The Science of Anxiety: Understanding Its Causes, Effects, and Management
Everyone can experience a wave of anxiety occasionally, as it is a normal part of life. However, people who are diagnosed with anxiety disorders can have many symptoms that affect their day to day lives, with examples being intense feelings of dread or fear that may even come with physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders go beyond the normal, regular nervousness one may experience the day before a big test or going to an interview. Anxiety disorders affect the ability for individuals to function while having reactions that they can’t control. Fortunately, there are various effective treatments for this condition.
The Science Behind Anxiety:
The science behind anxiety can be complex. Normally when we experience symptoms of anxiety, this can lead to the fight-or-flight response. This is our body’s physiological reaction to situations that we perceive as mental or physical threats. Like mentioned earlier, these can be normal and are expected to hit at certain points in our lives. However, individuals who have anxiety disorders often experience these intense emotions for longer periods of time than others, impacting their daily lives. Symptoms of anxiety disorders can be a disruption in the emotional processing center in the brain, including regions of the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, and thalamus. These areas may have heightened activity due to anxiety disorders. Adding on to this, there are also many neurotransmitters and hormones that can play a role in anxiety, such as reducing the blood flow to the brain. For instance, low levels of serotonin are linked with depression and anxiety and can occur genetically or naturally.
The Psychology Behind Anxiety:
Anxiety is known as a psychological response to either a perceived threat or a real threat. It often comes from the way we perceive and interpret the world, certain thoughts and patterns can make some individuals more vulnerable to anxiety. Catastrophizing, for one, is known as the tendency to expect the worst possible outcome in a situation. This is linked to the amygdala being overactive and reduced regulation in the prefrontal cortex. Another example is hypervigilance and threat perception, which is when individuals often scan their environment for potential threats, even in areas where it’s considered safe. This can lead to symptoms of excessive worry and difficulty focusing on tasks. In the long run, this survival mechanism will turn into a normal routine in everyday life. Individuals also experience intolerance of certainty. Some people may struggle with vagueness and prefer certainty, leading to excessive worries everyday on unknown outcomes. Lastly, rumination and overthinking is when a person repeatedly goes over the same worries without finding a solution, creating a loop. This is more common with people with perfectionistic tendencies.
Types of Anxiety:
Now that we’ve gone over the science and psychology behind anxiety, let’s take a look at the many different types of anxiety that individuals experience in their day to day lives. More common types of anxiety include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias. Generalized anxiety disorder is a condition that involves feelings of fear, worry, and a constant feeling of being overwhelmed. This creates a never ending “doom feeling” for people suffering from it. It is characterized with restlessness, being easily fatigued, and much more. People with GAD have symptoms that can fluctuate and have trouble controlling their worries. Social anxiety disorder is a medical condition that causes fear, uneasiness, and worry when you’re surrounded by or with people in social situations. People suffering from this condition often come to the conclusion that they’re being judged or watched by others. They have a specific fear of meeting new people, taking or making phone calls, performing in front of people, and much more. Social anxiety disorder can range from mild, moderate, or even extreme. Panic disorder, on the other hand, involves many unexpected panic attacks that can happen without warning and aren’t necessarily caused by another mental health or physical condition. Panic attacks are sudden and temporary feelings of fear and strong reactions to situations that are ordinary and nonthreatening. When you’re having a panic attack, symptoms such as excessive sweat, difficulty breathing, and heart racing can arise. Lastly, phobias are when intense feelings of fear or anxiety happen due to encountering specific situations or even objects. The effects of phobias can even be more severe and people suffering from phobias often limit their lives to a critical extent in order to avoid encountering the things they fear.
Treatments for Anxiety:
Thankfully, there are many treatments for different types of anxiety. The two main types of treatments are psychotherapy and medications. Psychotherapy, or also known as talk therapy, involves working with a therapist to reduce any anxiety symptoms you may have. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective and common form of psychotherapy for anxiety conditions. CBT focuses on teaching specific skills in order for individuals to gradually return to activities that they once feared because of anxiety. CBT uses exposure therapy, helping people build confidence and manage their symptoms in situations that used to trigger them. On the other hand, medications are used to help relieve anxiety symptoms. There are different medications for different anxiety disorders, as well as taking the patient’s mental and physical issues into account. The most common medications include antidepressants or buspirones, while on rare occasions, your doctor may prescribe sedatives or beta blockers.
Anxiety is what we all experience at least once in our lives. We may feel this sense of nervousness before an important event and it can impact our bodies in many different ways. However, there are people out there that experience anxiety on a daily basis. Millions of individuals face anxiety disorders in the United States today, making it one of the most common conditions that one can face today. The science and psychology behind anxiety can be complex. However, by narrowing it down, we can educate and inform ourselves on the different types of anxiety disorders there are, symptoms they might cause, and treatments that are available, in order to ensure that we are better equipped to recognize and address these conditions, whether it’s for ourselves or for those around us.
Written By: Amy Lian
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