So you're at work and the boss decides to organize a board meeting to discuss new ideas to move the company forward and while that goes on your mind cannot help drifting away from your comfort zone which is the office to the list of things bothering you.
Your child's unpaid school fees, your ever nagging landlord, all these thoughts overwhelms you and then your arms start feeling slippery, you watch in shock as a noticeable patch spreads under your armpit and you're gasping for air.
When your boss notice this and make you stand up and share what's going on, you start feeling nervouse as you stare into the faces of concerned co workers. "Maybe you should go home and rest" said the boss.
You drive home embarrassed and to be honest, this happen to you almost everywhere, are you cursed? No my dear sister, you are just suffering from ANXIETY
What Exactly Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a mental abnormality that is characterized by worry, fear and emotional disarray that seems to always interfere with your life and the normal day to day activities you perform and if you are in the working force, it tends to reduce your productivity.
Don't worry about the word "Abnormality" you're not crazy, you just happen to be among the 1 in 13 persons who suffer from anxiety worldwide so be very much rest assured that you're far from being alone.
Apart from that, there are also more good news like the fact that anxiety is a highly treatablecdisease yet only 36.9% of sufferers seek medical attention (thank goodness you found this articlecso you don't get to be in that percent).
This particular problem affects over 40million adults in America aged 18 and older and it's caused by genetics, brain chemistry and personality so not only are you not alone, it's also not your fault at all so you can calm down and relax.
Besides the Primary Causes, there are also some secondary causes and those are the ones you can and should work on. These are causes like school issues,work issues,not getting enough sleep. The side effects of medicine and even as little as staying in enviroments with poor vetilation.
Unfortunately, despite all the theories and speculations, scientists have not been able to pin point the exact cause of anxiety but believe it has to do with a bit of interference with the areas of the brain that perceives fear, which is why people who suffer from anxiety are usually afraid.
Different Typs Of Anxiety
Phobias: these refer to an excessive fear of an object, situation or activity which dosent really bother most people.
Social anxiety disorder: this refers to people being afraid of being judged in a social settlement.
Obsessive compulsive disorders: these occur when you get seemingly irrational thoughts that make you perform abnormal tasks repeatedly.
Separation anxiety: this occurs when a person is always being worried about being away from the ones he or she loves.
Illness anxiety disorders: This occurs when the sufferer is constantly afraid of getting sick (which may be worse during this pandemic period).
Symptoms of Anxiety
People are different so the symptoms are going to be different from a slight butterfly feeling in the stomach to shortage of breath. Other symptoms may include:
Regular Nightmares
Panic Attack
Feelings of disconnection between the mind and body
Constant Fear
Restlessness
Trouble Falling asleep
Lack of concentration (like in the example giving in the first sentence).
Treatment
Once you've realized you're a sufferer and your issues fall under the secondary causes, you might want to have a change in lifestyle such as regular sleep, making more friends, etc.
If eventually your situation is of the primary cause or you've tried the above and it didn't work, you might want to try psychotherapy (meeting with therapists) to discuss your problems with a professional because anxiety could easily slip you into depression.
You could also try medications like antidepressants and sedatives which helps balance brain chemistry but should be taken with care. If you're not a fan of Western medicine, you could try meditating, eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and smoking which, come to think of it, kinda falls under the change in
lifestyle.
You could also try foods like Salmon, Chamomile, Yoghurt, Green Tea, Dark chocolate, etc. It is important to know that anxiety is very treatable and while it may not go away 100%, it is very easy to live with.
