Uncovering Anxiety Disorders and How They Can Affect Us

We all live with some type of stress at one point or another in our lives. Whether you experience stress on the job, stress with your family, or stress of any other kind, it affects us in an adverse way if it continues on for too long. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps us deal with a difficult and tense situation at work or at school and keeps us focused on our task so we can cope with whatever is going on.

Anxiety can become disabling in those who become irrational in their thinking about this stress. It becomes excessive, dreadful, and debilitating. There are five major kinds of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

Generalized anxiety disorder includes chronic anxiety that is made much worse by worry and tension. There are times when there has been nothing to provoke this feeling but it's there anyway. People who suffer from this can't shake their concerns. They may find themselves being concerned about getting into their car and driving to work because of their fear of getting into an accident. They may worry excessively about their children's safety even though they are just fine. Physical symptoms that they may experience are fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, trembling, difficulty swallowing, twitching, sweating, and irritability. Some people have hot flashes.

Treatment for generalized anxiety disorder includes a myriad of medications, as with any disorder. Medications are fine for some but not all people want to medicate themselves at every turn. For those that prefer to go another route, psychotherapy can be beneficial. This involves talking to a mental health professional to discover what has caused an anxiety disorder and how to deal with it. Oftentimes, cognitive-behavioral therapy is used. This therapy helps one change their thinking patterns that support their fears and encourage new thoughts that create positive reactions in anxiety-provoking situations.