By Marcus Hoo
Anxiety is a common mental health problem that refers to being in a persistent state of worry or displaying excessive amounts of fear. Everyone worries about things now and again, but to suffer from anxiety means that worrying has a debilitating impact on your daily life.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in the world, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggesting that 1 in 13 people globally suffer from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is more prevalent in women and young people, which could be for a number of reasons. While women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety than men, 7.2% of 5-19-year-olds experience an anxiety condition.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Symptoms of anxiety will vary depending on the disorder, but most anxiety conditions will involve several or most of the symptoms detailed below. The following symptoms will be most accurate in depicting the different symptoms.
Physical:
- Feeling light-headed or dizzy
- Sweating or feeling hot
- Increased heart rate
- Panic attacks
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Rapid breathing or hyperventilation
- Nauseous or a painful stomach
- Aches and pains in your body
- Feeling weak and tired
- Insomnia
- Changes in sex drive
Mental:
- Feeling nervous, irritable, or tense
- Low mood and depression
- Experiencing a sense of impending danger or fearing the worst
- Constantly worrying about things
- Needing reassurances from other people
- Paranoia
What are some anxiety treatment options?
There are several treatment options for anxiety, and many people receive treatment for it every day. However, the same thing won’t work for everyone, and often, people need a mixture of different treatments to tackle the symptoms effectively. The main two types of anxiety treatment are therapy and medication, examples of which are:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT),
- Anti-depressants,
- beta-blockers
- and many more.
Keep in mind, these examples are not exhaustive.
Final thoughts
Understanding your mental health is important and a big part of being able to take care of yourself. If you’ve identified that you may suffer from some form of an anxiety disorder, do not hesitate to reach out to a professional, or us here at Aventis Wellness. Especially in times like this, where we need to prioritise our personal well-being.
You can check out our list of therapists here;
https://aventiswellness.com/our-therapists/