Anxiety

Millions of people suffer annually from the worry, panic, stress, exaggerated concern and chronic insomnia characteristic of anxiety. For many, these feelings are triggered by high-pressure jobs, relationships, financial problems, loneliness, crowds, traffic jams, travel, high places, closed in places and a myriad of other motivations. Anxiety and its related disorders affect equal numbers of men and women, but women are much more apt to seek help than men.

Anxiety disorders can be acute or chronic and include the following conditions:

- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): a condition that causes a person to experience frequent, persistent worry over a period of at least six months. GAD is characterized by restlessness, irritability, muscle tension, fatigue, sleep disturbance and/or concentration difficulties.

- Panic Attack / Anxiety Attack: a sudden experiance of apprehension or terror accompanied by a fear of going crazy, losing control or impending doom. Sufferers experience heart palpitations, shortness of breath, choking, smothering sensations, chest pain and/or light-headedness.

- Phobias: persistent, unreasonable fears triggered by intense, unfounded and enduring concerns of a specific object or activity.

- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): a type of anxiety disorder characterized by distressing, repetitive thoughts, images or impulses that are intense, absurd, unusual or frightening.

- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: a type of anxiety disorder that is triggered by a very traumatic or life-altering event.

- Hypochondriasis: a medical condition wherein a person believes his real or imagined symptoms are signs of a serious disease, even though medical diagnosis proves this is not the case.

- Dysmorphophobia: a type of anxiety disorder that results in the persistent fear of being ugly, causing the person to become overly fixated on physical appearance.

Possible Causes of Anxiety / Anxiety Disorder / Panic Disorder
The exact cause of anxiety and anxiety disorder is not known, but experts believe it may result from a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects how the brain transmits information. Anxiety disorder can be passed from parent to child; a child of someone with anxiety disorder, depression or bipolar disorder is eight times more likely to develop anxiety-related problems than a child with no family history of the disease. Anxiety can also be tied to stressors, such as the sudden loss of a relationship, being fired or other traumatic event. Overeating, alcohol abuse, premenstrual syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome may contribute to anxiety and panic attacks.

Possible Symptoms of Anxiety / Anxiety Disorder / Panic Disorder
The symptoms of an anxiety or panic attack come on suddenly, with little to no warning, and last from 10 minutes to 30 minutes or more. These attacks are unpredictable and can occur from once every two weeks to several times a day. Symptoms include overwhelming feelings of disaster or death; shortness of breath; heart palpatations; a smothering, clostrophobic feeling; chest pain; dizziness; hot flashes and/or chills; trembling; numbness in the arms and legs; sweating; nausea; and a distorted relation to space and time.

Possible Lifestyle Changes for Anxiety / Anxiety Disorder / Panic Disorder
There is no way to prevent the development of anxiety and panic disorders, but there are methods to reduce the frequency of attacks. These tools include avoiding alcohol and caffeine; learning effective coping techniques; reducing stress; getting regular exercise; eating a healthy diet and establishing a good, trusting relationship with a medical professional who specializes in anxiety problems.