Is a feeling of unease, such as worry fear or nervousness, this is usually experienced when you are about to do something challenging or making a life changing decision. Anxiety is experienced by everyone and it is a normal experience. Anxiety can can be mild or severe.
If you feel anxious frequently and if you feel like it is affecting you way of life and sleep you are experiencing severe anxiety.
You may experience more than one type of anxiety. Understanding what type of anxiety you’re experiencing is the first step to recovering.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common form of anxiety. It is extreme and intense worry usually associated with everyday life.People with GAD may anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work…
Panic disorder is diagnosed in people who experience spontaneous seemingly out-of-the-blue panic attacks. Disorder is also accompanied by behavioral changes such as restlessness. This happens because one is overly…
It is absolutely normal to feel nervous in social situations where we might come under the attention of others, whether they’re strangers or people we know. Giving a speech or doing a presentation are likely to cause nervousness or anxiety…
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a particular set of reactions that can develop in people who have been through a traumatic event which threatened their life or safety, or that of others around them. This can be due to a car or other…
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). If you tend to have certain thoughts or tend to do certain routines repeatedly and are unable to control them, you might be experiencing OCD. Examples of very severe cases of OCD are – washing of…
Different types of anxiety have different symptoms. However, anxiety in general has certain distinct symptoms that can be identified easily.
When anxiety is left unattended, it can lead to other coexisting conditions. These can then affect the person more negatively and overcoming it can be more complex. The conditions below can and might co-exist with anxiety.
Anxiety and depression frequently coexist. At least 85% of people with major depression also have significant anxiety symptoms.
With Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), the percentage of people who have major depression is even higher.
Almost 33% of people with depression also experience panic attacks during their depressive episodes.
The most frequent symptoms are worry, inner tension or mental pain.
The first stage of recovery is admitting to yourself that you are experiencing anxiety.
If you know what kind of anxiety you are experiencing, talk to a close friend or family who you can trust and who will listen to you free of judgement.
If friends and familly cannot help and you are unsure of what you are experiencing it is advisable to seek professional help and see a mental health specialist.
It can be challenging and you may feel helpless or frustrated when communicating with someone experiencing anxiety. Here are some tips.
Tell the person that it is a good idea to seek help, and also explain to them how it can be beneficial. It is advisable to convince the person to take an appointment with a professional and also offer to accompany them.
Sometimes all a person who is stressed needs is someone to hear him or her out. Just take some time and listen to what they have to say. It is important to listen with an open mind and in a non-judgmental way.
Offer to join the person in doing what they like, activities he or she enjoys. This could be yoga, gym, tracking, enjoying a meal or coffee together at their favourite restaurant or café, or even go watch a movie.
Gestures reduce stress, use them in a positive manner. Hold hands, node your head, maintain eye contact, hug, lend a shoulder, face the person when they are talking, keep away your phone etc.
Keeping in touch and showing them you genuinely care. They might not like it all the time but it is nice to stay in-touch through a simple call or a text or even pay them a visit.