“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”
Theodore Roosevelt
General Overview:
Occasional anxiety is an expected part of life. You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. When it becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday life however it can be classified as an anxiety disorder. In most anxiety disorders, the anxiety does not go away and often the symptoms interfere with daily activities such as work, school, and social relationships.
Anxiety in Western Medicine:
There are many ways to diagnose anxiety disorders in Western Medicine. A few of the most common are as follow:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Panic Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
- Specific Phobias
While each disorder has it’s own set of distinguishing parts, they all contain a common theme of excessive and irrational fear, dread, and worry. The 2 most common I see in my office are described below.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):
Perhaps the most commonly seen diagnosis in my office. A common trend here is that the anxiety is often a daily occurance and is often experienced with uncontrolled worry about normal everyday events. Overtime this worry can cause physical symptoms, some of the most common are as follows:
- Muscle tightness and tension
- Sweating that is not tied to changes in weather
- Nausea or a “nervous stomach”
- Jumpiness or a tendency to be easily startled
- Digestive symptoms such as diarrhea or bloating
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
Panic Disorders:
These come in close second in my office. These are significantly more intense and often come on as “attacks” or “intense episodes” of intense fear or worry. These peaks often include symptoms such as:
- An uncomfortable awareness of the heart beating or racing
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or aching
- Dizzyness or lightheadedness
- Tingling sensations
- Flushes of hot or cold
- An irrational fear of dying or losing control
- An irrational need to escape from your current situation
Treatment Options in Western Medicine:
Anxiety is often classified as either primarily a problem of the mind (thought life and emotions) or a problem in the body (chemical, hormonal dis-ease).
In the case of primarily a problem of the mind then psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling) may be suggested. Some of the goals from this perspective are to discover the belief systems you have that are leading to harmful thoughts and emotions and teach you techniques to cope with them when they occur.
In the case of primarily a problem of the body then medications (such as antidepressants) may be suggested. Some of the goals from this perspective are to either correct or manage the chemical and hormonal imbalance that is leading to physical sensations of anxiety.
Regardless of whether it is primarily a problem with the mind or body both of these can be triggered for more than 1 reason and therefore each requires its’ own specific treatment. It may be that different people hold different beliefs about reality that create different thoughts and emotions, or it may be that different hormonal imbalances need to be addressed with different medications.
Each different imbalance of the mind or body can be treated through a variety of different natural therapies including:
- Diet (what you eat, how you eat it, and your relationship with it)
- Treatment of the mind (through a variety of psychotherapy techniques)
- Herbs, Suppliments, and Medications
All of these will be discussed seperately in future posts with a special emphasize on:
- Each type of imbalance, common signs and symptoms so you can get a clearer picture of where you fit
- Treatment options for each with a focus on what you can do at home starting today and where you might find help from a healthcare professional most beneficial
- Interviews with other specialists in their field and what suggestions they have to share for coping with and overcoming your anxiety.
- Interviews with others who are either currently suffering with or have overcome their anxiety. What worked and didn’t work for them and their stories.
