Anxiety disorder is a psychiatric illness that affects people from all around the world.
You should keep in mind that anxiety disorder is different from shyness, as the latter doesn’t interfere with the person’s lifestyle.
According to reports from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), around 15 million American adults deal with anxiety disorder, with symptoms usually starting at the age of 13.
The Causes of Anxiety Disorder
Similar to other mental health disorders, the exact cause of anxiety disorder is unknown.
With that said, researchers believe that it’s a combination of genetics and environmental factors.
In other words, having a family history of this condition increases your risk of developing it in the future. As for the environmental factors, negative experiences that precipitate anxiety disorder include:
- Getting bullied as a child
- Unhealthy family environment (e.g., conflicts, fights, domestic violence)
- Sexual abuse
The Signs and symptoms of Anxiety Disorder
Signs and symptoms may include:
- Blushing of the face, ears, chest, and hands
- Profuse transpiration (i.e., excessive sweating)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Difficulty maintaining a conversation
- Trembling
- Tachycardia (i.e., increased heart rate)
- Lightheadedness
The Treatment Options for Anxiety Disorder
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Throughout several sessions, your therapist will use CBT to change your perspective about anxiety and provide you with tips to control the symptoms during acute flareups.
This therapeutic approach helps with most mental health disorders, and studies repeatedly confirmed its effectiveness.
Exposure therapy
Since people with anxiety tend to avoid social settings that trigger their symptoms, exposure therapy trains the brain to accept that these situations are not psychologically or physically dangerous, which eventually improves the patient’s symptoms.
Anxiolytic drugs
After trying several non-pharmacological treatments, your therapist may prescribe medications that help with your anxiety and depression.
Generally speaking, these drugs will not cure your anxiety disorder. However, they act as a buffer to help you go back to your regular lifestyle.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Paxil, Zoloft, and Effexor XR as treatments for anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorder is an extremely common mental illness that affects millions of people around the globe. To decrease the severity of this condition, we need to spread awareness of its prevalence and how it can be debilitating for an individual’s lifestyle. If you believe you need help with Anxiety, telemedicine makes it possible for you to get the care you deserve. Schedule a virtual consultation with a Telakai Health online Provider and get on the road to recovery. Schedule your visit today.
