Anxiety disorder, also known as anxiety, is common in society. Anxiety, which is a part of life, can enable us to achieve our goals when it is of appropriate severity, while it can make work and social life difficult when it is excessive. While anxiety disorder is observed more frequently in women, perfectionists, and those under intense stress, regular sports and activities and medication and psychotherapy contribute to the reduction of anxiety symptoms.

The severity of the anxiety matters

In daily life, everyone can be concerned about different issues. An exam, a project that needs to be completed, a health problem, financial difficulties, problems with children or other family members can cause anxiety. An appropriate amount of anxiety helps us be prepared to deal with issues and achieve our goals. Such worries are usually mild and temporary. However, anxiety disorders are defined as somatic symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, tremors, tension, and mental symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, and anxiety when the stress/anxiety mechanism in the body and mind works more than it should or when should not activate this mechanism. Distinguishing normal pressure from an anxiety disorder is essential in terms of maintaining a healthy life.

Distinguish between normal anxiety and anxiety disorder

Concerns that focus on the “now” and the “controllable space” are those that are healthy and functional. For example, a student preparing for the university entrance exam said, “According to my curriculum, now I have to stop watching TV and study. If I don’t quit TV, I won’t be able to study today” is a healthy concern about a situation that is focused on the present and in control. But “What if I don’t pass the university exam in June? What do I do if I can’t get into the department I want?” Concerns that are “result”-oriented and related to the “area of ​​limited control” of the person are unhealthy and, at the same time, dysfunctional problems.

Anxiety disorders are mainly dysfunctional type, constant, excessive, and inappropriate anxiety, or perceiving emerging somatic symptoms as an intense fear factor.

Multiple causes lead to anxiety disorder.

Genetic factors, changes in brain neurochemistry, personality traits, and stressful life events play a role in the formation of anxiety disorders, which are examined under the subheadings of “Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” “Panic Disorder,” “Social Phobia,” “Specific Phobias” and “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Anxiety disorders usually do not have a single cause. The combination of multiple factors leads to the development of anxiety disorders.

Anxiety can be confused with other illnesses.

Symptoms of an anxiety disorder include restlessness, tension, distress, anxiety, feeling that something terrible is going to happen, unreasonable fear, focusing on the bad, getting tired quickly, muscle aches, easy startle, alertness, palpitations, feeling like one cannot breathe, dry mouth, chills, hot flashes, nausea, ringing in the ears, inability to concentrate, angry There is intolerance and intolerance. These symptoms (predominantly somatic symptoms) appear as if there is another physical illness. For this reason, people often apply to departments of hospitals such as emergency services, internal diseases, and cardiology before a psychiatrist.

Regular sports and activities reduce anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety disorders are among the psychiatric conditions that can treat. In addition to the psychiatric evaluation at the first application, the patient may request examination and tests to see if there are other physical diseases if not done before. The vast majority of people with anxiety disorders benefit from treatment. Can apply drug treatments and psychotherapies or both methods together. Which type of treatment is suitable for the patient is determined by a joint decision with the doctor. In addition, activities such as regular sports, hobbies, and yoga help control anxiety symptoms.

The pandemic process increases anxiety disorders.

The epidemic conditions we are in can cause an increase in anxiety disorders. In previous regional epidemics, there are study results that both the disease-causing the epidemic and quarantine requirements increase depression and anxiety disorders in the places affected by the epidemic. In addition, heavy workload, economic difficulties, low social support such as friend-family support, exposure to discrimination, disasters such as fire and flood can be counted as factors that increase anxiety disorder.

More common in women and perfectionists

Anxiety disorders are more likely to be seen in women, shy people, people with perfectionist personality traits, and exposed to intense stress. These disorders show genetic features. In other words, if someone in the family has an anxiety disorder, the probability of having an anxiety disorder in another family member increases.

Anxiety affects your life negatively.

Untreated and chronic anxiety disorders can cause the following problems in a person’s life:

Anxiety disorders cause an increase in difficulties in the person’s daily life, work, and social life.

– Anxiety can ease mood disorders such as depression

– People with anxiety disorders experience muscle aches, body aches, and fatigue due to tension.

– There may be difficulty in focusing and maintaining attention due to anxiety symptoms and may negatively affect job performance.

– In anxiety disorders, thinking about the negative of almost everything, thinking that things will always turn out badly, being constantly alert that bad things will happen can cause feelings of failure, more fragile, and hopelessness.

– Anxiety symptoms that occur in social life can cause people to form friendships, not participate actively in the social environment, shyness and avoidance.

Our health contents have been prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data on the registration date. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment about your health, please consult your doctor or health institution.