Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, fear, dread, and uneasiness. Anxiety can also cause physical changes like increased blood pressure.
Anxiety is known to affect four key areas in a person's life. These include:
Behavior:
Someone with anxiety may avoid situations that cause them to feel anxious. This can impact all aspects of one's life, including school, work, and relationships.
Feelings:
Excessive Fear
- Anxiety causes one to fear everyday activities. Some may fear social interaction and avoid going out.
Restless
- A person with anxiety can feel an uncomfortable need to move or have a feeling of being "on edge."
Tense wound up and edgy
- Anxiety can cause nervous energy and jitters, almost as though the person had too much caffeine. Along with jitters, a large amount of fear and inability to relax can cause the body to physically tense.
Thoughts:
Worrying
- Anxiety can cause a person to persistently worry, often about unimportant things.
Obsessive Thinking
- Someone who suffers from anxiety can have persistent thoughts that are difficult to remove.
Catastrophizing
- This often occurs when the mind begins to twist information and forms a scenario of all how things can go wrong.
Physical Symptoms:
Panic Attacks
- Panic attacks can occur randomly and without warning. They often leave a person defenseless against their anxiety.
Difficulty Sleeping
- Anxiety can cause extreme fatigue. It can be difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep with so much on one's mind. It can be hard to reach a peaceful enough state to get rest.
Headaches
- Tension headaches are common in those who suffer from anxiety. Tension headaches cause severe pressure.
Anxiety affects many aspects of a person's life, including one's personality. It may cause irritability or frustration, and many try to look for ways to ease the anxiety. Some may turn to self-medicating, which can lead to addiction or a destructive lifestyle. There are other, healthier, alternatives like therapy.
If you have noticed any of the symptoms or have been diagnosed with anxiety and are struggling, contact our therapists at New York Neurobehavioral Services.
Comments