Anxiety

What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a healthy feeling that warns us there is danger. Anxiety that is aroused by a realistic danger then goes away after the danger has passed is normal. It becomes unhealthy when it does not go away after the danger has passed, becomes so time consuming it interferes with daily functioning, causes unrealistic fear, or causes a physical condition to develop.

What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety can be caused by any situation perceived as dangerous to the person or those around the person. The danger can be actual or anticipated. When a person responds to a situation that causes anxiety.

Signs or Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety is often accompanied by physical sensations such as sweating, accelerated heart rate, hyper alertness, and tremors. There are many anxiety disorders. The most common and disabling are panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post traumatic stress disorder.

Treatment Options
Since anxiety is also a symptom of many other psychiatric disorders, an extensive assessment is essential in determining if a person is experiencing an anxiety disorder or some other behavioral health concern. Medication may be used initially to reduce the anxiety so the source can be identified. Talk therapy is an important part of treatment for all anxiety disorders. Talk therapy helps identify the feelings underlying the anxiety. It also helps a person change specific thoughts that go through his or her mind and the actual actions that reinforce his or her symptoms.

Information source: Pine Rest TODAY Magazine, "Anxiety Disorders: Riding the Storm Out." Copyright © Fall 1994.