Anxiety vs being anxious

You wake up one morning knowing that in a few hours you have an interview for a job you really want. It makes perfect sense to have anxiety and nervousness. When everything is over and the interview is done then you calm down. Your heart stops beating loudly and you don’t feel butterflies in your stomach anymore. If, however, you wake up one morning and believe that something bad will happen to you, you have this negative thought all day long and you continue having it the following days, then you probably have an anxiety disorder. Stress is normal. It is the way our bodies have to prepare and respond to a situation. But when the symptoms of anxiety appear in moments that normally should not because there is nothing “threatening” then you are having a disorder. Anxiety disorders are divided into different types: -generalized anxiety disorder -panic attacks -phobias -social phobia -agoraphobia -separation anxiety There are generally two elements in anxiety disorders: stress is much more intense than it should be or is not related to the patient’s age and causes problems in daily life. Symptoms include: -difficulty sleeping -difficulty concentrating -fatigue -irritability -sweaty palms -fast heartbeat -inability to relax -motion sickness -chest pain -headache -anorexia If you are suffering from anxiety disorder then you should not be disappointed because your problem can be solved. You should seek help if you can’t function in your daily life and your health is being severely affected. There are many ways to treat an anxiety disorder: -psychotherapy, especially the application of cognitive behavioral therapy – medication -stress management techniques -lifestyle changes in diet and physical exercise -meditation A combination of methods is advised for better results. Giota Florou (souces: healthline.com, onmed.gr) Recent Articles