Example Of Anxiety Disorders Essay

Introduction

Every human being, irrespective of his or her age, experiences anxiety in day-to-day life. Anxiety is nothing but the emotion one feels in mind about problems at home or workplace. Students feel anxious before appearing for an examination; a manager may feel anxious while taking key decisions; elderly people may feel anxious about their health. While anxiety is a quite normal way of expressing human emotions, anxiety disorders caused by overwhelming worries and fears are something serious which calls for immediate attention. Anxiety disorders have the potential of interfering with one’s capability to live a normal life because of the continuous distress and mental agony it causes to the sufferer. Fear and worry haunt people with severe anxiety disorders and make them mentally ill. Though the precise cause of these disorders in a human being is yet unknown, many factors like one’s living environment and changes occurring in the brain cells are attributed to anxiety disorders. Mind control proves to be a strong remedy to fight anxiety disorders. Changing the thought process and continuous meditation to calm down the mind can help one counter the ill effects of severe anxiety or mental disorders.

Some Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms

Anxiety disorders vary from one individual to another. For example, one person may go panicky at the very thought of showing up in front of a group, while yet another person may live in a perpetual state of anxiety about the safety of his or her dear ones living at different places. In spite of their different forms, all anxiety disorders have a common main symptom; continuous worry and fear about things under normal situations of which average people feel comfortable and undisturbed (Smith, Robinson & Segal, 2014). Because of the continuous state of fear and worry, people with anxiety disorders always feel restless and expect the worst outcomes in normal day-to-day events. Thus they find it difficult to concentrate in their work and feel as though their minds have gone blank. The alarming mental situation has its own repercussions in the body as well. Profuse sweating, thudding of heart as though beating in the mouth, upset stomach and diarrhea, urge to urinate frequently, muscular tension, fatigue, headache and insomnia are some of the bodily physical symptoms of anxiety disorders. Some common anxiety disorders include panic disorders or sudden attacks of panic, obsessive and compulsive disorder in which the individual is obsessed with worries like having forgotten to put off the lights or closing the gate or suffering a compulsive need to wash the hands again and again. Another type of anxiety disorder is phobia or an inflated form of fear over certain objects, conditions or activities, which in fact hold little or no danger at all. Fears of certain animals, flying, mountains or lonely places are some common phobias.

Self-help, the Remedy to Anxiety Disorders

One cannot conclude that all worrying individuals are stressful and thus victims of anxiety disorders. It is quite natural for a person to feel anxious over a highly challenging work schedule. More often sleeplessness, lack of adequate physical activity or exercise and work pressure at office or home may also induce anxiety. The message here is that a healthy life style with a free mind can always keep anxiety disorders at a comfortable distance. Maintaining proper work-life balance, finding time to relax and have fun with family members on a regular basis, getting emotional support from family and friends and having good relationships with family members and fellow workers can help individuals from falling prey to anxiety disorders. Smith, Robinson and Segal (2014) suggest that writing down one’s worries in a notebook or typing them on a smart phone or tablet is likely to take away negative thoughts from one’s mind. Another technique they suggest involves setting aside about 10 minutes each day as a worry period. Smith et al. (2014) recommend that one devote this time exclusively for thinking about negative and more anxious thoughts without any attempt to avoid or rectify them. Whenever an anxious thought comes to mind during the day, one can always postpone worrying and feeling anxious to the worry period, and feel peaceful throughout the day. Controlling the mind through meditation and inner consciousness is important to fight anxiety disorders, says Chopra (1994), world-renowned psychologist and authority in the disciplines of holistic mental health and human resource. Chopra says that the thoughts we put in our minds grow like seeds in the soil where as thoughts we pay little attention to disappear from our lives. When negative thoughts are planted in a man’s mind, they grow into anxiety disorders. Whenever a negative or anxious thought comes to the mind, forcefully replacing it with a pleasant thought would make the mind calm and peaceful. Chopra (1994) suggests that always living in the present moment by accepting people, events and situations as they show up in the present moment is the simple possible way of living without anxiety. Taking full responsibility to situations in life and remaining open to all possibilities also help in living an anxiety-free life, says Chopra (1994).

Conclusion

Anxiety disorder is neither hereditary nor contagious. It is only a condition or state of mind that interprets experiences which have not yet occurred in one’s life as negative and sorrowful. Medication thus would not bring a permanent solution to anxiety disorders. However, approaching a psychological counselor would be of great help to tame one’s mind, which by attracting negative thoughts causes the disorders. An open mind to accept events as they are, and wishing for the best in future would help a person fight anxiety related disorders. In short, the universe that leads and cares for mankind has its own way of letting pass experiences in a person’s life. Going with the flow of the universe with a positive attitude is the best way to stay away from anxiety disorders and enjoy life on this earth.

References

Chopra, D., & Chopra, D. (1994). The seven spiritual laws of success: A practical guide to the fulfillment of your dreams. San Rafael, Calif.: Amber-Allen Pub.
Smith M.A, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2014, December 1). Anxiety Attacks and Anxiety Disorders A Guide to the Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment Options. Retrieved February 12, 2015, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/anxiety-attacks-and-anxiety-disorders.htm