About Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety and fear are normal human emotions that help us deal with danger. When the anxiety is excessive and/or irrational it can interfere with our daily lives. This may indicate an anxiety disorder. Often there appears to be no obvious or logical reason for the way the anxiety. This may make an anxiety disorder even more worrying to the sufferer.  

I describe anxiety as amorphous, without a focus. This is what makes it so uncomfortable for most people. Fear is easier to deal with in some ways. It is specific. If you are afraid of flying, the solution is to not fly. (I didn’t say it is always a practical solution.) Specific phobias (fear of foods, animals, germs) develop for this reason. They give the anxiety a focus. 

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders in General

The main features of an anxiety disorder are fears or thoughts that are chronic (constant) and distressing and that interfere with daily living. They may include:

• Panic attacks or a fear of these attacks. Symptoms of a panic attack include shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, nausea or choking

• Physical anxiety reactions – for example trembling, sweating, faintness, rapid heartbeat, difficulties breathing or nausea.

• Avoidance behavior – a person may go to extreme lengths to avoid a situation that they think could bring on anxiety or panic, like never take a vacation.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is excessive anxiety and constant worry about many things. The normal worries of everyday life can usually be controlled or ‘switched off’. Worrying can be constructive if it helps you to work out possible solutions to a problem. The focus of the anxiety might be family or friends, health, work, money or forgetting important appointments. A person may be diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder if:

• Anxiety and worry have been present most days over a 6-month period and if they have great difficulty controlling the anxiety.

Social Phobias focus on fears of being negatively judged or evaluated by others. This leads to fear of doing something that may humiliate them in a public setting– for example public speaking, using public toilets, eating and drinking in public, or any social encounters such as parties or workplaces. Social phobias can then lead to severe isolation and avoiding people and activities they usually enjoy.

Specific Phobias are characterized by a persistent and irrational fear of a particular object or situation. It may be a fear of animals, places or people. Fear of the object or situation is so severe that the person may experience physical symptoms and panic attacks when presented with that stimulus. Some of the more common fears may include dogs, blood, storms, spiders or other objects or situations. In all cases, the anxiety is both excessive and interferes with the ability to function. Even when the individual understands that the fear is irrational, it can still result in avoidance that restricts normal life experiences.

Panic Disorders are less common than anxiety and specific phobias, affecting only about 2% of the population. For a person to be diagnosed with a panic disorder, they would usually have to have at least four panic attacks per month over an extended period of time. Often panic attacks may not be related to a situation but come on spontaneously. In my experience, panic attacks often occur after prolonged periods of high stress.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) PTSD is defined as a psychiatric disorder that can happen in people who have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event.  The diagnosis finally gave a name to something that had been frightening, disabling, and confusing for many people experiencing the aftermath of a traumatic event. The addition of PTSI has also helped to clarify the experience as many individuals do experience recognizable injury from a traumatic experience. These diagnostic names also helped the entire medical and psychological communities develop protocols for caring for such individuals. 

The symptoms of PTSD include:

• Irritability

• Isolation and avoidance

• Difficulties concentrating

• Reduced self-worth

• Disrupted sleep and nightmares

• Numbness

• impulsivity

• Sexual dysfunction

• Hypervigilance

• Depression

• Anxiety and panic attacks

• Intrusive memory and memory loss 

Impact of Anxiety Disorders

An anxiety disorder may lead to social isolation and clinical depression, and can impair a person’s ability to work, study and do routine activities. It is also the underpinning of most eating disorders. It may hurt relationships with friends, family and colleagues. It’s common for depression to accompany an anxiety disorder. Depression in itself, can be a serious illness with a high risk of self-harm and suicide.

Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are very treatable. There are several approaches. I tend to use a combination of the following:

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a modified type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT.) Its main goal is to teach people how to live in the moment, by developing healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships with others.

DBT was originally intended to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD) but it has been adapted to treat other mental health conditions including those who struggle with emotional regulation or who are exhibiting self-destructive behaviors. It has also been used effectively to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is particularly helpful for people who cannot manage their eating, substance abuse, smoking, vaping or drinking all of which can be maladaptive ways of dealing with anxiety. teaches us specific skills for regulating intense emotion, dealing with distressing situations, and helping to manage the stressors of recovering from various forms of addiction.

If you just want to get your anxiety under control, sign up for Dialectical Behavioral Training or DBT here. DBT 

Assertiveness training is based on the principle that we all have a right to express our thoughts, feelings, and needs to others, as long as we do so in a respectful way. When we don’t feel like we can express ourselves openly, we may become depressed, anxious, or angry, and our sense of self-worth may suffer. 

Irrespective of the cause of this point of view, assertiveness training can make a significant difference. The purpose of assertiveness training is to teach appropriate strategies for identifying and acting on the desires, needs, and opinions we all have while remaining respectful of others. This form of training is tailored to the needs of specific participants and the situations they find particularly challenging when it comes to managing life’s stressors.

Emotional Freedom Taping (EFT). This is the latest in self-induced freedom from anxiety and self-defeating thoughts and feelings. By using the meridians in the body, you tap your way to emotional freedom. Emotional Freedom Tapping (EFT) is a sort of psychological amnesia, as your mind can bring up the distressing event but without the emotional arousal or anxiety that usually comes with it.

EFT is an alternative treatment that has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, phobias, chronic pain, and stress. Some patients even see positive results in as little as one session. EFT has also been shown to lower heart rates, blood pressure, and cortisol (a stress hormone) in people who use it.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a form of treatment for individuals who have suffered a traumatic event and are still suffering from its effects. EMDR enables clients to activate their own natural healing power through a guided process of remembering and feeling.

Exercise and Managing Anxiety

The physical symptoms of anxiety are caused by the ‘flight-or-fight’ response, which floods the body with adrenaline and other stress chemicals. Exercise burns up stress chemicals and promotes relaxation. Physical activity is another helpful way to manage anxiety. Aim to do some physical activity at least three to four times every week and vary your activities to avoid boredom.

There are various theories to explain how exercise can lift a person’s mood. These include:

• Altered brain chemicals – researchers have found that regular exercise, and the subsequent increase in physical fitness, alters levels of a brain chemical called serotonin, which leads to improved mood and feelings of wellbeing

• Reduced adrenaline – physical activity burns up stress chemicals like adrenaline, which promotes a more relaxed body and mind

• Distraction – an enjoyable bout of exercise may be distracting enough to break the vicious cycle of worrying.

Types of Exercise 

• Walking – I personally find a walk to be one of the most relaxing and emotionally calming activities in my arsenal of “feel good” activities.

• Pulse Training – “Push until you can’t rest until you can” is extraordinarily helpful when it comes to cardio, muscle building, and burning calories and it all takes place in 20 minutes! It’s simple, you choose 4 exercises and do each for 5 minutes stopping only to rest and then start again. I do 2 upper body and 2 lower body and then change them up each day. 

• Playing a Sport – especially sports that get the heart beating and use the major muscle groups such as basketball, tennis, and pickleball (the latest rage).

What to Avoid

Nicotine, caffeine, and stimulant drugs (such as those that contain caffeine) trigger your adrenal glands to release adrenaline, which is one of the main stress chemicals. These are best avoided. Other foods to avoid include table salt (Himalayan pink sea salt is excellent for you) and artificial additives, such as preservatives and especially sweeteners, any and ALL sweeteners. 

Medication

It is important that medications are seen as a short-term measure, rather than the solution to anxiety disorders. 
Research studies have shown that psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavior therapy, are much more effective than medications in managing anxiety disorders in the long term. Your doctor may prescribe a brief course of tranquilizers or antidepressants to help you deal with your symptoms while other treatment options are given a chance to take effect.