Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting roughly 100 million adults in the United States at some point in their lives. That’s about 30% of the population! If you are one of those people, you know that anxiety can be a real pain. It can keep you from living your life to the fullest and make everyday activities feel like a challenge. In this guide, you will find tips and advice on living with anxiety. It will cover everything from treatment options to ways to cope with anxiety daily.
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How Anxiety Works In The Mind
Anxiety is a multi-faceted mental health condition that can manifest in many ways, but at its core, it is a response to an internal threat. The mind perceives this threat as real and activates the “fight or flight” response, which causes heightened emotions, rapid breathing and heart rate, muscle tension, and other physical effects. This reaction can be both beneficial and detrimental– beneficial by helping you focus on the task at hand and encouraging creative problem-solving to address the perceived threat; and detrimental when experienced with excessive frequency or intensity.
To help manage anxiety, it’s important to recognize the signs of it within your own body and respond accordingly. Honing awareness of how anxiety works in your mind can make all the difference in combating it.
Diagnosing Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders can be complicated illnesses that aren’t always easy to diagnose. A person may be struggling with anxiety for a long time before seeking diagnosis and treatment, as many of the symptoms are strikingly similar to feelings one may experience when overwhelmed or stressed. To accurately diagnose an anxiety disorder, professionals typically interview the individual and sometimes family members to determine if there is a medical cause or an underlying problem.
In more severe cases, a psychological evaluation can also be conducted to account for mental health history, thoughts, and emotions. Once diagnosed, a tailored treatment plan can help those living with anxiety disorders make positive changes in their life.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a popular treatment option for anxiety disorder as it provides coping mechanisms to manage symptoms and encourages individuals to reframe how they think about and respond to stressful situations. It is based on the idea that it isn’t necessarily what’s causing our distress (such as a work conflict) but rather how you interpret, experience, and respond to the cause that creates difficulty.
By increasing awareness of existing beliefs and thought patterns contributing to distress, CBT helps individuals gain insight into their cognitive processes and re-examine maladaptive patterns to modify problematic thinking or behavior. Fortunately, research indicates CBT can help improve quality of life by decreasing anxiety disorder symptoms.
Anti-Anxiety Medication
As the prevalence of mental health issues continues to rise, more people are turning to medications to treat anxiety disorders. Anti-anxiety medications, like all medications, come with their own pros and cons. For many, these medications can be a lifesaver – providing relief from panic attacks, insomnia, and other symptoms related to anxiety.
However, due to side effects that include drowsiness, impaired motor control, and dependency concerns, anti-anxiety medication usage must be frequently monitored by medical professionals. Medications that fall into this category include benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Antidepressants
While anti-anxiety medications can provide short-term relief of symptoms, antidepressants are typically used for long-term treatment. By altering the serotonin levels in the brain, these medications help to reduce feelings of low mood and anxiety, improve sleep quality, and increase energy.
Antidepressants come with their own side effects (such as gastrointestinal issues, weight gain, and sexual dysfunction) and, as such, should only be administered under the guidance of a medical professional. Like anti-anxiety medication, antidepressants can also be habit-forming and must be monitored carefully.
