Anxiety

In general, the term anxiety refers to the tense and uncomfortable feeling caused by stress or uncertainty. Everyone experiences this feeling every once in a while. Usually, anxiety can be traced to a source. For example, you may feel anxious about your financial situation after losing a job. This is completely normal, and the feeling will usually go away when the source issue is resolved.

However, for some people, anxious feelings can manifest so often that it impacts their daily life. Anxiety can feel difficult to control, disproportionate to the cause, or like it doesn’t have a clear or rational cause. If you experience this, you may have an anxiety disorder. This is a group of mental health disorders that are characterized by frequent and hard-to-control anxious feelings. 

Here are some anxiety disorders and how they manifest:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): This disorder is characterized by persistent and excessive worrying about everyday activities and events. For example, someone with GAD may feel anxious about eating breakfast because of the possibility of choking. They often take precautions to make these activities more “safe,” such as eating very slowly. This is different from a phobia, which focuses on one particular object or situation. With GAD, the worry shifts from circumstance to circumstance. 
• Panic disorder: This disorder involves episodes of extreme spikes in anxiety or panic called panic attacks. During the episode, you may feel in danger and out of control. Hyperventilation, racing heart, and shaking are common during panic attacks. The episodes usually last from five to 30 minutes, though they can be longer. There may be an identifiable cause, or they may be completely random. Having panic attacks where there is no cause or the reaction is disproportionate to the cause is a sign that you may have panic disorder. 
• Substance-induced anxiety disorder: This disorder happens when anxiety symptoms or panic attacks occur as a result of substance use, abuse, or withdrawal. Sometimes, prescribed medications can have a side effect of anxiety. If this is the case, you should talk to your doctor about your symptoms and how they can be resolved. However, short- and long-term misuse of addictive substances can also lead to substance-induced anxiety disorder because of the chemical effects of substances on the brain. Withdrawals from addictive substances can also cause severe anxiety. If you have issues with substance use, Athens Area Commencement Center can help you transition to a season of healing. 

These are just a few examples of anxiety disorders, but there are many more. If you have any symptoms of an anxiety disorder, reach out to us for evaluation by our experienced team.