Anxiety Disorder: A Threat to Mental Health

Anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that can affect individuals at different stages of life. While it is common to experience anxiety during life-changing phases, such as entering into teenage and adulthood, symptoms of anxiety usually improve without any treatment. However, if the situation or mental trauma persists, it can result in anxiety disorder, which can worsen over time.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorder is like a web of a spider that broadens and broadens with time. Symptoms of anxiety may include fear, agitation, feeling overwhelmed, and disconnection between the brain and body. Seeking available treatment at the initial stage can stop anxiety symptoms from deteriorating.

Anxiety Disorder Statistics

Mental health surveys have concluded that anxiety is the most common mental disorder amongst Americans, affecting nearly 40 million people in the USA aged between 18 to 50. In other words, 18.1% of Americans go through the symptoms of anxiety each year. Despite being treatable disorders, only 36.9% of sufferers seek medical treatment. Social anxiety is the most common type of anxiety disorder amongst Americans, affecting 12% of the adult population at some phases of their lives.

Anxiety Disorder Treatment

Anxiety disorder treatment may include therapies, medications, and counseling. The doctor will examine your precious medical history and other factors before assigning any treatment. The treatment to cope with anxiety symptoms is different for children and adults. If you are younger than 18, the doctor may assign you treatment like therapies, lifestyle changes, and counseling. In contrast, if you are an adult, you might be directed for different treatments like medications (antidepressant and anti-anxiety), counseling, etc.

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are both categorized under mental health disorders. Both hold power can occur at the same time. The common symptoms of anxiety and depression include irritability, trouble in falling asleep, difficulty in concentration, and feeling ill all the time.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

There are several kinds of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, separation anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and panic attacks. Symptoms of one type vary from another, but the long-term persistence can be harmful and may lead to other medical conditions as well. Therefore, seeking medical attention at the initial stage is crucial.

“Anxiety disorder: A threat to mental health.”

Anxiety disorder is like common weather blues that hits everyone at life-changing phases such as entering into teenage and adulthood. However, as the person gets fixed in the situation, the symptoms of anxiety start improving themselves without any treatment. However, when the situation/mental trauma goes on with time, it results in anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is like a web of a spider that broadens and broadens with time. Anxiety symptoms may include fear, agitation, overwhelmed, disconnection between brain & and body, etc. Although, anxiety symptoms can be stopped to deteriorate if one seeks the available treatment at the initial stage. The anxiety disorder treatment may include therapies, medications, and counseling.

Let’s understand the anxiety with available stats and facts

• Mental health surveys conclude that anxiety is the most common mental disorder amongst Americans. Nearly it affects 40 million people in the USA aged between 18 to 50. In other words, 18.1% of Americans go through the symptoms of anxiety each year.
• Anxiety is seen as an easily treatable mental disorder if the treatment is approached at the right time. Despite being treatable disorders, yet only 36.9% of the total sufferer goes for medical treatment.
• Social anxiety comes as the most common type of anxiety disorder amongst Americans that hit 12% of the adult population at some phases of their lives. The symbol of social anxiety disorder holds is fear of being around people and their judgment.
• Studies found that people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Therefore, if you find the symptoms mentioned earlier affecting your mental and physical state, seek the treatment at the right moment.
• The occurrence of anxiety depends on several possible factors such as genetics, environment, traumas, brain chemistry, etc. therefore, keep yourself in check to prevent such diseases.
• Past studies lead that women are more likely to meet the symptoms of anxiety as distinguished to men. The number of symptoms and intensity is high in women than in men.

What are the currently available anxiety disorder tests? 

There are several sorts of anxiety tests available to assess whether one is under anxiety or not. However, the procedure of each test may vary, and the questions in the test might seem different. Therefore, it will be better to seek professional advice for your anxiety disorder test rather than going for an online assessment. In case if you are under anxiety the doctor may direct you to anxiety disorder treatment. Although, before assigning any treatment to you, the doctor will examine your precious medical history and other factors.

The treatment to cope with the anxiety symptoms is different for children and adults. If you are younger than 18, the possibilities are high, that doctor may assign you treatment like therapies, lifestyle changes, and counseling. In contrast, if you are an adult, you might be directed for different treatments like medications (antidepressant and anti-anxiety), counseling, etc.

However, rum the treatment under the supervision of the doctor. The doctor may stop, alter and change the treatment pattern to watch whether the improvement is taking place or not. The doctor may notify you to stop the treatment if he finds the necessity. Besides, the treatment may go up if the necessity comes to take such actions. But, do all such procedures under the doctor’s advice. If you operate the treatment with self-understanding, so there are higher chances, you may fall under the negative consequences of the treatment.  

What are the common symptoms of anxiety and depression? 

Anxiety and depression are both categorized under mental health disorders. Both hold power can occur at the same time. However, some studies prove that people with one mental health condition are prone to meet another simultaneously. 50% of people with anxiety suffered from depression and vice versa. Each condition might have a different precise cause, but the similarities in the symptoms are possible.

The common symptoms of anxiety and depression are- 

• Irritability
• Trouble in falling asleep 
• Difficulty in concentration 
• Feeling ill all the time 

The different symptoms (physical and emotions) of depression- 

• Decreased energy 
• Chronic fatigue
• Change in weight and appetite 
• Feeling hopeless and pessimistic 
• Thoughts of suicide and self-harm
• Irritability  

The different symptoms (physical and emotions) of anxiety

• Irregular heartbeat 
• Sleeping troubles
• Muscle tension 
• Panic 
• Dread 
• Emotional emptiness and loneliness

Note: If you are going through the thoughts of suicide and self-harm, so you are requested to take the help of a doctor. Keep the things away from your reach that can hurt/harm badly, such as knives, medication, and guns. 

What are the types of anxiety disorders?

There are several kinds of anxiety disorders. The symptoms of one type vary from another. However, the long-term persistence can be harmful and may lead to other medical conditions as well. Therefore, if you find yourself under any of the below-listed symptoms, you should meet the doctor at the initial stage. 

Generalized anxiety disorder- 

People with generalized anxiety disorder usually go through with excessive worry and nervousness. Excessive apprehension and nervousness can be in their personal, school, and workplace. It affects their personal communication skill, productivity level, and social life. The common symptoms of this type of anxiety are- 

• Challenges in controlling excessive worry and nervousness 
• Restlessness 
• Trouble in falling asleep 

Agoraphobia- 

People living with agoraphobia indicate fear towards the crowd and the public. They avoid public transport, being in open places, being social, going outside the home alone, or being around people. They find themselves embarrassing and panic in such situations. The long-term persistence of this can make the person housebound.

Separation anxiety disorder- 

Separation anxiety disorder is a form of fear of being separated from the person and materialistic things they are attached to. Children are usually diagnosed with such kind of anxiety disorder. However, adults are also possible to meet such scenarios. People living with separation anxiety disorder can go through nightmares about being detached from the attachments.

Specific phobias- 

The specific phobia indicates fear towards the specific situation, place, person, and object. People with such fear usually avoid the circumstances where they can meet the above-mentioned outcomes. Whenever they meet the situation they avoid, they get anxious and intense panic. Some examples of specific phobias are-

• Height
• Flying
• Spiders
• Blood

Panic attacks- 

Panic attacks are the types of attacks with intense fear and agitation that can occur anytime, anywhere. During a panic attack, a person may go through the challenges like- 

• Palpitation 
• Sweating 
• Shivering 
• Troubles speaking and breathing