Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concerns in Canada. It can affect one in every ten adults at any time. The time when people are most at risk of developing an anxiety disorder is during their college and university years. If symptoms are left untreated, they can increase and become debilitating and chronic. Anxiety disorders are more common in women and may run in families. It is normal to feel nervous or uptight before an exam or doing an oral presentation. However, an anxiety disorder is diagnosed when symptoms of anxiety interfere with our ability to function in areas of life such as social interactions, family relationships, work or school. Different types of anxiety disorders may occur together or with other conditions such as depression.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
- Social Anxiety Disorder: difficulty getting involved in social situations - afraid that you will say or do something “stupid” in front of others - tend to isolate yourself so you don’t have to confront people.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: may occur after being exposed to traumatic events such as a physical or sexual assault, being in or witnessing a serious accident, etc. You may find it difficult to function in your life as the traumatic event plays itself over and over in your mind. You may have nightmares, be irritable and get angry easily. These symptoms may not appear until several weeks after the event.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: worrying constantly about things that probably won’t happen. Even when reassured, you just can’t turn your mind off. You may worry that your boyfriend/girlfriend is cheating on you, that you will fail exams or you may worry about your health. You may develop some of these physical symptoms:
- restlessness
- tired all the time
- difficulty concentrating
- muscle tension
- insomnia
- nausea, diarrhea
- sweating.
- restlessness
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): you experience thoughts and images that are very disturbing and make you feel anxious (obsessions). You need to perform certain acts or rituals to make yourself feel less anxious. Example: washing your hands constantly because you fear you have touched germs that will make you sick or having to check that you locked the door over and over before you can leave the house.
- Panic Disorder: intense episodes of fear that appear out of nowhere and peaks within ten minutes or less. People with panic disorder may worry about having repeated attacks to the point where they avoid all things that might make them anxious and trigger a panic attack. Some people have only the occasional mild panic attack and others have several a day. You may experience some of these symptoms:
- shortness of breath or a smothering sensation
- dizziness, faintness
- palpitations, racing heart rate
- trembling or shaking
- sweating
- nausea
- numbness or tingling of one or more parts of the body
- hot flashes or chills
- chest pain or discomfort
- fear of dying
- having a feeling of impending doom or danger.
- shortness of breath or a smothering sensation
Anxiety And Alcohol & Drug Abuse
Often people who suffer from anxiety use drugs and alcohol to feel better. Drugs and alcohol only cause more anxiety and “bad” feelings, not to mention other physical and social problems.
Treatment
If you have symptoms of anxiety disorders, you should make an appointment with your family doctor or doctor at Health Service to see if your symptoms are anxiety related or caused by a physical problem.
If you are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you could benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy at the Counselling Office. If your symptoms are severe, you may need to take medication as well. Treatment for anxiety disorders is 80 - 90% effective. Seek help at Health Services or Counselling.
Source: www.anxietycanada.ca
Dr. P. Chokka & Dr. J. Goulet; Your Mental Health Matters:
A Guide to Generalized Anxiety Disorder
