What is Anxiety Disorder exactly? According to Wikipedia “Anxiety Disorder is a prolonged physiological and mental state characterized by cognitive (mind), somatic (physical symptoms), emotional (feelings), and behavioral abnormalities.”
It is also “characterized by long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any particular object or situation.” Translation, Anxiety Disorder is a state of worry and fear that is generated by your nervous system, which regulates things like touch, hearing and sight.
It can be triggered by heredity, a chemical imbalance in the brain or significantly stressful changes in your life. Anxiety can also be seen in related conditions, such as Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder all of which have some striking similarities to Anxiety Disorder.
In the video you just saw (or should see) above the good doctor tells us in more detail about what Anxiety Disorder is, although he left out many physical symptoms. The thing about anxiety disorder that is most perplexing, is that we don’t know why it happens exactly.
What is known is that the constant state of tension and worry tends to snowball and builds on top of worry or symptoms from the prior day or week. Then, once it occurs you stay on the look out, just in case. You worry that at any moment you can have what I refer to as an “anxiety episode.”
One minute your standing in line to see a movie and the next thing you know you think everyone is looking at you and judging you. You might feel sweaty and start having hot flashes. Sounds become louder and all you really want to do at that point is go home and jump into bed.
It is a sudden rush of fear and a protracted state of constant concern about things that never happen, but could happen. You are always anticipating the next negative event or feeling.
Anxiety is a lot of things, but what it’s not is insanity or the gateway to a more serious condition. It is also not always related to some deep rooted cause. You need to understand that although living with Anxiety is difficult, it does not mean you are crazy. You can be cured of abnormal anxiety and you can also learn how to manage it effectively.
Thank you so much for this amazing website and all the reassuring knowledge and advice. I have had anxiety disorder since my mid-twenties but managed to get rid of it fully for many years. I am not 36 and it has returned. I feel so comforted and helped by all these informative and well written articles. I am so appreciative to you! I wish you all the best. 🙂