Anxiety Disorders/Symptoms
This is a broad topic as there are many different categories of anxiety.
We will take each level of anxiety and discuss symptoms of each. Please understand that anxiety is an emotional disorder and not a mental disorder.
Anxiety
Anxiety is when the 'fight or flight' response occurs in the body without an actual threat being in place. It results in body symptoms such as rapid heart rate, sweating, shortness of breath or numbing in various places. As we think of anxiety it is a hightend level of stress that is perpetual and becoming a life distraction. The four major contributors to anxiety are 1) death of a friend or family member 2) change of employment or loss of employment 3) divorce 4) moving. If any of these pertain to you be gentle with yourself and understand that this is absolutely to be expected with any major life change. Gather support from friends and family and be patient with yourself during these transitions. Once your life resumes a normal feel, this will become a thing of the past. And for this, you are lucky!
Social Anxiety Disorder
This condition is associated with any type of social condition. Being in crowded places, having to engage in conversation with various people. The big one with this is speaking in public. The symptoms from above occur in these situations along with 'anticipatory anxiety' anticipating the situation for weeks to months ahead.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
This would be mine. And oh, how I loathe this little bugger! This is that feeling from both of the above combined and put on a daily basis! Isn't that just fun? So, we now have body symptoms, anticipatory anxiety and the fight or flight feelings all together and as a daily occurrence! Imagine if you will, someone who is deathly afraid of flying on an airplane. The feeling that you get when you have to do whatever it is that you are terrified of. Now put that into daily life and that is generalized anxiety. Herbs or medication would be very beneficial to this disorder.
Panic Disorder
The best way that I can describe a panic attack is taking all forms of anxiety and blowing it up to the Nth degree. Fears and irrational behaviors have actually taken the body into a full tail spin and generally when you have a panic attack you wind up calling 911. This is when you mimic a heart attack, a stroke, hyperventilation, or any other major body panic's without the actual situation being the case. You are not having a heart attack, yet your body is absolutely covering all symptoms of one. Some people get so overwhelmed that they do pass out. With this, medical intervention would be very helpful.
Agoraphobia
Anxiety has now won and taken over your life. This situation results in the person not being able to leave the house, get in a car or do anything that would constitute having to face any social situation. They are homebound and fear has taken hold of their entire life. This requires medical intervention.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
I add this into my anxiety category because people that have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) do rituals to prevent a panic attack or have discord and upset in their day. This can be a huge problem in daily life and does require medication at certain levels of intensity.
