Anxiety is often also referred to as stress, but there are some pretty significant differences between the two.  Stress is more of a general term that can include anxiety but it also includes good stress.

Good stress can be when we go and exercise, when we have to mentally push ourselves to do better or to learn or to accomplish a task.  The anxiety that is often very normal is when we also have to remove ourselves from a troubling or dangerous situation or when we have to perform in asking someone out on a date, or when the boss is angry, or when you have do a public presentation.  These descriptions of stress or anxiety are acute in nature and often last only situationally, but when it becomes repetitive, consistent, patterned or even obsessive and pervasive then what we are experiencing is an unhealthy form of stress or more accurately,  anxiety.

What Are Some of The Causes of Anxiety Disorders?

There are numerous potential causes of anxiety disorders. Things that have to be taken into consideration are: family, social and environmental history, temperament, trauma, neglect, developmental issues, diet, elevated physical toxicity levels, genetic and epigenetic factors.

All of these play a part in an anxiety disorder, which can Increase stress and develop inadequate coping mechanisms to deal with that stress.  Such factors as,  having had a traumatic experience, having to face major decisions in one’s life possibly with inadequate support, especially in childhood. Though substances, alcohol, medications and other toxins can cause anxiety they may not be recognized specifically as an anxiety disorder.

What Are the Different Types of Anxiety Disorders?

Panic disorder. With this condition feelings of terror come on suddenly and repeatedly with no apparent warning. Some other symptoms of a panic attack can include sweating, chest pain, a feeling of choking, gasping for breath, and palpitations (unusually strong or irregular heartbeats). It can even feel like you’re having a heart attack or “going crazy.”They also may flush or feel chilled; their hands may tingle or feel numb, may experience nausea, and/or smothering sensations. Panic attacks can produce a sense of things feeling unreal, or a fear of impending doom, or even a fear of losing control.

Social anxiety disorder. This is also known as social phobia, which involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations, like a grocery store or even at work. The worry often centers on a fear of of being watched and judged by others that they are behaving in such a way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule. This social phobia is often an intense, persistent, and chronic worry or fear. They can worry for days or weeks before a dreaded situation. This fear may become so severe that it can interfere with work, school, and other ordinary activities, which can also make it hard for them to make and keep friends.

Many people with social phobia are aware that their fears excessive or unreasonable, yet they are unable to overcome them. Even if they manage to confront their fears and be around others, they are usually very anxious beforehand, are intensely uncomfortable throughout the entire time, and then worry about how they were judged by others for hours afterward.

Social phobia is not necessarily always broad in its fears but can be limited to one situation, such as speaking in front of a group of people.

Some of the physical symptoms that accompany social phobia include blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, nausea, and difficulty talking. People who experience these symptoms  usually have PTSD .

Specific phobias. These are intense fears of a specific object or situation, such as heights or flying. The level of fear is usually inappropriate to the situation and may cause you to avoid common, everyday situations.

Generalized anxiety disorder. This causes you to experience anxiety most of the time, without any apparent reason. It can include unrealistic worry and tension, even if there’s little or nothing to provoke the anxiety.  The anxious feelings may be so uncomfortable that  you may stop some everyday activities. These bouts of anxiety can be so intense that they can terrifying and immobilizing.

How Are Anxiety Disorders Treated?

Today, we have a greater understanding of what causes this anxiety and how to treat this mental health problem. There are often both biological and issues to every anxiety disorder.  The best form of treatment involves a holistic approach:

• Medication : Drugs used to reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorders include many antidepressants, certain anticonvulsant medicines and low-dose antipsychotics, and other anxiety-reducing drugs.
• Psychotherapy : Psychotherapy (a type of counseling) addresses the emotional response to mental illness. It is a process in which trained mental health professionals help people by talking through strategies for understanding and dealing with their disorder
•  A cognitive-behavioral therapy such as EMDR: This is a particular type of psychotherapy in which the person learns to recognize and can change thought patterns and behaviors that have lead to troublesome feelings.
• Counselling
• Dietary and lifestyle changes
• Naturopathic/homeopathic treatment
• Relaxation therapies
• Meditation

Our goal is to help you. In our private and confidential setting we provide you with a personalized compassionate experience in counseling.