Anxiety is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences. Many people feel anxious or nervous, when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test or making an important decision. Dr Muhammad Ismail Tariq, an assistant professor of psychiatry from Lahore says if anxiety persists for weeks to months and starts affecting an individual’s family, social and work life then it is considered a disorder.sni
Types of Anxiety Disorders
There are many types. But broadly they can be taken as three: generalized, episodic and phobic anxiety disorders.sni
In generalized anxiety, a person remains anxious for around six months or even more. It affects the patient’s sleep and he remains restless most of the time.sni
The episodic anxiety as the name suggests, comes in episodes. For instance, patient can suddenly feel fear, insecure or think he is having a cardiac arrest. Interestingly, in episodic anxiety also called panic attacks, the patient is fearful of conditions that do not even happen to him. Dr Ismail says that he often sees people coming to emergencies complaining about difficulty in breathing or their heart stopping. But their ECGs tell otherwise. Such patients are then told to consult a psychiatrist for treatment.sni
In phobic disorders, patients suffer from irrational fears of certain things and situations like heights, dark rooms, deep water and animals etcetera. In this case, a person can experience extreme fear all the time or it can happen due to a certain situation, thing or condition. Dr Ismail explains:sni
Phobias are different from normal fear. For instance, everybody fears heights but they do not stop climbing them or traveling high altitudes on airplanes. But those experiencing phobia try to avoid such situations. For instance acrophobics do not board an airplane or hike hillssni
Phobias have another type which is called anticipatory anxiety where the individual experiences increased level of anxiety by just thinking about an event or situation that is going to occur in the future.sni
Causes of Anxiety
The exact reason is so far unknown. Generally one of the reasons which can be held responsible for it is genetics. Dr Captain (Rtd) Liaqat Ali Chaudhary, a psychiatrist from Gujranwala says that individuals are prone to suffer from the problem if their parents experienced it too. But it is not definite.sni
The upbringing of children can also be a reason. It is a common practice at homes to scare children of unseen things and monsters. But according to doctors it can end up in severe anxiety in the future.sni
Besides this, there are some personalities which are anxiety prone. A person who persistently suffers from stress has greater chance of developing the disorder. Financial crisis, insecurity, absence of facilities like home, car or any other can all contribute to the problem.sni
Certain medicines for physical disease can also cause anxiety as a side effect. Drug addicts can also suffer from it after the withdrawal of drugs. Other than this, hormonal problems are also responsible for it. sni
Symptoms
Symptoms vary individually. According to Dr Ismail, a patient can suffer from a band-like headache, dryness of mouth or complain about something stuck in the throat. Other symptoms include difficulty breathing, stomachache, frequent urge to urinate, trembling, restlessness, disturbed sleep, palpitations and numbness.sni
Complications
As far as the effect on brain is concerned, there is no scientific evidence that anxiety changes the brain parts. However, it can cause functional changes like impacts the thought process and memory. Concentration is another brain function that can get affected. Whatever we want to memorize, we first register it through concentration and attention. When anxious, it becomes difficult for a patient to concentrate and as a result he cannot memorize things properly.sni
Anxiety can also indirectly influence life expectancy. When a person suffers from persistent anxiety, his immunity decreases and as a consequence develops diabetes, heart disease, hypertension or other life-decreasing diseases.sni
Nevertheless, anxiety is not always bad. It definitely has a positive role in our lives too. Some degree of anxiety can help improve our performance while performing various tasks. Severe anxiety, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect and hinder our performance, says Dr Liaqat
Diagnosis & Treatment
If symptoms of this disorder are present, the doctor will evaluate the patient by asking questions, taking medical history and performing a physical exam. There are no lab tests to specifically diagnose anxiety disorders. The doctor may use various tests to look for physical illness as the cause of the symptoms. If no physical illness is found, the patient is referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist for further treatment.sni
The diagnosis is based on the intensity and duration of symptoms including any problems with daily functioning and the doctor’s observation of the patient’s attitude and behavior. The doctor then determines if the patient’s symptoms and degree of dysfunction indicate a specific anxiety disorder.sni
Fortunately, much progress has been made in the treatment of mental illnesses, including anxiety disorders. Although the exact treatment approach depends on the type of disorder but the combination of drugs, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation can be used for curing the problem. Besides this, diet and lifestyle changes can help.sni
Prevention
Preventing the problem should come first. Abstaining from smoking, drugs and alcohol can help prevent it. We should reduce the intake of caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea. Moreover, having sound sleep and living a less stressful life can also help. Do not invite anxiety; make your life simple and find time for yourself and family.sni
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