Anxiety Treatment – Awareness the Key to Coping with Anxiety
If I thought I was suffering from stress, the question that I would ask myself is ‘How do I know that I am stressed enough to require anxiety treatment?’ This is the key to Coping with Anxiety. Anxiety can be split into 5 forms, each with its own causes and subsequent symptoms:
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder GAD – This is the most common form of anxiety and manifests itself in what may be regarded as trivial signs such as being irritable or being worried most of the time – GAD is normally triggered by concerns over finances, health, family safety, etc.
- Social Anxiety/Phobia Disorder – This is very common– it is the fear of negative evaluation (in other words rejection), a fear that you will do something embarrassing or humiliating where someone will see you.
- Panic Disorder – Panic attacks ‘come out of the blue’ and the first time usually during high stress. Subsequently, the fear of getting a panic attack again may trigger further attacks – a vicious cycle.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – This can be triggered by any of a number of high stress events (sexual abuse, rape, war, natural disaster) and manifest in nightmares, flashbacks and sensory reminders that trigger the same fears.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – This manifests as intrusive, repetitive and unwanted thoughts or impulses – the most common of these is repetitive washing or checking.
Generally physical symptoms lead people to Doctors for a check-up, and often symptoms may be down to a physical ailment. In all cases it is advisable to see a Doctor. Knowing if you have an anxiety disorder is the key to coping with anxiety.