Anxiety is sneaky. Sometimes it comes gradually, overwhelms you, and leaves you feeling exhausted. Other times, it comes in waves— and you never truly learn how to handle it.
As COVID hit, anxiety disorders have become more prevalent than ever. Amidst the pandemic, it's especially important to understand how to manage your anxiety, rather than suppressing it. Here's an introduction on the causes of some common Anxiety disorders and how they might manifest.
1) Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
What is it?
A mental health condition characterized by excessive and persistent worry or anxiety about a variety of everyday events or activities, even when there is no obvious reason to be worried.
Causes
Researchers believe that GAD is likely due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors, such as:
Imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain: You may have heard of serotonin- it's the happiness hormone! When you're experiencing intense anxiety or worry, it could just be that you're operating on low levels of serotonin.
Trauma: If you have experienced a certain degree of trauma in the past, you might find yourself being hypervigilant and constantly looking out for behaviors or signs that might trigger a relapse.
Chronic stress: Frequent stress episodes can result in the body's stress response becoming overactive. This can make you more prone to GAD than others.
Symptoms:
Muscle tension
Restlessness
Fatigue
Insomnia
Lack of concentration
2) Panic disorder
What is it?
A mental health condition characterized by sudden and unexpected episodes of intense fear or panic, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest pain, sweating, and palpitations. People with panic disorder may also experience a fear of future panic attacks and may avoid situations that they believe could trigger an attack- this might create a cycle of living "in fear of fear".
Causes:
Trauma: Traumatic experiences can rewire the brain's response to stress events. Bereavement, for instance, can be triggering in a number of ways- someone who has never experienced panic before might begin to display symptons of panic disorder in their grief.
Stress: Being constantly under the pressure of school work, academic performance, and building a bright future can cause excessive worry. Stress also might result in unhealthy habits that disrupt the body's effectiveness in responding to panic.
Symptoms:
Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Shortness of breath or feelings of choking
3) Social anxiety disorder
What is it?
A mental health condition characterized by intense fear or anxiety in social situations where the individual may be scrutinized or evaluated by others.
Causes:
Overactivity in the amygdala: The amygdala is a part of the brain responsible for fear responses. In social scenarios, overreactivity can exaggerate this response.
Negative experiences with relationships: Many of us have bad experiences with making friends or justing interacting people- some more than others. A fear of the past repeating itself is a common cause of social anxiety.
New environments: In some new environments, you might find that you're not completely comfortable with the faces around you. Don't stress if you feel anxious at first: comfort comes with familiarity!
Symptoms:
Blushing
Difficulty speaking (e.g. stuttering)
Rapid heartbeat
Sweating
In conclusion, while anxiety disorders make you act up at times, there are definitely ways we can calm that panic monster . If you're nodding along to any of those anxiety symptoms, it might be helpful to seek some advice from a professional. And if the idea of that makes you uncomfy, talk to a peer. There's always someone willing to hear you out.
But don't forget the basics too - exercise, get enough sleep, and don't succumb to the void of social media. Give yourself some love! When anxiety goes out of its way to make you feel worthless, remind yourself you're not - you're a strong, thoughtful human being.
Together we can outsmart anxiety - one deep breath at a time. Keep that chin up, you're doing amazing 😊
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