“Anxiety robs you of the good and joy around us and makes you think you must always be ready for the next disaster.” SAM BURROWS
Do you have symptoms of:
- Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
- Feelings of choking
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Nausea or abdominal distress
Anxiety feels like fear. It is a feeling of worrying, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
When it’s often caused by a problem that can’t be solved, like money difficulties, we call it ”worry”.
If it is a sudden reaction to a threat, like looking over a cliff or being confronted by a vicious dog, we call it fear. Anxiety and fear are normal human emotions.
Fast facts about anxiety
- An anxiety attack usually involves a fear of some specific occurrence or problem that could happen.
- Symptoms include worry, restlessness, and possibly physical symptoms, such as changes in heart rate.
- Anxiety differs from a panic attack but can occur as part of an anxiety or panic disorder.
Kathleen Davis, FNP, stated in Medical News Today (5 November 2018) that anxiety can be a symptom of panic, but it differs from a panic attack.
An anxiety attack, or anxiety:
- It can have a specific trigger, such as an exam, workplace issues, a health issue, or a relationship problem
- is not a diagnosable condition;
- is less severe than a panic attack;
- usually develops gradually when a person feels anxious;
- involves physical symptoms, such as a racing heart or “knot in the stomach.”
A panic attack:
- It does not have a specific trigger;
- can be a symptom of panic disorder, a diagnosable condition;
- has severe symptoms;
- This can happen whether a person feels calm or anxious;
- Involves physical symptoms and feelings of terror so intense that the person fears a total loss of control or imminent death;
- It often occurs suddenly and unexpectedly and lasts minutes and an hour, although the negative impact may continue.
NOTE: The term “anxiety attack” is not listed in the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th Edition (DSM-V).
Panic attacks, however, are a symptom of panic disorder in the DSM-V. Therefore, only a licensed professional can diagnose panic disorder.
Difference in symptoms
Both panic and anxiety can involve fear, a pounding or racing heart, light-headedness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and irrational thoughts. However, in a panic attack, these are far more severe. The person may genuinely believe they are going to die. A person is more likely to require medical attention if they have a panic attack versus an anxiety attack.
Differences in how they start
Anxiety can be a response to a specific worry or fear. It tends to develop gradually, and a person is usually worried or concerned at the outset. It can be mild, moderate or severe. There may be a sense that if only this problem can be solved, everything will be in order.
A panic attack can happen without warning, and there is no way to prevent it. It can happen whether a person feels calm or anxious, even during sleep. There is often no apparent cause, and the level of fear is out of proportion to the trigger. In fact, according to the APA, the reaction is unrelated to the situation.
Differences in duration
Anxiety is often related to a specific situation. Therefore, it tends to build up and continue for some time.
A panic attack starts suddenly. Symptoms peak after 10 minutes and usually wane after 30 minutes, although the effects may last longer. Anxiety generally does not rise this way, but some people with anxiety can progress to panic attacks.
Can anxiety lead to panic?
A person with panic disorder may experience anxiety that they are going to have a panic attack—the uncertainty about if or when an attack will happen can lead to anxiety between episodes.
Anxiety may trigger a panic attack in a person with a panic disorder. The fear of having a panic attack can affect a person’s behaviour and ability to function daily.
The APA suggests a biological factor underlying panic disorder, but scientists have not yet identified a specific marker.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders differ from normal emotions in terms of degree and duration. The fear is excessive and continues beyond developmentally appropriate periods.
Anxiety is a general term for several disorders with an available feature of excessive fear, which affects how we feel and behave and can cause physical symptoms. The anxiety does not go away for a person with an anxiety disorder and can worsen over time. The DSM criteria require that symptoms must cause a person significant distress or impairment to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Therefore, just because someone is experiencing some anxiety symptoms does not mean they meet the requirements for a mental illness unless their symptoms are highly distressing to them and/or cause significant problems in their functioning. Similarly, panic attacks are a prominent symptom of many anxiety disorders.
There are several types of anxiety disorders:
- Panic Attacks
- Panic Disorder
- Separation Anxiety
- Selective Mutism
- Agoraphobia
- Specific Phobias
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Related Disorders
- Associated Psychiatric Disorders
Symptoms
All anxiety disorders share some general symptoms:
- Panic, fear, and uneasiness
- Sleep problems
- Not being able to stay calm and still
- Cold, sweaty, numb or tingling hands or feet
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Tense muscles
- Dizziness
Causes
Researchers are not sure what brings on anxiety disorders. Like other forms of mental illness, they stem from a combination of things, including changes in your brain, environmental stress, and even your genes. The disorders can run in families and could be linked to faulty circuits in the brain that controls fear and other emotions.
Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy (a type of counselling) addresses the emotional response to mental illness. It is a process in which trained mental health professionals help people by talking through strategies to understand and deal with their disorders. Cognitive-behavioural therapy: People suffering from anxiety disorders often participate in this type of psychotherapy. The person learns to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviours that lead to troublesome feelings. During a disaster (for example, the COVID-19 pandemic), you can reduce stress in yourself and others by: DIET: Cut down on foods and drinks that have caffeine, such as coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks, and chocolate. Caffeine is a mood-altering drug, and it may worsen anxiety disorder symptoms. BALANCED LIFESTYLE: Eat right, exercise, and get better sleep. Brisk aerobic activities like jogging and biking help release brain chemicals that reduce stress and improve mood. SLEEP: Sleep problems and anxiety disorder often go hand in hand. Make getting good rest a priority. Follow a relaxing bedtime routine. Talk to your doctor if you still have trouble sleeping. NOTE: It is not a good idea to watch suspense thrillers, intense action movies or series, or play thrilling Xbox games if you suffer from anxiety. It could trigger an anxiety attack. Instead, reading a book or playing board games with your family is better. SUPPLEMENTS: Using natural remedies and vitamins for anxiety and panic attacks, you can treat these mood disorders’ underlying root causes and get lasting relief. VITAMIN B COMPLEX: Helpful vitamins for anxiety can be several B vitamins. The B vitamin deficiencies most often linked to panic attacks, anxiety and depression are B6, B9, and B12. B-complex supplements usually pack all eight B vitamins into one pill. B vitamins are water-soluble, which means your body does not store them. For this reason, your diet must supply them each day. Therefore, it is best to supplement with one excellent Vitamin B complex tablet daily. If you can buy a sustained-release product – they release the vitamin over several hours for maximum absorption. Calcium – magnesium: Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer, which immensely helps with anxiety. It’s a nervous system relaxant and mineral that assists with fear, irritability, and restlessness. Passionflower is a calming herb for anxiety, insomnia, and even seizures. By increasing GABA [gamma-aminobutyric acid] in the brain, the nervous system relaxes through the reduction of brain activity, decreasing anxiety and stress. For people dealing with insomnia, this is highly beneficial. Liquorice Root: liquorice root regulates your adrenal glands, which are the stress glands in your body. The adrenal glands release two hormones: adrenaline and cortisol. Those are the hormones that make you feel stressed. But liquorice root can help slow the production of those hormones. It even helps fight adrenal fatigue, so you sleep better at night.” St John’s Wort: It lifts a low mood and promotes optimism and contentment, easing anxiety. Just be aware that St. John’s wort may not react well to some prescription antidepressants, so speak to a doctor if you’re considering adding it to your routine. Melatonin: Your body creates melatonin on its own, but some people don’t make enough, which can lead to sleeping, relaxing, and general anxiety issues. Melatonin products are available to supplement your body’s natural production. And that, in turn, can ease those anxiety-related feelings, improve sleep, and even help regulate your circadian rhythms. Omega 3: Besides supporting heart health, fish oil contains a specific omega-3 fatty acid called eicosapentaenoic acid, which has been linked to mood. Omega-3s are the basic building blocks of the brain and nervous system, so taking fish oil helps maintain a healthy cognitive function level. Probiotics: While Probiotics are commonly known to support digestion and immune system health, most people don’t realize that they have also been studied for years to impact brain health. Maintaining a healthy amount of gut bacteria affects a healthy response to chronic stress and has been shown to promote mental health and cognitive function. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking any over-the-counter medications or herbal remedies. Many contain chemicals that can make anxiety symptoms worse.Get help
Coping with Anxiety
Other supplements that are recommended for anxiety:
Resources:
Anxiety attack: Symptoms, causes, and complications – Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307863
Can Stress Cause Panic Attacks – StressTalk.net. https://www.stresstalk.net/can-stress-cause-panic-attacks/
Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment – WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders
Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment – WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders