Anxiety is a term used for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear and worrying. While being mildly anxious can be a bit vague and perhaps unsettling, severe anxiety can be incapacitating and affect your life seriously.
Anxiety becomes a problem when certain symptoms affect a person’s daily functions and ability to sleep. Reactions to normal, everyday situations are out of proportion and sometimes alarming.
Common symptoms of anxiety
There are several physical and nonphysical symptoms in people with anxiety disorders. The following is a list of physical symptoms:
– Trembling
– Churning stomach
– Nausea
– Diarrhea
– Headache
– Backache
– Heart palpitations
– Numbness or “pins and needles” in arms, hands or legs
– Sweating/flushing
– Restlessness
– Easily tired
– Trouble concentrating
– Irritability
– Muscle tension
– Frequent urination
– Trouble falling or staying asleep
– Being easily startled
What Causes Anxiety?
There are several factors that can cause anxiety. Most commonly brought on by the stress you deal with everyday, anxiety is a response to outside dynamics. Negative self-talk is one-way of making yourself anxious; the act of always telling yourself the worst will happen.
Environmental and external factors
– Trauma caused by abuse, victimization, or the death of a loved one
– Stress in personal relationships, divorce, etc.
– Stress your place of work
– Stress about finances and money
– Lack of oxygen in high altitude areas
Medical factors
– Stress from a serious medical illness
– Side effects from medication
– Symptoms of a medical illness
– Lack of oxygen from emphysema, or pulmonary embolism
– Substance use and abuse
Genetics – some researchers even suggest that a family history of anxiety increases the likelihood of developing it.
Brain chemistry – further research shows that an individual with levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain which are above the normal level suffer more from general anxiety disorder.