The dictionary defines anxiety as distress of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.  It is also described as a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder.  It is usually described as the feeling of uneasiness caused by anticipation of future events, be it planned or otherwise.

Everybody, at one point in their lives, has experienced some form of anxiety.  Common events like an upcoming exam or thesis presentation; or when a loved one gets sick; or when you go to unfamiliar places — all these may cause you to feel fidgety and worried.  However, extreme distress over the littlest things may be considered as a disorder and needs to be treated. Other symptoms of anxiety can include palpitations; shortness of breath; sweating; trembling; sense of choking; chest pain; nausea or stomach upsets; dizziness; numbness or tingling; and chills or hot flashes.

So what causes anxiety disorders?  Scientists attribute it to a lot of factors, four of which are genetics, personality, brain chemistry, and environmental factors.  Researchers theorize that family history contributes to a high likelihood of someone developing an anxiety disorder.  If one was brought up around  a household of worriers, the chances of a person growing up to be a worrier too will be very high.  Personality plays a big part as well.  People who have low self-regard and have poor coping skills are also likely to develop anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders are associated with high levels of brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit impulses.  An imbalance on certain neurotransmitters may alter the way the mind would react to different situations, leading to anxiety.

Any form of trauma or stressful situations such as abuse, accidents, or death may lead to anxiety disorders.  Stress and anxiety go hand in hand.  Anxiety levels heighten with constant exposure to extreme stress.  Also, the constant use or sudden withdrawal from addictive substances like alcohol, caffeine and nicotine may also worsen anxiety.

Oftentimes, worrying too much leads to anxiety panic attacks.  These are surges of overwhelming fear that come out of nowhere and for no apparent reason.  It affects not only the way the brain functions,  but it also triggers changes in our body’s major glands.  The glands produce different kinds of stimulants and hormones double-time, flooding body cells simultaneously, causing the sufferer to feel the need to either run, get out, or hide.  This is far worse than the regular anxiety that people feel when they’re stressed out as this is based on irrational fear.

Stress management may help prevent anxiety disorders from developing.  One good way to manage stress is to improve your lifestyle.  Get adequate amount of sleep, making sure that the body is well-rested after a full day’s work. Intake of stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine containing products should be decreased as they would not help alleviate your stress, and may even aggravate your condition.   Performing relaxation exercises will also help you during stressful times as it will relieve tense muscles. Last but not the least, don’t forget to take a breather.  Relax.  Anxiety is our body’s natural reaction to stress.  It’s up to us if we let it take over our lives. To keep it short and simple, when you’re feeling anxious ñ stop, take a deep breath, count to ten, and relax.

Posted: June 8th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 1

Anxiety disorder affects many people around the world and is particularly common in Western and other industrialized countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. In the US, anxiety disorders rank highly in the long list of mental health problems experienced by many individuals on a daily basis. Medical studies show that there are about 28 million persons who suffer from anxiety disorder every year. This condition may interfere with an individual’s work, studies, or family life. In America, these mental health conditions have been closely linked to high rates of alcohol and substance abuse.

Individuals who suffer from anxiety disorder tend to tire easily, lack concentration, depression, and sleep disorder. Physical symptoms may include sweating, nausea, dizziness, stomach upset stomach, trembling, frequent need to urinate, muscle tension, and many more. About 90 percent of individuals who suffer from anxiety disorder have histories of depression, social anxiety, alcohol or drug abuse.

Medical studies suggest that there are six types of anxiety disorders in the adult population:

Panic Disorders - The primary symptom of panic disorder is the occurrence of panic attacks combined with fear of developing them again.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - This disorder is characterized by unwanted, interfering thoughts or repetitive behaviors that reflects a patient’s attempts to control it.

Phobias - It is an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain, objects, activities, or persons. The primary symptoms of this condition is excessive, unreasonable, intention to factors that bring fear.

Stress Disorders - This condition is centered on negative reactions to traumatic events in a patient’s life.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This condition is characterized by irrational worry about everyday, normal things like work, health, money, and other daily concerns.  People who suffer from GAD are often irritable and suffer from fatigue, headaches, and muscle tension.

Anxiety disorder due to physical causes. These include general medical conditions or developed because of substance abuse.

The causes and symptoms of anxiety vary from person to person and may produce physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral symptoms. An individual’s ethnic or cultural background may also play a key role in the development of certain forms of anxiety. Genetic factors that may lead to biochemical imbalance in the brain also influence the development of this condition. Medical researchers suggest that individuals who are exposed to abuse, violence, and poverty may lead to the development of anxiety disorder.

Sessions of psychotherapy may be enough to treat mild anxiety disorders. Many health professionals however encourage the use of medications coupled with psychotherapy to treat patients with severe cases of anxiety disorders. Because of many medications and treatment for anxiety disorders doctors may not be able to predict which combination is beneficial for a certain individual. There are cases that doctors may try a different medication or treatment over a period of six to eight weeks in order to assess their effectiveness.

Many health professionals encourage individuals affected with anxiety disorder to engage in physical activities like weight training, cardiovascular exercises, yoga, and other physical activities. These activities may help relieve anxiety and emotional tensions. In addition, these activities promote the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers. These substances are produced by the brain and may help promote a state of bliss and relaxation. Individuals who are affected by anxiety disorders should seek the help of health professionals so that they can develop a treatment plan for their condition.

Posted: June 8th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 18

Exhausted from all the job-related tasks that you have to deal with everyday? Have the papers piled up so high that you can no longer see the person next to you? Do you now see your job as a drag?  Just maybe, you may no longer be enjoying your work. You are now bored and somehow expect to be in the middle of a work performance catastrophe.  In the back of your mind, you already know that your poor performance may lead you back to the unemployment line.

Stress and anxiety brought by everyday challenges at work can affect a person’s interest and skills in the office.  Even if most people are aware of how much competition there is out in the market where only the best lands a job, the stress and anxiety can really take a toll on even the most promising professional. Stress and anxiety, no matter how one tries to avert it, is like a hovering vulture that persistently waits to feast on a dead-tired person.

But nobody in his right mind would just give up.  Even those who say they already hate their job try to  revive all the passion they once had for their job or the company.  So instead of just waiting to get axed, why don’t you try and consider the following tips on how to get back your drive for work:

Check on your ego. This is the first thing that you must look into as you go along your self-check routine because one’s ego is the hardest thing to overcome. Aside from stress and anxiety at by work, being egocentric brings unnecessary worries and apprehensions. It is but natural to hear unsolicited comments or advice from some colleagues and superiors.  While some comments may be harmful and unfounded, a little criticism taken in a positive way can actually help improve your performance.

Check on what you know. Updating one’s knowledge is very essential to improving one’s craft.   Competition in the workplace leaves no room for mediocrity.  Those who do not try to improve themselves are actually more prone to stress and anxiety. Jealousy, intrigue, and unfair competition can hurt not only the employees but the company as well.  A worker that strives to improve his performance will have lesser things to worry about since he lets his work and outputs do the talking.

Managing stress and anxiety in the office can be done through many ways. It is the same way with improving one’s work performance.  Getting ahead does not always mean being in a frenzy.  Improving one’s work and reducing anxiety may actually entail the act of slowing down.  This is best illustrated in the story of a young woodcutter who tried to impress his boss by always hitting trees in full force every time he swung his axe.  On his first day on the job, the young woodcutter fell the most number of trees.     He was trying to show his commitment to the job by never taking breaks.  He just kept swinging at the trees with his axe.  But after the third day, the Chief Woodcutter approached the young apprentice and asked, “How come you now cut less number of trees as you did during the first two days? Even if you did not take breaks, you still finished at the bottom in our team of woodcutters.”

Finally, the Chief Woodcutter asked the young lad, “Did you sharpen your axe?”

Posted: June 8th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 2

To have feelings of uneasiness or nervousness is quite normal for people who have to keep up with the fast pace of the 21st Century lifestyle. Almost everyone feels anxious from time to time. Mild to moderate moments of anxiety may help certain individuals focus their attention, energy, and motivation. However, severe cases of anxiety may lead to feelings of helplessness, confusion, and distress. Too much anxiety, however, is not normal and may interfere with one’s daily activities. Anxiety can cause physical and mental problems. In some cases, some situations or fears may trigger a variety of symptoms for a short time.

Physical symptoms of anxiety may include the following:

Trembling, twitching, or shaking.

Feeling of fullness in the throat or chest.

Breathing difficulties or fast heartbeat.

Dizziness

Sweating or cold, clammy hands.

Feeling jumpy.

Muscle tension, aches, or soreness (myalgias).

Extreme fatigue.

Sleep problems, such as the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, early waking, or restlessness (not feeling rested when you wake up).

In addition to its physical effects, anxiety also affects a part of the brain that aids in communication. This condition may lead to the difficulties in expressing creativity or effective function in relationships.

Some of the symptoms that show anxiety’s effect on one’s mental faculties include:

Restlessness, irritability, or feeling on edge.

Excessive worrying.

Fearing that something bad is going to happen; feeling doomed.

Inability to concentrate; feeling like your mind goes blank.

The presence of both physical and mental symptoms of anxiety may lead to a condition called anxiety disorder. It may hamper a persons ability to deal with other persons and ruin daily activities. In addition to this, medical studies suggest that women are twice as likely to have anxiety disorders than women. This occurs because of a variety of biological, psychological, and cultural factors. Although the cause of this phenomenon is still unknown, medical researchers suggest that fluctuations in the levels of female reproductive hormones and cycles may contribute to the heightened risk for anxiety disorders. This condition may occur at any age, gender, and race. Because of its ill-effects, individuals with anxiety disorders are in a hurry to treat this illness and turn to anti-anxiety drugs for treatment. These drugs are designed to calm and relax individuals with excessive anxiety, nervousness, on a short-term basis. It is also used to treat mild and temporary attacks of anxiety as well as clinically declared cases of social phobias and other forms of phobias. However, the use of these forms of medication may bring side effects that include sedation, sleepiness, depression, lethargy, dizziness, and many more. Other reactions may include changes in heart rate, blood pressure, bowel changes, and severe skin rash.

Due to the side effects of certain anti-anxiety medication, many patients sought alternative medication for their condition. Many herbs became famous among individuals who want to treat anxiety with less side effects. St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is an herb native to Europe and has been used for many years to treat anxiety, insomnia, and depression. It is said that this herb works by slowing down the breakdown of brain chemicals called serotonin. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression. In many studies, only 20 percent of patients who took St. John’s Wort complained of side effects, lower compared to those who took antidepressants (53 percent). However, despite its health benefits, individuals who want to take this alternative medicine should seek the approval of medical professionals to clarify side effects and drug interactions that may take place while under medication.

The behavior side effects of anxiety can be described as an act of avoidance. Individuals with anxiety disorders tend to avoid the things that make them worried or nervous. It may work as a short-term method to make a person feel better but, in the long run, this method may heighten anxiety to worse levels. Effective anxiety treatments may require adjustments in one’s lifestyle and professional help.

Posted: June 8th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 2

For anyone suffering from panic attacks it can be a terrifying experience and one that can last a long time. Panic attacks are prone to happen at anytime, anywhere, and, for the most part, start suddenly. The cause of panic attacks is not known, but they are believed to be caused by a combination of factors including environment, hereditary, and fear. Here are some things you can do to control panic attacks.

The first thing you should do is to try to identify what brings on your panic attacks. Take note of the situation you are in, the location, even what is playing on the radio or television. Who is around you? Where are you? What are you doing and what you are thinking about? Often panic attacks occur because of a certain trigger, so it is best to know what your triggers are so you can confront them or be prepared for them. Some therapists believe that confronting what causes your panic attacks is the best way to control the attacks and, hopefully, get rid of them altogether.

One of the major approaches to controlling panic attacks is to learn how to relax when you feel an attack coming on. There are a number of ways to get yourself in a relaxed state including meditation, visualization, and deep breathing. One of the keys to the relaxation technique is to focus on something positive.

Seeking therapy is a great way to control your panic attacks. Your therapist will guide you through the causes of your attacks and teach you different ways to deal with them. He or she will help you to find ways to manage your situation.

Medications are another effective way to control panic attacks. This is usually in the form of an antidepressant such as paroxetine or sertraline. These antidepressants work to get rid of or improve panic attack symptoms and give control back to the patient.

Posted: May 17th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 1