategies: Regular physical exercise, a healthy diet, sufficient sleep, and limiting caffeine and alcohol can help.
• Complementary and Alternative Treatments: Techniques like yoga, meditation, and Ayurvedic treatments can also be beneficial.

Prevention Strategies

Prevention involves early detection and intervention, adopting healthy lifestyle practices, and learning stress management techniques like deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation.

Living with Anxiety

Managing anxiety involves taking small, day-to-day steps like breaking down large tasks into smaller ones, taking time for hobbies, and staying connected with people.

Social support and self-care are crucial aspects of managing this condition.

Conclusion

While anxiety can be a daunting experience, understanding it is the first step to managing it.

Never hesitate to seek professional help if you’re struggling with anxiety.

Dr Sushil Kumar

Dr Sushil is a researcher and founder of D WA Herbals with objective of providing healthy longevity to society. His aim is to develop food and drink-based products by using the inherent qualities of traditional herbs by optimizing their effect through modern technology, making our products extremely user-friendly. The research is focused on various lifestyle issues such as anxiety, stress, metabolism, digestion, immunity and may more which impact the health and lifestyle.