Table of Contents
What does psychology say about anxiety?
Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry. Anxiety happens when a part of the brain, the amygdala, senses trouble. When it senses threat, real or imagined, it surges the body with hormones (including cortisol, the stress hormone) and adrenaline to make the body strong, fast and powerful. Having a health condition or serious illness can cause significant worry about issues such as your treatment and your future. Stress buildup. 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. Some of the most effective ways to control anxiety involve lifestyle or behavior changes. Calming the mind through meditation is an Eastern technique finding favor in Western cultures. Regular activity such as running or walking helps release the muscle tension that creates so much distress. It also changes the brain. If you’re looking to go a more natural route, though, there are little and big ways you can help combat anxiety. You can make adjustments to habits, like exercise, sleep, and diet. You can also try something totally new, like aromatherapy or meditation. One of our licensed counseling psychologists or clinical psychologists will help you manage your anxiety, learn healthy ways to cope with anxiety symptoms, and take control of your mental health.
Is anxiety a mental or psychological?
An anxiety disorder is a type of mental health condition. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may respond to certain things and situations with fear and dread. You may also experience physical signs of anxiety, such as a pounding heart and sweating. It’s normal to have some anxiety. Anxiety may be caused by a mental condition, a physical condition, the effects of drugs, stressful life events, or a combination of these. The doctor’s initial task is to see if your anxiety is a symptom of another medical condition. Anxiety disorders are different from normal anxiety. Diagnosis of anxiety disorders A diagnosis is usually made by a GP, psychiatrist or psychologist. Diagnosis might involve: talking to you about how you feel, what’s worrying you, and how long you’ve had these feelings. tests of your thinking (psychological tests) 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. Anxiety is not curable, but there are ways to keep it from being a big problem. Getting the right treatment for your anxiety will help you dial back your out-of-control worries so that you can get on with life. There are many ways to do this.
Is anxiety in the brain or body?
Symptoms of anxiety disorders are thought to be a disruption of the emotional processing center in the brain rather than the higher cognitive centers. The brain’s limbic system, comprised of the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and thalamus, is responsible for the majority of emotional processing. Anxiety is a beast, but it is possible to win the battle without medication. Sometimes, overcoming worry and nervousness is simply a matter of modifying your behavior, thoughts, and lifestyle. You can start with a drug-free approach, and then speak with a doctor if your symptoms don’t improve or worsen. Pick up some activities that can help you relax like sports, yoga, or meditation. One of the symptoms of anxiety is that you stop doing things that like to do. Try going back to doing what you like to do so that you can be happy. Whatever you do, avoid drugs and alcohol because it won’t make your anxiety go away. Psychiatrists often prescribe an SSRI to patients suffering from an anxiety disorder. This medication blocks specific nerve cells from reabsorbing serotonin. The extra serotonin alleviates anxiety and improves mood. This medication includes fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine and escitalopram.
Is anxiety a form of mental illness?
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. Treatment helps most people lead normal productive lives. The answer is it depends on the person. An anxiety disorder can last anywhere from a few months to many years. It will go away completely for some, and for others, it may be a lifelong condition to treat. Evidence has suggested that exercise may be an often-neglected intervention in mental health care. Aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing, have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression. Thus ended the “chemical imbalance” theory cause for mental illness, including anxiety disorder. So, no, anxiety disorder is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Research on depression, anxiety and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help improve mood and reduce anxiety.
What mentally causes anxiety?
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 becomes more common with older age and is most common among middle-aged adults. This may be due to a number of factors, including changes in the brain and nervous system as we age, and being more likely to experience stressful life events that can trigger anxiety. Anxiety can trigger your flight-or-fight stress response and release a flood of chemicals and hormones, like adrenaline, into your system. In the short term, this increases your pulse and breathing rate, so your brain can get more oxygen. This prepares you to respond appropriately to an intense situation. Summary: Pathological anxiety and chronic stress lead to structural degeneration and impaired functioning of the hippocampus and the PFC, which may account for the increased risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia. Anxiety, either about a current situation or forthcoming event is a normal bodily reaction to stress. This reaction begins in the Amygdala – an area in the brain which sends distress signals to the hypothalamus. These signals are then communicated to the rest of the body to evoke a ‘fight or flight’ response.