We all experience anxiety from time to time, especially when under stress and extreme situations. Anxiety is common and, to some degree, a healthy emotion. However, chronic anxiety can result in anxiety disorders which will negatively interfere with the overall quality of your life.
Though, when a person exhibits disproportionate anxiety levels, it becomes a point of concern. Statistics show that an averagely of 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders.
Understanding Anxiety: Definition
Anxiety is a strong emotion characterized by worrying thoughts, tension, and physical attributes like high blood pressure.
How Anxiety Affects Our Bodies
Normal anxiety when under stress, e.g., when attending a job interview, is a normal reaction to tension. Over a short time, anxiety will increase your heart rate and breathing. It will also increase the concentration of blood flow to the brain, where it is needed the most. These reactions are set to prepare you to face even the worst situations.
However, if you have an anxiety disorder, the anxiety gets too intense. You will begin feeling nauseous and lightheaded. Persistent anxiety will have an adverse effect on your mental and physical health.
Anxiety can affect your central nervous system. When you get long-term anxiety, your brain will regularly release stress hormones, which could harm your physical health. It also increases your heart rate and palpitations, increasing your risk of contracting high blood pressure or, at the worst, heart disease.
Often, anxiety also interferes with your digestive by causing stomach aches, diarrhea, nausea, and other digestive issues. Sometimes, loss of appetite or excessive increase in appetite also happens.
Although anxiety disorders can crop up at any stage, the disorder is common in middle-aged persons, especially women. Women tend to have a higher tendency to suffer from anxiety disorders compared to men.
Also, exposure to a stressful life will increase your risk of suffering from an anxiety disorder. Symptoms can appear immediately or take years to show.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders can take different forms such as;
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
This disorder is characterized by high and excessive anxiety without a logical reason. If you notice you have extreme worry about things for an extended period of six months or longer, it could be a symptom.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
This disorder comes about after experiencing or witnessing traumatic events. The most common symptoms are war, physical attacks, and natural disasters. Sadly, the anxiety disorders of PTSD can be triggered abruptly.
- Social Anxiety Disorder
Do you get paralyzing fear anytime you are in social situations? If you have a considerably high worry of getting humiliated or judged by others, you might be suffering from a social anxiety disorder. It mainly happens in teenagehood, and most people are reluctant to seek help about it.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
If you notice an overwhelming feeling to perform certain activities repeatedly until you get it right, you might be having OCD. He needs to perform compulsions over and over; e.g., obsession over cleanliness could indicate OCD.
What You Can Do About Anxiety?
No doubt, anxiety poses different risks to your health. However, the first step is visiting a health professional. Having a professional diagnosis will help you know if you are suffering from normal anxiety or if your anxiety is a disorder.
A common recommendation is to take supplements such as ReCalm. It is a stress relief complex that reduces anxiety and improves your mood. Most professionals recommend it because it is made of natural ingredients to reduce stress and improve your focus.