By BobbieJo Paul, FNP, Provider/Health Coach, ATI Active Care
Sweaty palms, racing heart, dry mouth…the experience passes and you are back to feeling normal.
Whether it’s from anticipation or worrying about a current situation, everyone experiences that feeling of anxiousness from time to time. But, when that anxious feeling becomes more frequent, it can affect a person’s daily life. There are many people who have excessive and unrealistic worry over everyday things or tasks – the same types of tasks that other people deal with and don’t give a second thought. Those with uncontrollable excessive worry likely have anxiety.
There are different kinds of anxiety disorders, but simply put, anxiety is a condition where excessive worry affects a person’s ability to function normally. Anxiety can affect both children and adults and can interfere with activities that affect the ability to perform a job, do school work, and even relationships.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the following are examples of symptoms for anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder – Displaying excessive anxiety or worry for months and face several anxiety related symptoms, including:
- Restlessness or feeling wound-up or on edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating or having the mind go blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty controlling the worry
- Sleep problems (difficulty falling or staying asleep, restless, or unsatisfying sleep)
Panic Disorder – Having recurrent, unexpected panic attacks. Symptoms include:
- Sudden and repeated attacks of intense fear
- Feelings of being out of control during a panic attack
- Intense worries about when the next attack will happen
- Fear or avoidance of places where panic attacks have occurred in the past
Social Anxiety Disorder – Having a marked fear of social or performance situations. Symptoms include:
- Feeling highly anxious about being with other people and having a hard time talking to them
- Feeling very self-conscious in front of other people and worried about feeling humiliated, embarrassed or rejected, or fearful of offending others
- Being very afraid that other people will judge them
- Worrying for days or weeks before an event where other people will be
- Staying away from places where there are other people
- Having a hard time making friends and keeping friends
- Blushing, sweating, or trembling around other people
- Feeling nauseous or sick to your stomach when other people are around
Some people are more at risk for developing anxiety, but help is available. Those who are shy, have few economic resources, were exposed to stressful life events in childhood and adulthood, are female, have been divorced or widowed, have family members with anxiety disorders and have elevated afternoon cortisol levels are at an increased risk for developing an anxiety disorder. With therapy and/or medication, people can have reduced symptoms related to their anxiety. They can learn how to manage symptoms and work on skills to be productive in anxiety provoking situations.
If someone has symptoms of anxiety, it is best to seek professional medical advice for proper evaluation and treatment. For those who know someone with anxiety, know that there are times that the person may act in a way that seems out of place, but they might be trying to cope with a situation and the reaction might be part of coping.