What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is another term for worry or angst. It is a common physiological or psychological state that is identified by its effects on a person mentally, emotionally, behaviorally and physically. Anxiety is also known as a strong sense of concern or fear. A number of feelings and physical effects can be triggered by anxiety, including emotions like dread, uneasiness, worry, fear, tension, insomnia and stress.
Most people experience a certain amount of occasional anxiety prompted by stressful situations in everyday life. However, anxiety can become excessive and chronic at which point it may develop into what is classified as an official anxiety disorder. When this is the case, it is recommended to seek the assistance of an anxiety residential treatment center.
What are the Different Types of Anxiety?
Many types of anxiety exist and may be related to a physical condition (which the patient may or may not be aware they suffer from) or it can be entirely psychological. For anxiety that is associated with physical conditions, health issues may be underlying that are producing the anxiety. Those include heart arrhythmia, heart failure or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
When fear or anxiety reach a point of becoming pathological (diseased) or abnormal, this condition may be a type of anxiety disorder. Studies have discovered that up to 18% of all Americans may suffer from one or more forms of anxiety disorders.
Some of the types of anxiety include: existential anxiety, performance anxiety, decision or choice anxiety, test anxiety, social anxiety, stranger anxiety, generalized anxiety, paradoxical anxiety, and trait anxiety.
What Causes Anxiety Disorders?
Anxiety can be caused by numerous factors. A traumatic experience or event is one of the primary causes of many individuals’ anxiety disorders. Trauma which may lead to anxiety can be the result of tragic events such as the death of a loved one, being the victim of a form of abuse or experiencing a natural disaster.
Countless types of stress may also be the cause of anxiety. Any conflict in personal relationships, friendships, marriage or divorce can be stressful and may become the root of anxiety.
Financial stress is also quite a common cause for anxiety. A person’s worries about debt, bills, job loss, bankruptcy, foreclosure and other money-related issues are very typical factors that can cause them to feel fearful or anxious. Tension and uneasiness can arise because of an individual’s thoughts of past, present or future issues such as danger or misfortune.
Medical factors can cause anxiety. Those include: stress caused by a serious medical issue or illness, medication side effects, and insufficient oxygen (caused by lung issues, emphysema, pulmonary disease, etc.).
Some researchers believe that even genetics and overall brain chemistry can increase the likelihood of an anxiety disorder. Those whose families have a history of anxiety may be more likely to develop an anxiety disorder themselves. An imbalance in brain chemistry may be genetic or caused by other issues, and this can also lead to anxiety disorder.
Treatment Options for Anxiety
The first step in determining your treatment options for anxiety is to have your condition diagnosed by an anxiety residential treatment center. Here, a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist or another professional specializing in mental health will identify and diagnose your anxiety and its causes. Depression is often simultaneously present with anxiety disorders.
For a person to be diagnosed for generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, certain criteria must be met. The individual must have experienced a feeling of anxiousness or worry about multiple experiences or events on the majority of days throughout a minimum period of 6 months. In the event the anxiety is linked to one specific event or issue, GAD may not be diagnosed; instead, diagnosis for a more specific type of anxiety disorder may be given.
Symptoms used to identify anxiety must be identified (at least three) among the following: fatigue, sleeping issues, restlessness, muscle tension, concentration issues and irritability. The condition may be shown to be causing difficulties with everyday life and causing interference with school or work.
How Do Residential Treatment Centers Treat Anxiety?
After diagnosis from a residential treatment centers for anxiety, you may receive a number of treatments that include both therapy and medication. Medication may be prescribed as a temporary coping assistant while other treatments are being carried out. The path of treatment will be dictated by factors such as patient preferences, cause of anxiety and professional recommendation.