Understanding Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health disorders. As humans when you perceive threats, one of your natural responses is fear. It is a normal emotion expressed when you see a danger or a threat. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a similar emotion to fear, however, it is expressed in the absence of a threatening or frightening situation. People express anxiety when they perceive a future threat. Anxiety is maintained when you cannot accept uncertainties or doubts.

When anxiety persists, it can affect your daily functioning and your quality of life. Symptoms can be physiological such as palpitations, heart racing, breathing difficulties, feeling faint, muscle spasm, tremors, rigidity, fidgeting, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, frequency in urinating, sweating, feeling hot or feeling cold. Another symptom could be behavioural such as feeling restless, having speech difficulties, avoiding situations like not seeking for help in school, or being unable to ask questions in class. There could also be cognitive symptoms, like poor concentration and selective attention, negative thinking, excessive worry, rumination, and catastrophising situations.

Medics often approach diagnosis by putting into consideration, the severity and duration of the anxiety. Hence, people could be grouped to have mild, moderate, or severe anxiety.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has set out useful guidelines on the assessment and management of the different anxiety disorders. I will go through these guidelines in subsequent articles.