What is Anxiety, Its main Signs and Symptoms and Treatment

What is Anxiety | Anxiety Definition

Anxiety is just a normal and often healthy emotion. However, when a person regularly feels disproportionate levels of anxiety it may become a medical disorder. These disorders form a category of mental health diagnoses that lead to excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry.

It can also be experienced occasionally in each and every person’s life. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Furthermore,  anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).

Types Of Anxiety

The most common types of Anxiety are:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) A person feels anxious on most days, worrying about lots of different things, for a period of six months or more. …
• Social anxiety. …
• Specific phobias. …
• Panic disorder. …
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) …
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Causes of Anxiety

Most Anxiety cases are commonly caused by external factors like the following:

• Stress at work.
• Stress from school.
• Stress in a personal relationship such as marriage.
• Financial stress.
• Stress from an emotional trauma such as the death of a loved one.
• Stress from a serious medical illness.
• A side effect of medication.
• Use of an illicit drug, such as cocaine.

Anxiety Attack

These attacks mainly can occur when a person fears that something bad is going to happen. It is a non-medical term that refers to a feeling of fear or worry that often relates to a particular issue or concern. it can also be described as well as feelings of fear and worry, it often involves physical symptoms, such as muscle tension.

Anxiety Medication | Anxiety Pills

The most appropriate medication for anxiety disorders is The antidepressants prescribed for anxiety are SSRIs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Celexa. SSRIs have been used to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder

Anxiety Disorder

There are mainly five anxiety disorders. They include the following:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called “rituals,” however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.
• Panic Disorder
  Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.
• Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
  Social Phobia, or Social Anxiety Disorder, is an anxiety disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Social phobia can be limited to only one type of situation – such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal situations, or eating or drinking in front of others – or, in its most severe form, may be so broad that a person experiences symptoms almost anytime they are around other people.

Anxiety Symptoms

There are so many Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders in which people with anxiety portray. They include the following

• Excessive Worrying

The most common symptoms of anxiety disorder are excessive worrying. The worrying associated with anxiety disorders is disproportionate to the events that trigger it and typically occurs in response to normal, everyday situations. To be considered a sign of generalized anxiety disorder, the worrying must occur on most days for at least six months and be difficult to control.

The worrying must also be severe and intrusive, making it difficult to concentrate and accomplish daily tasks. People under the age of 65 are at the highest risk of generalized anxiety disorder, especially those who are single, have a lower socioeconomic status and have many life stressors.

• Feeling Agitated

When someone is feeling anxious, part of their sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive. This kicks off a cascade of effects throughout the body, such as a racing pulse, sweaty palms, shaky hands and dry mouth. These symptoms occur because your brain believes you have sensed danger, and it is preparing your body to react to the threat.

Your body shunts blood away from your digestive system and toward your muscles in case you need to run or fight. It also increases your heart rate and heightens your senses. While these effects would be helpful in the case of a true threat, they can be debilitating if the fear is all in your head. Some research even suggests that people with anxiety disorders are not able to reduce their arousal as quickly as people without anxiety disorders, which means they may feel the effects of anxiety for a longer period of time.

• Restlessness

Restlessness is another common symptom of anxiety, especially in children and teens. When someone is experiencing restlessness, they often describe it as feeling “on edge” or having an “uncomfortable urge to move.”One study in 128 children diagnosed with anxiety disorders found that 74% reported restlessness as one of their main anxiety symptoms.

While restlessness does not occur in all people with anxiety, it is one of the red flags doctors frequently look for when making a diagnosis. If you experience restlessness on the majority of days for more than six months, it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

• Fatigue

Becoming easily fatigued is another potential symptom of generalized anxiety disorder. This symptom can be surprising to some, as anxiety is commonly associated with hyperactivity or arousal. For some, fatigue can follow an anxiety attack, while for others, the fatigue can be chronic. It’s unclear whether this fatigue is due to other common symptoms of anxiety, such as insomnia or muscle tension, or whether it may be related to the hormonal effects of chronic anxiety.

However, it is important to note that fatigue can also be a sign of depression or other medical conditions, so fatigue alone is not enough to diagnose an anxiety disorder.

• Difficulty Concentrating

Many people with anxiety report having difficulty concentrating. One study including 157 children and teens with generalized anxiety disorder found that more than two-thirds had difficulty concentrating. Another study in 175 adults with the same disorder found that almost 90% reported having difficulty concentrating. The worse their anxiety was, the more trouble they had.

Some studies show that anxiety can interrupt working memory, a type of memory responsible for holding short-term information. This may help explain the dramatic decrease in performance people often experience during periods of high anxiety.

However, difficulty concentrating can also be a symptom of other medical conditions, such as an attention deficit disorder or depression, so it is not enough evidence to diagnose an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety Quotes

The following are some of the words people can say to keep themselves calm and avoid anxiety. They are mostly handpicked for their ability to uplift people from their distress.

• “Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” by Deepak Chopra
• “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” by  Thich Nhat Hanh
• “You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.” by Dan Millan
• “Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” by Walter Anderson
• “P.S. You’re not going to die. Here’s the white-hot truth: if you go bankrupt, you’ll still be okay. If you lose the gig, the lover, the house, you’ll still be okay. If you sing off-key, get beat by the competition, have your heart shattered, get fired…it’s not going to kill you. Ask anyone who’s been through it.” by Danielle LaPorte
• “You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” by Olin Miller
• “You can’t always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” by Wayne Dyer
• “Don’t worry if people think you’re crazy. You are crazy. You have that kind of intoxicating insanity that lets other people dream outside of the lines and become who they’re destined to be.” by  Jennifer Elisabeth
• “Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety; after all, it is only in the darkest nights that stars shine more brightly.” by Ali Ibn Abi Talib

Anxiety Icd 10

This is a Generalized anxiety disorder. F41.1 which is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. The 2019 edition of ICD-10-CM F41.1 became effective on October 1, 2018

Anxiety Treatment

If a person can manage anxiety at home without clinical supervision, this may be limited to shorter and less severe periods of anxiety. Doctors recommend several exercises and techniques to cope with brief  bouts of anxiety, including:

• Stress management: Limit potential triggers by managing stress levels. Keep an eye on pressures and deadlines, organize daunting tasks in to-do lists, and take enough time off from professional or educational obligations.
• Relaxation techniques: Certain measures can help reduce signs of anxiety, including deep-breathing exercises, long baths, meditation, yoga, and resting in the dark.
  Exercises to replace negative thoughts with positive ones: Write down a list of any negative thoughts, and make another list of positive thoughts to replace them. Picturing yourself successfully facing and conquering a specific fear can also provide benefits if the anxiety symptoms link to a specific stressor.
• Support network: Talk to a person who is supportive, such as a family member or friend. Avoid storing up and suppressing anxious feelings as this can worsen anxiety disorders.
  Exercise: Physical exertion and an active lifestyle can improve self-image and trigger the release of chemicals in the brain that stimulates positive emotions.

Anxiety Meme

Meme

Anxiety In Children

In most cases, children are commonly chronically anxious and exacerbate the youngster’s anxiety. It happens when parents, anticipating a child’s fears, try to protect her from them. Here are pointers for helping children escape the cycle of anxiety.

1. The goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety, but to help a child manage it.
None of us wants to see a child unhappy, but the best way to help kids overcome anxiety isn’t to try to remove stressors that trigger it. It’s to help them learn to tolerate their anxiety and function, as well as they, can, even when they’re anxious. And as a byproduct of that, the anxiety will decrease or fall away over time.

2. Don’t avoid things just because they make a child anxious.
Helping children avoid the things they are afraid of will make them feel better in the short term, but it reinforces the anxiety over the long run. If a child in an uncomfortable situation gets upset, starts to cry—not to be manipulative, but just because that’s how she feels—and her parents whisk her out of there, or remove the thing she’s afraid of, she’s learned that coping mechanism, and that cycle has the potential to repeat itself.

3. Express positive—but realistic—expectations.
You can’t promise a child that his fears are unrealistic—that he won’t fail a test, that he’ll have fun ice skating, or that another child won’t laugh at him during show & tell. But you can express confidence that he’s going to be okay, he will be able to manage it, and that, as he faces his fears, the anxiety level will drop over time. This gives him confidence that your expectations are realistic, and that you’re not going to ask him to do something he can’t handle.

4. Respect her feelings, but don’t empower them.
It’s important to understand that validation doesn’t always mean agreement. So if a child is terrified about going to the doctor because she’s due for a shot, you don’t want to belittle her fears, but you also don’t want to amplify them.You want to listen and be empathetic, help her understand what she’s anxious about, and encourage her to feel that she can face her fears. The message you want to send is, “I know you’re scared, and that’s okay, and I’m here, and I’m going to help you get through this.”

5. Don’t ask leading questions.
Encourage your child to talk about his feelings, but try not to ask leading questions— “Are you anxious about the big test? Are you worried about the science fair?” To avoid feeding the cycle of anxiety, just ask open-ended questions: “How are you feeling about the science fair?”

6. Don’t reinforce the child’s fears.
What you don’t want to do is be saying, with your tone of voice or body language: “Maybe this is something that you should be afraid of.” Let’s say a child has had a negative experience with a dog. Next time she’s around a dog, you might be anxious about how she will respond, and you might unintentionally send a message that she should, indeed, be worried.

7. Encourage the child to tolerate her anxiety.
Let your child know that you appreciate the work it takes to tolerate anxiety in order to do what he wants or needs to do. It’s really encouraging him to engage in life and to let the anxiety take its natural curve. We call it the “habituation curve”—it will drop over time as he continues to have contact with the stressor. It might not drop to zero, it might not drop as quickly as you would like, but that’s how we get over our fears.

8. Try to keep the anticipatory period short.
When we’re afraid of something, the hardest time is really before we do it. So another rule of thumb for parents is to really try to eliminate or reduce the anticipatory period. If a child is nervous about going to a doctor’s appointment, you don’t want to launch into a discussion about it two hours before you go; that’s likely to get your child more keyed up. So just try to shorten that period to a minimum.

9. Think things through with the child.
Sometimes it helps to talk through what would happen if a child’s fear came true—how would she handle it? A child who’s anxious about separating from her parents might worry about what would happen if they didn’t come to pick her up. So we talk about that. If your mom doesn’t come at the end of soccer practice, what would you do? “Well I would tell the coach my mom’s not here.” And what do you think the coach would do? “Well he would call my mom. Or he would wait with me.” A child who’s afraid that a stranger might be sent to pick her up can have a code word from her parents that anyone they sent would know. For some kids, having a plan can reduce the uncertainty in a healthy, effective way.

10. Try to model healthy ways of handling anxiety.
There are multiple ways you can help kids handle anxiety by letting them see how you cope with anxiety yourself. Kids are perceptive, and they’re going to take it in if you keep complaining on the phone to a friend that you can’t handle the stress or the anxiety. I’m not saying to pretend that you don’t have stress and anxiety, but let kids hear or see you managing it calmly, tolerating it, feeling good about getting through it.

Anxiety Prevention

You can be able to manage this disorder by carefully managing your time and energy. Avoid unhealthy substance use. Alcohol and drug use and even nicotine or caffeine use can cause or worsen anxiety.

Anxiety Natural Remedies

The following natural practices and remedies are used to control and stabilize anxiety disorders. They include:

• Doing frequent Exercise also assists in the treatment of anxiety
•  Meditation can also help to slow racing thoughts, making it easier to manage stress and anxiety
• You can also do relaxation exercises to calm tour nerves and
• Writing
• Time management strategies
• Aromatherapy
• Cannabidiol oil
• Herbal teas.