What Is An Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety disorder is the feeling of imminent danger or impending doom without any real threat. It is entirely normal to feel anxious on the first day of school or when going for a job interview or giving a public speech. However, the problem starts when a person feels stressed, even if there is no apparent cause of fear.

People with an anxiety disorder are in a constant state of fear. The worry is so intense that it starts to interfere with their day to day functioning. Often, excessive fear might prevent people from doing seemingly mundane things like crossing the street, entering an elevator, or leaving their home. 

If they don’t get treatment for anxiety disorder, their symptoms will only get worse. Those with an anxiety disorder might experience increased heart rate, rapid breathing, restlessness, difficulty falling asleep, and trouble concentrating.

Anxiety is an essential component of various disorders. These include:

• Phobia
• Panic disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Illness anxiety disorder

What Is The Available Treatment For Anxiety Disorder?

While a person can opt for either medication or lifestyle changes, the best treatment for anxiety disorder is the non-medication way to treat the problem. If it is becoming a daily struggle for you due to anxiety, it is time to act. Make sure to seek treatment for anxiety disorder before it is too late. 

By doing the following things, a person can start taking back control of their life:

Stay active

Doing exercise is good for physical, mental, and emotional health. Exercising daily at a fixed schedule can help ease anxiety. It is not just a short-term remedy. You can feel the anxiety-relieving effects for several hours after working out.  

Stop smoking

Smokers usually fall back to a cigarette when facing stress. Taking a drag on a cigarette in stressful times may provide a quick fix, but it can worsen the anxiety disorder over time. Studies show that the earlier in life a person starts smoking, the more likely they become to develop an anxiety disorder later on. Researchers found that nicotine and other chemicals present in a cigarette can alter brain pathways linked to anxiety.

Quit alcohol

An anxiety disorder solution can also come from quitting alcohol. Drinking a small amount of whiskey or wine might calm your nerves for a while, but once the sedative effects subside, anxiety can return with a vengeance. If you use liquor to suppress the stress, you might not be dealing with the fear; instead, you are developing alcohol dependence.

Cut down on caffeine intake.

Caffeine can make you overly active and cause jitters and nervousness, which is not suitable for people with anxiety. Studies show that caffeine might worsen anxiety symptoms in people with chronic stress. It may also trigger panic attacks in people having panic disorder. Eliminating or severely limiting caffeine intake can significantly improve anxiety symptoms.

Sleep well

Insomnia can be a system of an anxiety disorder. However, difficulty in sleeping can also worsen anxiety. The perpetual cycle of anxiety and sleep deprivation worsening each other can be too jarring. To avoid this vicious cycle, try making sleep a priority by following the simple steps:

• Only go to bed when you are tired
• avoid reading or watching TV in bed
• keep mobile, tablet, or computer away from the bed
• if you can fall asleep, don’t turn and toss. Try getting out and take a walk or do some light activity. 
• Avoid large meals, caffeine, and nicotine before going to bed
• Stay in the dark and cold room
• Write down your fears before going to bed
• Try to go to sleep at the same time every night

Do meditation

Meditation can help relieve stress and anxiety, as its main aim is to remove negative thoughts from the mind and replace them with calm and mindfulness of the present. Experts suggest that doing just 30 minutes of daily meditation can significantly improve anxiety symptoms and act as an antidepressant.

Eat healthily

Dehydration, low blood sugar levels, artificial flavorings, chemicals in processed food, preservatives, artificial colorings can cause mood changes in some people. If you experience worsening anxiety symptoms after eating, you might want to check your eating habits. A sugar-high diet might significantly impact stress levels. Try to stay hydrated, and eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and vegetables.

Practice deep breathing

Fast and shallow breathing is a prominent symptom of an anxiety disorder. It may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, increased heart rate, or panic attack. A breathing exercise can teach how to take slow, even, and deep breaths. It can help a person regain standard breathing patterns. Controlled breathing can help reduce anxiety.

Give a chance to aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy uses fragrances and essential oils to enhance health and well-being. A person can inhale the oils directly to add them to a warm bath or diffuser. Decent aromatherapy can have the following effects:

• Provide relaxation
• Helps a person sleep
• Boosts mood
• Reduce blood pressure and heart rate

Try chamomile tea

Chamomile tea can be an effective home remedy to calm nerves and promote sleep. A study conducted in 2009 showed that chamomile might also help fight against generalized anxiety disorder. The researchers studied a group of people who took chamomile capsules of 220mg up to five times a day, and others were taking placebo. The group that took the capsule socred lowered on the test measuring anxiety symptoms that those who get the placebo.

Conclusion

A person has the option to choose from various anxiety treatment in the USA. Doctors usually recommend the best treatment for anxiety disorder based on the severity of symptoms. If the symptoms are of low intensity, you can get away with some home remedies. For more intense symptoms, doctors typically prescribe medications or psychological therapy, or a combination of both.

If you feel anxious all the time without any evident reason, make sure to consult a doctor and seek appropriate treatment for your anxiety disorder