Signs That Your Anxiety is a Serious Problem
There is so much talk nowadays about the prevalence of anxiety in our culture. There is some truth to this. I am not aware of a person who has not experienced anxiety. But feeling anxiety doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a problem.
What is Anxiety?
We all experience five primary emotions: Happiness, sadness, fear, anger & disgust. These five core emotions are the foundations for every other emotion that we experience. Anxiety is an extension of the emotion of fear.
According to the American Psychological Association, 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. They may also have physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness or a rapid heartbeat.
Fundamentally, anxiety is the fear of a future situation. And there are lots of common situations that can fill a person with anxiety:
· A presentation at work or school
· A job interview
· Asking someone out on a date
· Moving to a new town
· Traveling on a plane
· Taking a test
In all of these situations, the source of the anxiety is short term. Once the task is completed, the anxiety will typically subside and resolve itself. So far, we are still in the realm of normalcy. Could you do some work on yourself so the above situations do not bother you as much? Absolutely! But do you have to? That is your call.
When anxiety is a problem that requires treatment
The key factors that determine if the anxiety that you are feeling is a real problem that requires more immediate treatment involve the intensity of the anxiety and/or the length of time you feel the anxiety.
Using an above example:
You have a trip you are taking a week from now that requires flying on a plane. A full week before the trip, you are feeling tons of anxiety about having to go to the airport, go through security and actually be on the plane. You are losing sleep during these days. You are more irritable than normal. You have lots of tension in your body (muscle tightness, teeth grinding, etc.)
This would be an example of anxiety that would benefit from treatment due to the length of time that this person is feeling this tension. Having some butterflies during takeoff or landing is quite common and normal. But being consumed by anxiety and fear for multiple days prior to the event, is a huge sign that a person should get some help to overcome and process their fear around flying.
Using the same example, but focusing on intensity:
A person is about to leave for the airport for their trip. They are experiencing severe digestive upset, either diarrhea or vomiting. They are sweating profusely. Their heart is racing. They are breathing very rapidly and in shallow breaths. It may even escalate into a full-blown panic attack.
The intensity of the emotions being felt here are above and beyond a typical response to flying on a plane. Once again, it would be beneficial for someone who experiences this kind of response in anticipation of any event, to get treatment so that they do not have to suffer through these emotions.
When anxiety can lead to a psychological diagnosis
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), which is the bible of mental disorders, a person with severe, prolonged anxiety may be diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
The criteria for a GAD Diagnosis include:
1. Excessive anxiety & worry occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities
2. The person finds it difficult to control the worry
3. The anxiety and worry are associated with three or more of the following symptoms, that are present more days than not in the past 6 months:
a. Restlessness or being on edge
b. Easily fatigues
c. Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
d. Irritability
e. Muscle tension
f. Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying sleep or restless unsatisfying sleep)
4. The experience is not better explained by another mental disorder
5. The anxiety, worry or physical symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, work or other important areas of life
6. The experience is not due to the physical effect of a drug or other medical condition
What should I do if my anxiety is negatively affecting my life?
The first step is to observe and confirm that the anxiety is negatively affecting your life. You may be afraid of planes, but if you never fly and have no interest in flying, then it isn’t an issue per say. But if you have to travel for work or you want to travel and your fear and anxiety over flying keeps you from living your life, then that is when you should get treated. The key is the anxiety has to have a negative impact on your life.
The second step is to connect with mental health professional to guide you through the process of healing the fear you have. A great method for dealing with anxiety is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping.
EFT involves tapping on acupressure points on your own body in order to calm the amygdala, the fear center of the brain. The tapping allows for the Chi (emotional energy) to move more freely and bring a sense of relief and calm to the mind and body.
Tapping can be used prior to and during the experience that is invoking the anxiety to help reduce its intensity in the moment. And EFT can be used with an experienced mental health practitioner to alleviate the source of the anxiety, thus preventing any discomfort from being experienced at all.
Living without anxiety
Yes, it is possible to live without life damaging anxiety. To be able to bring an end to panic attacks. To not have so much of your mental energy focused on things that you are worried or scared about and to just live comfortably.
If that sounds like a life that you want to live. A life with less fear and more peace, then feel free to take advantage of the free tapping session I offer to see if EFT and I are a good fit for you.