Do I Have Anxiety
Anxiety has become a blanket term for anytime someone feels worried. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. Some anxiety is completely necessary and normal. For example, it’s normal to be anxious about a big presentation coming up, or if you’re in a dangerous situation. In these instances, your anxiety comes and goes with the anticipation and passing of an event. However, some people have anxiety/anxious thoughts that are constant and do not go away, even if there is no real imminent danger. For these people, the anxiety can be very debilitating and make the smallest tasks seem impossible. In this article we’re going to the answer the question, “do I have anxiety?” We’ll also provide you some tips to help give you some much needed relief.
Do I Have Anxiety?
Like we’ve mentioned above, occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For people with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety is difficult to control, out of proportion to the actual danger and is persistent. These feelings can be severe enough where it causes avoidance of places or situations. These symptoms can also interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. If this sounds like you, then you might have anxiety. But don’t worry, you’re not alone. More than 300 Million people in the world have an anxiety disorder.
Types of Anxiety
There are many different types of anxiety disorders. These different anxiety disorders bring about different fears and phobias.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder : includes persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The worry is out of proportion to the actual circumstance, is difficult to control and affects how you feel physically. It often occurs along with other anxiety disorders or depression.
Social Anxiety Disorder : involves high levels of anxiety, fear and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness and concern about being judged or viewed negatively by others.
Separation Anxiety Disorder : is a childhood disorder characterized by anxiety that's excessive for the child's developmental level and related to separation from parents or others who have parental roles.
Panic Disorder : involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).
Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety will also manifest itself physically. Here are some common anxiety symptoms :
Muscle Tension
Increased heart rate
Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
Sweating
Trembling
Fatigue
Difficulty Focusing
Trouble sleeping
Gastrointestinal (GI) problems
Nausea
A knot in your stomach.
What Can I Do About My Anxiety
There are also many techniques and strategies that can help.
Therapy
Medication
Mindfulness/Meditation
Breathing exercises
Daily Exercise
Socialize/Connect with someone you trust
Healthy Diet
We also have many techniques on our other blogs to help you out! Try our 10 Tips to Deal With Anxiety
