Imagine a world where simple decisions become Herculean struggles, where every heartbeat feels like a drumroll of impending doom, and where the mind is a battlefield littered with the remains of shattered nerves. Millions of people struggle with anxiety problems on a daily basis. Anxiety is a diffuse, vague and unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension. It is common to all human beings and we often face it in difficult situations of our life. But our everyday anxious feelings can turn into a psychological disorder. How to know it is a psychological disorder? When it has the four Ds :
- Deviance – unusual, bizarre or different
- Distress – unpleasant and upsetting to others
- Dysfunctional – maladaptive behaviour i.e the person can not carry out daily activities.
- Dangerous – to the person experiencing it or others around him/her.
Psychological disorders, also known as mental health disorders, are conditions that affect the person’s thoughts, emotions and behaviour. They can be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental and psychological factors, and can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or background.
There are many types of anxiety disorders. They include -›
Generalised anxiety disorder:
it consists of prolonged, vague unexplained and intense fears that are not attached to any particular object. The person suffering from this disorder feels anxious even in normal situations. The symptoms include worry and
apprehension about the future, hypervigilance which involves constantly scanning the environment for dangers.
Panic disorder
It consists recurrent anxiety attacks in which the person experiences intense terror.
A panic attack denotes an abrupt surge of intense anxiety rising to a peak when thoughts of a particular stimuli are present. The clinical features include shortness of breath, dizziness, tremors, palpitations, nausea, choking or fainting. The symptom that discriminates an anxiety attack from a panic attack is the fear of losing control or even dying.
Specific phobia
irrational fears related to specific objects, people or situations. It includes intense fear of a certain type of animal or of being in an enclosed space. Although adults with phobias may realize that these fears are irrational, even thinking about facing the feared object or situation brings on severe anxiety symptoms.
Agoraphobia
It is the term used when people develop a fear of entering into unfamiliar situations.
Many people with agoraphobia are afraid of leaving their home. So their ability to carry out normal life activities is severely limited.
Psychological factors that increase your risk of developing agoraphobia include: a traumatic childhood experience, such as the death of a parent or being sexually abused. Experiencing a stressful event, such as bereavement, divorce, or losing your job.
Separation anxiety disorder (SAD)
Individuals with SAD are fearful and anxious about separation from attachment figures to an extent that is developmentally not appropriate. It mostly seen in children. To avoid separation, children with SAD may fuss, scream, throw severe tantrums or make suicidal gestures.
Now that you are fully equipped with a clear knowledge of your enemy which is the first and very important step to defeat it, let’s delve deeper into what you’ll need to do in order to find calm and resilience in face of anxiety-
Professional help
This should be the first and foremost in your to do list of dealing with anxiety disorders. Consult a therapist or counselor who specializes in anxiety disorders for personalized treatment.
Medication
In some cases, medication prescribed by a psychiatrist may be beneficial to manage symptoms.
Identifying triggers
It’s time to put your detective skills to use. While walking through the labyrinth of your mind, look for clues to unlock the secrets of your anxiety. It’s important to identify and change destructive thought patterns or activities that have a negative influence on your behaviour. These can be your worries about the future, result of an exam, an upcoming interview or a first date.
Remember it is normal to have these things on your mind but once these thoughts become persistent and uncontrollable, it can be a cause of concern.
Social support
Surround yourself with people emitting a sense of serenity in midst of chaos, ones who feel like sunshine on a cold dreadful day. These are the friends, family and colleagues who help you to thrive and are always ready to be by your side.
Less stress and zero drama
Turn your life into a stress-free sitcom like friends or the office where the only drama comes from deciding which genre of books you are gonna read today.
Set realistic goal
Accept that you are no Batman on a quest to save Gotham. You are a simple human being with certain limits and capabilities, so take it one step at a time. Make decisions today, on what should be done TODAY. The things you are worrying about may never happen at all.
Practice self compassion
I know, I know this can be the hardest step for some you but once you master it nothing can take you down. Start small, treat yourself with a dessert once you complete the task you’ve been avoiding even if it’s as small as completing an assignment, dress up, take yourself out on a date, write a journal, find a new hobby. Anything will work but first you need to ask yourself what do YOU like. For example maybe you like watching movies but your friend on the other hand may think of it as a big commitment, so you need to know yourself to like yourself. Start today, write
down five things you like and five you don’t.
Remember, dealing with anxiety disorders is like crafting your own unique masterpiece – it takes creativity, patience,
and loads and loads of kindness to truly make it shine. After all you are not alone in this battle.
