Anxiety Disorder
What is Anxiety Disorder?
Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder
- Feeling nervous, restless or tense
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
- Having an increased heart rate
- Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling weak or tired
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
- Having trouble sleeping
- Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
- Having difficulty controlling worry
- Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
Causes of Anxiety Disorder
Genetics
Brain chemistry
Environmental stress
Drug withdrawal or misuse
Medical conditions
Risk factors
RISKS
Trauma
Children or adults who endured abuse or trauma or witnessed traumatic events are at higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder at some point in life.
Stress due to an illness
Having a health condition or serious illness can cause significant worry about issues such as your treatment and your future.
Stress buildup
A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances.
Personality
People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.
Other mental health disorders
People with other mental health disorders, such as depression, often also have an anxiety disorder.
Having blood relatives with an anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorders can run in families.
Drugs or alcohol
Drug or alcohol use or misuse or withdrawal can cause or worsen anxiety.
COMPLICATIONS
Depression (which often occurs with an anxiety disorder) or other mental health disorders
Substance misuse
Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
Digestive or bowel problems
Headaches and chronic pain
Social isolation
Problems functioning at school or work
Poor quality of life
Suicide
Prevention of Anxiety Disorder
Get help early
Anxiety, like many other mental health conditions, can be harder to treat if you wait.
Stay active
Participate in activities that you enjoy and that make you feel good about yourself. Enjoy social interaction and caring relationships, which can lessen your worries.
Avoid alcohol or drug use
Alcohol and drug use can cause or worsen anxiety. If you're addicted to any of these substances, quitting can make you anxious.
Types of Anxiety Disorder
It is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and often avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.
It includes symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are directly caused by a physical health problem.
It includes persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues.
It involves repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).
It is a consistent failure of children to speak in certain situations, such as school, even when they can speak in other situations, such as at home with close family members. This can interfere with school, work and social functioning.
It 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.
It 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.
It is characterized by major anxiety when you’re exposed to a specific object or situation and a desire to avoid it. Phobias provoke panic attacks in some people.
It is characterized by symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are a direct result of misusing drugs, taking medications, being exposed to a toxic substance or withdrawing from drugs.
DIAGNOSIS OF anxiety disorders
The healthcare provider starts with a complete medical history and physical examination.
There are no lab tests or scans that can diagnose anxiety disorders. But the health provider may run some of these tests to rule out physical conditions that may be causing symptoms.
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