Understanding Anxiety – Signs, Causes, Symptoms

Anxiety seems like a word being thrown around by anyone and everyone. But in reality, it is a misunderstood condition that affects millions of people around the world, much like puberty. While it is okay to feel anxious about a lot of things, anxiety can take over your mind and make it difficult to get through your normal day. So, let’s take a look at the symptoms, causes, and how you can cope through this debilitating issue.

Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety can manifest in many different ways but here are some telltale signs :

• Trouble concentrating
• Increased heart rate
• Sweating and trembling
• Having trouble sleeping
• Irritability
• Sensing an impending doom

What Causes Anxiety?

Well, nobody is still completely sure as to what exactly the causes of anxiety are, but experts say it is mostly caused by a combination of many factors such as:

• Stress
• Autoimmune diseases such as diabetes
• Genetics where other family members also suffer from anxiety
• Traumatic incidents such as child abuse or sexual assault
• Substance abuse

Research has also hinted that the brain sometimes cannot mediate fear like it should and anxiety could arise from that part of the brain as well.

The first step towards coping with anxiety is trying to do it by yourself. Here are some self-help anxiety coping strategies:

• Mindfulness - When you feel anxious, you could spend a lot of time being caught up in a spiral of thoughts. But being mindful can allow you to live in the moment and take you away from those negative thoughts. The concept of mindfulness has been catching fire with a lot of people starting to understand how beneficial it can be even for people without anxiety.

• Relaxation Techniques - Anxiety can make it very difficult to relax and let loose. But there are many ways to help you relax such as breathing techniques, muscle relaxation, and other relaxation exercises.

• Breathing Techniques - Anxiety can sometimes cause you to hyperventilate. This reduces the amount of oxygen, causing more carbon dioxide to be in your system. So, learning the right breathing techniques such as pranayama can make a difference.

• Exercise - Sometimes, getting up and moving around can take you away from anxious thoughts. Try out some light exercises like jogging, yoga, and cycling and take your mind away from your problems.

• Building Self-esteem - Remember you are a valued person. A special person. There’s really no one like you!

All of us at Kofuku believe that going to therapy should be normalized. If going for a doctor’s visit is normal, why shouldn’t going to a therapist be normal as well?

Therapy can help you discover some of the underlying reasons for your anxiety. It can teach you new ways to relax, give you a new perspective, and teach you how to cope and solve issues in a personalized way for you.

Now, there are two main types of therapy you can try out. Online and in-person therapy. So, let’s take a look at both of them.

Getting help online can really remove the hassle of taking time out and travelling to your therapist. Plus, the comfort and familiarity of your home can make it much easier for you to voice out your problems and hardships. Studies have shown that online therapy can be pretty much as effective as traditional, in-person therapy for some people. And what’s great is that many online therapy platforms even have insurance with their plans.

However, there are some drawbacks to online therapy. Talking to your therapist through messages, calls, and emails cannot always bring out what you are trying to communicate optimally, and it can sometimes be hard for your therapist to truly understand and empathize with you.

Facial expressions and body language cannot be understated when it comes to therapy. These are some intangible and non-verbal responses that your therapist can pick out without you even realizing them. This can give your therapist the bigger picture of your problems and give you a personalized roadmap to getting out of anxiety.

Sometimes a psychiatrist might prescribe anxiety medications that have been proven to help with anxiety. These medicines help in controlling many physical and mental symptoms of anxiety. Some of them include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and tricyclic antidepressants.

Benzodiazepines: A doctor might prescribe these to help cope with your anxiety, but they could be susceptible to addiction. Diazepam and Valium are common medicine names for benzodiazepine.

Antidepressants: You might also be prescribed antidepressants which usually help with anxiety, even though they are mainly used to treat depression. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), fluoxetine, and citalopram are some common names for antidepressants.

Tricyclic antidepressants: These types of drugs, although not that common, are also used to treat people with anxiety. Imipramine and clomipramine are two common names for these types of drugs.

Prevention

There are many ways that you can reduce the risk of anxiety. But feeling anxious is a part of everyday life. Whether you’re preparing for a job interview, or you have a big exam coming up, feeling anxious is a normal emotion and shouldn’t be mixed up with anxiety, which is a mental disorder.

However, prevention is always better than cure. So, here are some ways you can reduce the risk of anxiety.

Exercise Regularly: Exercising and staying physically active releases endorphins and serotonin which improves your mood, making you feel better about yourself.

Maintain a Healthy Diet: Following a balanced diet can help you maintain your fitness while also stabilizing your blood sugar levels. It’s okay to have cheat meals sometimes, but just make sure it doesn’t become cheat weeks.

Limit Caffeine and Alcohol Intake: Both of them could increase your anxiety levels, so just ensure to limit your coffees and night outs.

Get Adequate Sleep: Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep regularly to help your body and mind to rest and recuperate.

Take up Hobbies: An interesting person is a loved person. Whether it’s bird watching or doing puzzles, find something you enjoy doing and spend time at it!

Anxiety can be scary. Remember that you’re not in this alone and remember to talk to people you feel comfortable confiding your personal struggles with. Anxiety is difficult to handle, but with the right steps and a conducive environment, you can definitely grow out of it.