Anxiety refers to a general feeling of unease that often occurs in response to a stressful or uncomfortable event, such as making a speech in public for the first time or going on a date with a new acquaintance. The degree of anxiety a person feels at any given moment is an individual concern based largely on their background and the resulting temperament. One reliable aspect of anxiety, however, is that the associated physical symptoms are usually treatable in a number of ways, no matter what their origin, duration or strength.
General Symptoms
A distinctive characteristic of anxiety is the wide range of individual sufferers demonstrate, in addition to heightened emotional responses like extreme irritability, great sadness and irrational anger. The most common include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, an inability to focus or concentrate, recurring headaches, profuse sweating, uncontrollable trembling, tense muscles and nausea.
Panic Attacks
When anxiety increases to a certain boiling point that varies among individuals, the outcome can be a full-blown panic attack. During these episodes of intense and seemingly unstoppable agitation, sufferers may demonstrate some of the previously mentioned physical symptoms, such as trembling and sweating, as well as choking sensations, flashes of hot or cold, disorientation, faintness and a quickened heartbeat.
Anxiety Disorders
The umbrella term "anxiety disorder" refers to a group of mental illnesses that includes Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder and a variety of phobias. Though diverse in causation and outlook, all share one unique trait: extreme and persistent feelings of uneasiness in response to real or imagined stimuli. Commonly linked with depression and both substance and alcohol abuse, such disorders are often difficult to identify until various associated symptoms like those previously discussed become very frequent.
Causes
Many of the that individuals with anxiety experience are directly due to the pressure they are under as a result of the various stressful events that normally occur in life. This general tendency supports the belief that stress is a primary factor in the emergence of anxiety disorders and the ensuing symptoms, as well. A disproportionately stressful life event can precipitate or lead to an anxiety disorder, and the typical problems people encounter everyday can take on bigger and more urgent significance to a person who has an , thereby prompting more severe physical symptoms in response.
Treatment
The appropriate remedy for the physical symptoms arising from anxiety depends on the individual and the symptom. For instance, some headaches can be treated with a simple pain reliever, while those who suffer from persistent headaches might benefit more from a combination of pain relievers and counseling to help combat the problem that originally produced or increased the stress. The same is true for individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
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