Anxiety or anxiety It is normal to feel when a person faces a situation or hears news that causes fear or worry. However, anxiety need to be careful if it appears for no reason or is difficult to control, because it could be caused by an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders and anxiety not the same. Anxiety is considered normal if it is still under control and disappears after the triggering factors for the emergence of anxiety are resolved.
However, if the feeling of anxiety persists or worsens until it finally interferes with daily activities, the condition can be said to be an anxiety disorder (anxiety disorder).
Know Various Symptom Anxiety
Everyone can feel anxious when they are about to face or are in a situation that they feel is threatening or scary, such as changing schools, starting a new job, about to undergo surgery, having a friend or family member affected by an accident, or waiting for a wife to give birth.
The emergence of anxiety because they have to deal with situations or circumstances that are considered to be stressful is normal. Anxious people will usually experience the following symptoms:
- Nervous, restless and tense
- Fast heart rate
- Quick breath
- shaking
- Difficult or even unable to sleep
- Sweat a lot
- Body feels weak
- Difficult to concentrate
- There is a feeling like there will be danger
Differentiate Anxiety Normal with Anxiety Dangerous
anxious or anxiety not always bad. With positive thoughts, the anxiety that arises can be used as motivation or encouragement to be able to overcome certain challenges or situations.
For example, during an exam or job interview, anxiety might motivate you to study or prepare for a job interview as well as possible.
The thing to watch out for is when anxiety persists even though the trigger factor has disappeared or feelings of anxiety appear for no apparent reason and interfere with activities. In this case, you should suspect an anxiety disorder.
Each sufferer may experience different symptoms, depending on the type of anxiety disorder he or she suffers from. To determine whether anxiety If the symptoms appear normal or are caused by mental disorders, it is necessary to have an examination by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
A number of Types of Anxiety You Need to Know
The following are the types anxiety disorder or anxiety disorder and its symptoms:
1. Ggeneralized anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder)
A person suffering from generalized anxiety disorder can feel anxious or excessively worried about various things, from work, health, to simple things, such as interacting with other people.
Anxiety Symptoms that arise due to generalized anxiety disorder can be felt every day and persist for more than 6 months. As a result, people with this anxiety disorder will find it difficult to carry out daily activities and work.
In addition to disturbing anxiety, people with generalized anxiety disorder can also feel tired, tense, nauseated, headache, difficulty concentrating, shortness of breath, and insomnia.
2. Fobia
Phobias are a type of disorder anxiety which makes the sufferer have an excessive fear and tend to be irrational towards a certain object, animal, or situation that does not cause fear in most people.
People who have a phobia may experience panic attacks or intense fear when they see an object or place that triggers the phobia, such as spiders, blood, being in a crowd, a dark place, a high place, or an enclosed space.
Therefore, people with phobias will usually make every effort to distance themselves from the thing or situation that they fear.
3. Social anxiety disorder
People with social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, have extreme anxiety or fear of social environments or situations in which they have to interact with other people.
People with this phobia always feel watched and judged by others, and are afraid or excessively embarrassed when in a crowd. These things make the sufferer always try to avoid situations that require him to meet or interact with many people.
4. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD can occur in someone who has experienced a traumatic event or been in a life-threatening situation. For example, living in areas of conflict or war, affected by natural disasters, or victims of violence.
People who suffer from PTSD often find it difficult to forget the traumatic experience, whether it comes to mind or during a dream, which then makes them feel guilty, isolated, and difficult to socialize with others.
Sometimes people who have PTSD can also experience insomnia and even depression.
5. Panic disorder
Maybe you have panicked when you received shocking news, for example, when a family member or close relative was affected by an accident. However, this is normal for you to experience. In contrast to panic disorder sufferers who can feel afraid or panic for no apparent reason.
Anxiety and panic attacks due to this disorder can appear at any time and occur suddenly or repeatedly. When panic symptoms appear, people with panic disorder can usually feel a number of other symptoms, such as palpitations, cold sweats, dizziness, shortness of breath, and body shaking and feeling weak.
People with panic disorder cannot predict when the disorder will appear or what triggers. Therefore, not a few people with panic disorder who distance themselves from the social environment for fear of recurrence of panic attacks in public places.
6. Gobsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
People who suffer from OCD have a tendency to do things over and over again to relieve anxiety that comes from their own minds. For example, he must wash his hands 3 times because he thinks his hands are still dirty.
This disorder is difficult to control, is persistent, and can recur at any time, making it difficult for the sufferer to carry out daily activities.
Some Ways to Overcome Anxiety
To relieve or prevent feelings of anxiety, you can do the following ways:
- Adequate sleep and rest
- Limiting the consumption of caffeine and alcoholic beverages
- Reduce stress by trying relaxation techniques, such as meditation and yoga
- Doing physical activity or exercising regularly
- Trying to exchange ideas or vent with friends
If the above methods have been carried out and the trigger factors anxiety has also been resolved but the anxiety has not gone away, you should consult a psychiatrist. To determine the cause and type of anxiety disorder you are experiencing, a psychiatrist will perform a psychological examination.
If the results of the examination show that you have an anxiety disorder, the psychiatrist will treat you anxiety you feel with psychotherapy and counseling, and giving sedatives if needed.
Anxiety that arise due to anxiety disorders over time have the potential to make sufferers feel depressed, want to commit suicide, to abuse drugs or alcoholic beverages. Therefore, if you experience it, immediately consult a psychiatrist.