Everyone becomes anxious at some point in life. Anxiety is the way the brain responds to stress factors. It alerts the body of impending danger. However, some cases are persistent, excessive, and seemingly irrational. When it reaches a point of derailing life, then it becomes a clinical anxiety disorder. It is as critical as any other health problem like heart disease and must therefore not be taken lightly.
Common Anxiety Disorders
• Phobias: Fear of heights, tight spaces, water, riding in cars, crowds, etc.
• OCD/ Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Aggressive impulses to complete certain tasks over and over
• Panic disorder: Spontaneous terror or feeling of impending danger leading to shortness of breath and heart palpitations
• PTSD/Post-traumatic stress disorder: After a trauma by natural disaster or physical attack
• Social anxiety disorder: Fear of being humiliated when around people
• GAD/Generalized anxiety disorder: Excessive fear for no apparent reason
Feeling anxious occasionally is fine. But when it becomes a mental disorder, it threatens the victim’s life with a constant fear that interferes with work, relationships, and personal growth. Do not wait for symptoms to persist. Seek anxiety counselling the soonest possible to stay healthy.
Anxiety can be as critical as depression
Most people do not know that anxiety is as serious as depression. Anxiety is the most common mental disorder and has been linked to suicidal thoughts just like depression. The two conditions are life-threatening if they co-occur and ignoring their correlation is just as dangerous. Persistent anxiety negatively affects the quality of life. That is why you will hear cases of panic attacks and insomnia in people who are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The victims are more likely to visit doctors than those who are healthy. This translates to health costs and a possible impact on academic, family life, and personal relationships.
If left untreated, anxiety can cause depression, a condition where someone feels sad, hopeless, disillusioned, and unmotivated for weeks. The good news is that these conditions are treatable. Anxiety counselling teaches you how to think, behave, and perform.
Why People Don’t Receive Anxiety Treatment
There are many reasons people with diagnosable anxiety don’t go for treatment. One of them is the cost. Location can also be a hindrance when there are no anxiety counsellors near you. For instance, rural areas tend to be marginalized in terms of medical care and people have to travel long distances to find a hospital. Cultural beliefs can also be a hindrance to the treatment of anxiety disorders. Men are especially discouraged from speaking out their feelings and so they end up suppressing them only to turn suicidal. Generally, women more likely to suffer from GAD but are quicker to seek help than men.
The fear of stigmatization is a major catastrophe to anxiety treatment just like ignorance. Everyone should be aware of the causes and symptoms of anxiety. If your loved one seems isolated, discouraged, and confused, seek help immediately to save their health.
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