Author’s Bio: Paige Lamb has a degree in Psychology. As a passionate medical worker, she enjoys writing about health topics to provide insight to everyone.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a mental health disorder that leads to an increase in stress, fear, and worry. Having anxiety is a normal and healthy emotion, but when it becomes consistent and interferes with daily activities, it can possibly become a mental illness. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.” People with anxiety disorders can have different ways of showing their behaviors and emotions, and this can interfere with daily activities and social situations.

Types of Anxiety Disorder:

There are six major types of anxiety disorder: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is diagnosed when a person has overwhelming anxiety at most times and this makes a person worry constantly about everything without even being triggered. These emotions last for at least six months and include physical symptoms like muscle tension, fast heartbeat, or dizziness. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a disorder that is characterized by consistent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). This behavior is used to relieve this form of anxiety. Panic Disorder describes a person who is having random and repeated episodes of intense fear with symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, abnormal distress, or dizziness. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is frightening thoughts that happen after going through a traumatic event. Traumatic events that may trigger this disorder may include natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, violent personal assaults, or military combat. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) or Social Phobia is a fear of performance of social situations, and/or fear of being embarrassed. This makes a person have overwhelming anxiety and guilt in everyday social situations. Public speaking and other social situations that require a person to perform can trigger this disorder. Phobia is when a person has an overwhelming amount of anxiety toward a specific animal, insect, object, or situation.

Anxiety Disorder Causes:

There are multiple causes for each of the five major types of anxiety disorders. Each cause falls into a category of either being a biological, psychosocial, or social/environmental trigger. Some biological causes of these disorders include:

Hormonal changes (puberty or menopause)
Brain chemical changes
Genetics
Possibly thyroid problems

Psychosocial causes of these anxiety disorders can be:

Personality
Trauma
Stress factors
Unwanted beliefs that develop over time

Lastly, environmental/social causes of anxiety disorders can be:

Stress from personal relationships, jobs, school, and/or financial circumstances.
Genetics
Caffeine and nicotine use
Drug use

Anxiety Symptoms:

Below are the symptoms for each of the five major forms of anxiety disorder: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Chronic worrying and anxiety
Negative self-talk
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Fatigue
Not being able to relax
Muscle tension
Tremors
Headaches
Breathing difficulties
Increased urinary frequency
Stomach issues
Teeth grinding

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Attempts to reduce the effect of current thoughts with past or future thoughts
Consistent showering/bathing, washing hair or hands, checking, hoarding, rearranging
things for perfect alignment, repeating words or phrases.
Lack of being able to concentrate and complete tasks
Recognition that the thoughts are produced in his or her own mind
Impaired social or work functioning

Panic Disorder

Rapid heartbeat
Increased perspiration
Tingling or numbness of hands
Nausea
Chest pain
Fear of being out of control
Feeling of being suffocated
Depression

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

Intense feeling or fear and dread following a traumatic event
Event keeps happening in the mind
Emotional numbness following the event
Avoidance of people, places, or things associated with the event

Depression
Weak social and work functioning
Difficulty in relationships
Insomnia

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) or Social Phobia:

Trouble breathing
Sweating, cold, and clammy hands
Rapid heart beat
Confusion
Stomach issues

Trembling hands and voice
Urinary urgency
Muscle tension
Fear of embarrassment or ridicule

Some people find that their anxiety changes depending on the time of the year. For example, some people find that their anxiety worsens during the summer months due to the high temperatures and how these effects can increase anxiety symptoms.

Some of the symptoms that are seen that are caused by anxiety from the summer months are; sweating, tiredness, nausea, dehydration, restlessness, palpitations, and shortness of breath. This makes summer vacations and fun very pressuring which can induce anxiousness.

Some of the ways that a person can cope with summer anxiety would be:

Keeping your body calm and cool, wearing cotton and/or loose clothing can help with this. Also wearing lighter colors in the summertime rather than darker ones help.
Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water and eating foods with high nutritional value.
Taking cool showers

This advice can also be taken for generalized anxiety as well.

Anxiety Treatment (Medication):

Medication is very useful in helping the symptoms of intense fear and panic attacks. A very common medication that is used to treat anxiety are antidepressants. These medications are widely used to treat and prevent a variety of these disorders. Antidepressants that are mostly used to treat anxiety are SSRIs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Celexa. Antidepressants are often used in combination with other therapies to treat these disorders. Counseling can also be a treatment for anxiety disorders. Some self-care things people can do to limit their anxieties are;

Avoiding alcohol
 Reducing caffeine intake
 Increasing exercise
 Practicing stress management
 Relaxation techniques.

Lifestyle changes like decreasing the use of caffeine or nicotine in your life and exercising regularly might help ease the symptoms of anxiety as well. Anxiety can take a huge toll on a person’s health. When a person has this disorder, their stress level increases which raises blood pressure. This can overall contribute to future heart problems, kidney disease, and sexual dysfunction. The quality of life for a person suffering from this disorder can also be a task too. Anxious thoughts and intense self consciousness and fear of rejection can cause people to avoid anxiety-provoking situations. This then interferes with relationships in work and school. This makes people turn down opportunities and miss out on the joyful activities in their lives. Online Doctor Consultation Do you think you may have anxiety? Our online doctor appointments will provide you with the answers and care that you need! An anxiety disorder can be treated properly through our telehealth services and online doctor consultations. Medications for treatment can be prescribed and sent to your pharmacy as needed. At Home Urgent Care provides telehealth services that allow people to seek help on anxiety and other mental health services. Book an online appointment today with our health care experts available at your convenience 365 days a year!