Understanding Your Anxiety & Seeking Support for a More Fulfilling Life
What is anxiety, and how should you navigate it? Dr. Christopher Okiishi, An Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist, explains.
Anxiety disorders are among the most common challenges discussed with mental health professionals. It is estimated that up to 20% of people will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Fortunately, anxiety is also one of the most treatable conditions — with most people finding treatment to be positively life-changing.
What is an anxiety disorder?
The word “anxiety” is used to describe many things. For example, a person may describe themselves as feeling “anxious” for a vacation to get here, for school to end, or for a new movie to come out. In these cases, they may be using “anxious” to describe feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, anticipation, or even hopefulness. This is not the kind of anxiety we are referring to when mental health professionals speak about anxiety disorders.
People experiencing anxiety disorders feel excessive fear, panic, dread or worry. These are not pleasant or exciting thoughts, and they can occupy a lot of a person’s time while creating significant distress. Anxiety disorders can be debilitating, preventing a person from doing things they want or need to do — like spending time with family or friends, going to school, working a job, or just thinking clearly. At their worst, anxiety disorders can consume a person’s day-to-day life to the point that it’s disabling.
For some, anxiety is triggered by an event or circumstance. Other times, it may seem to come out of nowhere. It is not uncommon for individuals to develop coping skills on their own, but oftentimes these methods aren’t sustainable or may become ineffective as our environments change. This tends to be when issues arise, leading individuals to seek support from mental health professionals.
Types of anxiety disorders
There are many types of anxieties, each differing in how they occur. Each person is unique, so each treatment approach may be nuanced.
Let’s explore some of the most common types of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The most common form of anxiety is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
GAD is well named in that people with this condition feel a general sense of fear or dread, occurring most of the time, on most days, for at least six months. Experiencing GAD is essentially feeling like something bad is going to happen soon, but the person is unsure what this may be or when it might happen. Sometimes, people worry more than others about school or work, even when they are doing well.
Some people with this condition will have trouble sleeping, feel inattentive or confused, have limited energy during the day, can become irritable and short-tempered, feel restless or “edgy,” and may even lose their appetite or see a decreased interest in usual activities.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder is a more focused form of anxiety, marked by excessive fear of drawing attention to oneself in a public place. People with Social Anxiety Disorder find it very hard to enter a room where people are already gathered, to engage in any activity that would put themselves in public view, and eventually to be in social situations altogether due to extreme discomfort and worry.
Panic Disorder
Another form is Panic Disorder. Individuals who experience more than one panic attack — a sudden episode of physical symptoms such as dizziness, heart racing, nausea, sweating, shortness of breath, trembling, or choking sensations — may think there is something seriously wrong with their health or that they are dying.
These attacks usually peak at 10 minutes and then fade away. Afterward, people with Panic Disorder become very concerned about having another panic attack and even make unhealthy changes in their lives to avoid them. They may resort to isolating, avoiding triggering situations, or withdrawing from work or school altogether.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder marked by either obsessions, compulsions, or both.
Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted, unpleasant thoughts that provoke a person’s anxiety. Typically, they are the opposite of a person’s true beliefs or intentions. For instance, constant thoughts or concerns about hurting others may occur, even when the person understands that this is not objectively true. Despite considerable efforts, people with this disorder find it hard to push these negative thoughts away.
Compulsions are behaviors or routines that people adopt in order to lower anxiety. Sometimes, they are paired with obsessions in a way that seemingly makes sense. For example, an obsession with being contaminated by germs paired with a need to wash and re-wash hands. Other times, they are not neatly paired, such as a person who needs to tap a certain number of times with a pencil on a desk to prevent a loved one from getting hurt.
People with this condition can spend hours and hours acting out their compulsive behaviors because they desperately want relief from their anxiety. And if nothing bad happens, individuals with OCD begin to believe it was because they performed their compulsions — so the need to continue becomes greater.
Treatment for Anxiety Disorders
A common treatment for anxiety is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach, often supplemented with medication management.
Psychotherapy
There are several different kinds of psychotherapy that have been shown to be effective in treating anxiety, including:
· Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
· Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
· Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
You and your therapist can explore what works best for you and your condition.
Medication Management
There are many medications that have shown evidence in treating anxiety disorders. Your clinician’s goal is to work with you to find an option that resolves symptoms with a low amount of side effects. For most people, this is very possible.
First, it’s important to meet with a primary care physician to rule out any medical causes of anxiety symptoms. Your physician may order some tests to ensure that other conditions are not present.
As with many challenges, taking steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle will also help with mental health challenges in the long run. Regular and adequate sleep, a wide variety of nutrients from food, physical exercise, and engaging in rewarding or relaxing activities are all healthy habits that promote stronger mental health.
If you find yourself struggling with an anxiety disorder, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible. With the proper support, you can regain control and get back on track to a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life without the burden of unmanaged anxiety.
