What is anxiety?

Every normal person experiences anxiety in response to something that scares them, be it a fear-producing situation that can happen in daily life or a fantasized threat. It can even show up in your dreams. When it’s strong enough and/or frequent enough to restrict your mental functioning or in some extreme instances, even impair your physical function, it’s an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety can affect groups and whole societies as well as individuals. There has been, for almost a decade in the United States, a mass fear of terrorist attack, brought on by the 2001 attack of 9/11. It is difficult, however, to maintain a high level of anxiety over a long period without it being considered a disorder. This is why it was decided, during World War II, that soldiers cannot be kept in the continual anxiety of combat situations for more than a year without suffering serious mental damage.

Very often one’s sense of security – rather, the lack of it – is the source of anxiety, be it fear of losing a job, fear of natural disaster, fear of attack, etc. It What makes some people more prone to anxiety than others is not known, but it’s now thought that the more unexpected and unprovoked an attack of anxiety or the symptoms of anxiety, the more likely the source is biological rather than behavioral.

What are anxiety attacks?

Anxiety attacks, also called panic attacks, are short-term, extreme bouts of anxiety. When they are frequent for an individual, they are considered symptoms of a disorder. There may be a temporary inability to think straight. Other symptoms – stomach upset, heart palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath – are also symptoms of amphetamine use, over-use of caffeine, an overactive thyroid, and heart abnormalities, making medical diagnosis imperative.

Someone having a panic attack may sense a profound loss of power which can sometimes even result in a loss of muscle control. Their mind may go blank. They may lose a sense of “realness” in that they feel as if they are looking on from outside themselves.

Some possible precursors of a panic attack to watch for, especially if they happen over and over again:

• Constant worry about things when there are no signs of trouble.
• Frequent aches and pains that can’t be traced to an illness or injury.
• Tiring easily, yet having trouble sleeping.
• A constant feeling of bodily tenseness.
• Heart palpitations for no reason.
• Dizziness.
• Difficulty in breathing.
• A feeling of imminent death.

What are different types of anxiety disorders and their symptoms?

Panic disorder is one type of anxiety disorder. Others are:

• Generalized anxiety disorder. Numerous worries, many irrational, that are very often uppermost in their mind interfere with general functioning, such as the ability to sleep, perform necessary duties, hold a job, form satisfactory relationships, etc.
• Phobic disorders. Fears of spiders, riding in airplanes, driving cars, open spaces, closed-in spaces, air travel, heights, crowds, etc., true phobias are irrational fears that can rise to the level of panic attacks in response to specific situations. Perhaps the most common, social phobia, is the persistent and irrational fear of situations like speaking in public or using public restrooms that may involve scrutiny or judgment by others. It goes beyond mere shyness because it affects the ability to function at work and in relationships. Social phobics may come to rely on drink or drugs to relax in social situations.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder. Someone with an obsessive disorder may worry excessively about such things as germs. It is commonly accompanied by compulsive behavior; the germ phobic, for example, may avoid public places and carry with him alcohol wipes to clean off anything before he touches it. Behavior sometimes includes superstitious beliefs such as stepping on pavement cracks will cause some kind of unspecified disaster.
• Separation anxiety. When a child becomes extremely anxious in response to actual or anticipated separation from a caregiver, he may express it as a fear of monsters hiding under the bed. Separation anxiety in adults after the sudden departure from a marriage by a spouse or death of a parent can result in excessive grieving or even suicide.
• Test anxiety is one of many situational anxieties that result from interrelated beliefs (most erroneous) and unfortunate experiences. Poor performance in a course can lead to increased pressure on oneself, especially if the outcome of a test or of a course is very important. Like many others, this anxiety may result from self-defeating behaviors that can be changed. If not addressed and corrected, anxieties such as this can build into bigger anxieties, such as social anxiety.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD. Exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened can produce PTSD. These events include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.

Can I treat anxiety myself?

Dealing with anxiety disorders should be done with the aid of a medical professional. But panic attacks call for an immediate personal response and therefore some preparation on your part.

• Make a list of the things that you’re afraid could happen. Then write out calming statements that tell you the opposite of your fears, reassurances you can repeat to yourself when panic starts coming on. Also have a list of calming things you can do, such as breathing deeply and slowly, focusing on forcing the air out of your lungs, making deep breaths come naturally.
• Lie down with your butt against a wall. Breathing in, press one foot into the wall and breathe out as you release it. For 10 - 15 minutes alternate feet. If there is no place to lie down, press your feet, one at a time, into the ground to feel connected and “rooted.”
• Bach’s Rescue Remedy (Flower Remedy) can take the edge off a crisis or panic attack. Take a few drops under your tongue or drink a glass of water with a few drops in it.
• Breathe into a brown paper bag. If you have lavender essence oil, put a drop in it for added calming. Lavender oil has a calming, soothing effect, as do helichrysum, frankincense, and majoram oils. Keep a prepared mixture in a dark glass bottle for when you need it.
• Remain focused in “the now” by using all of your senses to take full notice of what you see, hear, feel, and smell. Panic is generally associated with remembering upsetting events from the past or anticipating something upsetting in the future. Holding a pet can also help.

Medical treatment of anxiety

No matter what the cause, medical science can now overcome anxiety disorders in virtually all cases through a combination of drugs and therapy.

It is highly advisable that anyone suffering from an anxiety disorder consult their physician. Treatment commonly combines patient education, cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation training, biofeedback, and medications such as benzodiazepines, buspirone, and antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs). One commonly prescribed medication for panic disorder is Xanax, a fast-acting anti-depressant with a very short half-life that is prescribed only as an adjunct to more long-term treatment for anxiety disorders.