A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.
Difficult experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood are a common trigger for anxiety problems. Going through stress and trauma when you're very young is likely to have a particularly big impact. Experiences which can trigger anxiety problems include things like: physical or emotional abuse.
Anxiety attack symptoms include:
Surge of overwhelming panic. Feeling of losing control or going crazy. Heart palpitations or chest pain. Feeling like you're going to pass out.
Panic attacks can happen at any time and while they are sometimes triggered by a stressful life event, they can often appear to be triggered by nothing at all. It's important to know that having a panic attack doesn't mean you have panic disorder.
Most panic attacks last between 5 and 20 minutes. Some have been reported to last up to an hour. The number of attacks you have will depend on how severe your condition is. Some people have attacks once or twice a month, while others have them several times a week.
Your heart rate increases or feels like its skipping a beat: If your heart rate is faster than normal, or you begin to have heart palpitations, it could be a sign of a silent panic attack. It also may be one of the first physiological symptoms you experience with any sort of anxiety.
Panic and anxiety attacks both cause a rapid heart rate, shallow breathing, and a sense of distress. However, they typically differ in severity and cause. Panic attacks are often more intense and can occur with or without a trigger, while anxiety attacks are a response to a perceived threat.
Anxiety usually goes away once the triggering event is over, but it may reoccur depending on your life circumstances. An anxiety disorder can become a long-term condition. If left untreated, anxiety disorders can worsen and substantially disrupt your life.
Let's recap. Living with anxiety can be frustrating and challenging at times. But ignoring your symptoms doesn't make them any better and can even make you feel worse in many cases. There are several different treatment options you can try to manage your symptoms.
Chills or hot flushes. Fear of dying. Fear of losing control or going crazy. Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint.
But researchers don't know exactly what causes anxiety disorders. They suspect a combination of factors plays a role: Chemical imbalance: Severe or long-lasting stress can change the chemical balance that controls your mood. Experiencing a lot of stress over a long period can lead to an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety can be caused by a variety of things: stress, genetics, brain chemistry, traumatic events, or environmental factors. Symptoms can be reduced with anti-anxiety medication. But even with medication, people may still experience some anxiety or even panic attacks.
Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available.
Anxiety disorders can cause rapid heart rate, palpitations, and chest pain. You may also be at an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. If you already have heart disease, anxiety disorders may raise the risk of coronary events.
The term "nervous breakdown" is sometimes used by people to describe a stressful situation in which they're temporarily unable to function normally in day-to-day life. It's commonly understood to occur when life's demands become physically and emotionally overwhelming.
Exams and Tests
Many people with panic disorder first seek treatment at the emergency room. This is because the panic attack often feels like a heart attack. The health care provider will perform a physical exam and a mental health assessment. Blood tests will be done.
Severe anxiety often causes avoidance, a type of behavior people use to escape uncomfortable feelings. It can mean physically avoiding something, such as crowds, or by declining invitations to events. In some cases, avoidance can lead to life choices like not preparing for a presentation due to feelings of nervousness.
The four levels of anxiety are mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, severe anxiety, and panic level anxiety, each of which is classified by the level of distress and impairment they cause.
Although feelings of anxiety at certain times are completely normal, you should see your GP if anxiety is affecting your daily life or is causing you distress. Your GP will ask you about your symptoms and your worries, fears and emotions to try to find out if you could have GAD.
Remind yourself that you're going to be OK. Anxiety attacks can be scary but they can't harm you. If you wait it out, you'll come out the other side. Don't fight it.