Dive into the depths of anxiety by knowing everything about it. From what it is to its causes, symptoms & how you can support someone facing it.

Life becomes easy & enjoyable by understanding everything. This article helps you understand everything about anxiety. Find out what exactly anxiety is so that you can help yourself or your loved one going through it. Gain valuable insights from the information presented below. 

Nowadays, anxiety is considered a universal human experience because everyone faces it. If someone experiences it occasionally, it is kind of normal. But if someone experiences it constantly, then taking help makes them feel better. Let’s dig deeper & understand everything about anxiety.

Let’s Understand Anxiety & the Invisible Struggles of Human Mind.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety can be seen as a physical and mental manifestation of your emotions. When you are stressed, afraid, or uneasy in some situation, you feel it. For example, someone gets anxious before an exam. A person becomes nervous when meeting new people. This nervousness and anxious feeling only mean that your mind and body are a bit afraid at that particular time. And it is completely fine to be afraid. Because of these emotions, you experience anxiety. So, do not be harsh if you face it; just take control, and you can overcome it. 

Causes

Anxiety can strike on occasion or on a regular basis. You become anxious when faced with uncomfortable situations. It is more likely to occur in people who face emotions like fear, stress, & uneasiness. These two are common causes and can happen to anyone. Other than these two, you get anxious for these reasons as well. Sometimes you experience it because of your genes and past traumas. Sometimes you experience it as a result of using caffeine, drugs & alcohol. In summary, these all are the causes that can trigger anxiety, and they vary from person to person.

Symptoms

Anxiety symptoms are of many types: physical, psychological & behavioural. In some cases, they can be detected easily. Sometimes they embibe in your daily life & you can’t even find them. A person experiencing anxiety can suffer any of the following:-

Physical Symptoms –

01). Rapid Heartbeat:

It doesn’t matter if you’re running or sitting. You feel like your heart is going to race right out of your chest.

02). Excessive Sweating:

Anxiety triggers the fight or flight response in your body and hence, you start sweating profusely.

03). Shortness of breath:

You feel like you are not able to catch your breath and it is quite similar to not getting enough air.

04). Excessive shaking:

It causes your muscles to tense up and because of that, your body starts trembling.

05). Feeling exhausted:

Anxiety is terribly draining for your mental and physical health. You feel like you have no energy to work or move.

06). Headaches:

It can even cause more stress, and that might result in headaches or migraines.These hinder all your ability to concentrate and do work.

07). Digestive issues:

Anxiety can worsen your gastrointestinal system. It can easily progress to stomachaches, indigestion and nausea. Some can even lose their appetite.

08). Dizziness:

Since anxiety hampers breathing issues, it may even be the cause of you feeling lightheaded.

09). Sleep disturbances:

Anxiety affects your sleep cycle, because you feel restless most of the time. Trying to sleep becomes quite challenging.

Psychological Symptoms –

01). Excessive worrying:

Anxiety makes you worry even about the tiniest decisions of your life.

02). Overthinking:

Excessive worrying further results in overthinking. It’s when you dissect the past, and over analyse the tiniest moments. The moments that haven’t even happened in your life.

03). Feeling restless:

Anxiety makes you more and more restless. It goes on to a point when you have no idea what to do or how to control it.

04). Irritability:

When you feel restless and are worried most of the time, you start feeling irritated. This can lead to epic frustration during tiny problems.

05). Mental fog:

With anxiety, you can not concentrate on one work. It impairs your focus and makes it challenging for anyone to complete tasks successfully.

06). Fear of losing control:

You feel like you’re losing control of your thoughts and emotions. The more it grows, the more difficult it is to control.

07). Fear of impending doom:

Anxiety makes you feel overwhelmed by the tasks you do; they can very well be your daily tasks. It also makes you feel that something bad is about to happen.

08). Heightened response:

People suffering from anxiety are more sensitive to outside stimuli. They get startled whenever they hear a loud sound.

09). Constant tension:

Anxiety makes you more tense and it becomes really hard for you to relax your mind or your body.

Behavioural Symptoms – 

01). Assurance seeking:

People with anxiety may seek comfort or reassurance every now and then. It helps them to be more positive and not worry about everything.

02). Constant avoidance:

You tend to avoid situations where you feel your anxiety can act up. This slowly cuts you off from your loved ones. People even withdraw from social interactions.

03). Repetitive actions:

Some people have certain behaviours that they believe soothe their thinking. Some like bathing and some like washing their hands every now and then.

04). Procrastination:

These people are always fearful and their mind makes them think about every scenario. It becomes difficult for them to finish or even start a task.

05). Restlessness:

People with anxiety pace, they fidget or tap without even realising what is happening. This can also be one of their nervous habits.

Support loved ones

If you find your loved one facing these symptoms, you can support them in those situations. And believe me, it makes them feel so good when you understand their emotions and situations. In those panic situations, effective communication and empathy help a lot. You can create a supportive environment for them so they feel protected and welcome. A person can face everything with the right support and love. Support your loved ones through anxiety and help them. 

Anxiety can be described as a complex condition that affects  someone in a huge way. But if someone knows everything about anxiety, they can overcome it. Research has proven that there are many people who have overcome it. With the right knowledge and understanding, overcome anxiety and live a happy and cheerful life.