What Anxiety Does To Your Brain?
Anxiety: noun/ feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
When we acknowledge the word anxiety a pellucid thought strikes us, collides with mental stress, work pressure, restlessness, etc. These terms when examined thoroughly present a monotonous network coring mental health issues. One may feel anxious in any circumstance which differs from their normal routine. Activities like, dealing with excessive public, travelling or as minor as that of presenting a simple thought about any general topic can act like a stressor. Like any other disease one cannot describe the exact cause of anxiety. The intensity and wavelength of anxiety vary in each individual so do its causes. If we try to draw a simple conclusion, we can interpret that all the mental disorders are generally unpredictable. Considering such aspect of anxiety, it is impossible to judge someone without any knowledge of their emotional health’s status.
Anxiety affects millions of people in the world and is considered one of the most prevalent mental health issues. There are two types of anxiety attacks broadly classified as follows-
- Normal Anxiety Attacks — This includes many general phenomenon which leads to restlessness, headache, palpating heart, excessive sweating, etc.
We indeed faced these symptoms at instances, when exams are approaching, doing some activity for the first time, moving out to a new place and so on. This anxious feeling is normal and is even beneficial to us as we become more cautious of surroundings, work harder for the upcoming task and prepare ourselves beforehand.
This is just a simple response of our nervous system to changes and to situations which embrace us with slight mental pressure.
- Recurring/Serious Anxiety Attacks — The symptoms of such recurring anxiety attacks are actually almost similar to that of normal anxiety attacks but just in an exaggerated state and this is exactly what makes all the difference.
Some symptoms of Recurring Anxiety Attacks are as follows-
· Heart Palpitations
· Dizziness
· Impractical fear
· Excessively worrying about small things
· Nausea
· Problem in sleeping
· Feeling that you might go crazy cause of tension
The source of such attacks can be a traumatic experience or it may seep along with the tension and stress being faced by an individual continuously. Even if we provide many explanations for anxiety attacks there will still be some grey areas left. Researchers also can’t point out what exactly brings on anxiety attacks or disorders. Being one of the most critical mental health issues, it matures from a combination of things including, changes in environment, hormonal changes and can even be genetics based.
What are the effects of anxiety on mental and physical health?
When anxiety takes over a person both, their physical and mental health gets adversely affected. Anxiety causes one to feel continuously worried. This affects their work efficiency and concentration.
Anxiety causes symptoms like that of dizziness and nausea; this makes the person physically weak and incompetent for work. They start falling ill every now and then. Sometimes they even knowingly cut off their diet and fall ill so as to avoid the stressors. With all this worrying and tension going on the person dealing with anxiety gets mentally exhausted and depressed. People when dealing with such issues even inflict self-harm.
As anxiety includes personal situations and fear people start building distance out of the fear of getting judged or disturbing others by sharing their problems. This affects their social lifestyle too and instead of seeking improvement they get into depression. These problems lead to openings for further more mental and physical disorders to crave in.
What to do when one feels anxious?
- The very first task that we should accomplish when feeling anxious is that we should know we are feeling so. Many a times people tend to overlook the situation and end up getting into more trouble.
- We should focus upon keeping our calm and examining the situation.
- Once we get to know what is actually causing anxiety we should focus upon that area and think why so is happening
- In case thinking about the cause, makes one feel more anxious then they should talk to their family and friends. Provide your family and friends with adequate knowledge of the problem and listen to their suggestions.
- In cases of normal anxiety attacks one should try deep breathing and avoiding worries. One can even perform pranayama regularly. It is a yoga asana which deals with aspects of controlling the breath.
- In cases of recurring anxiety attacks we should take professional help. Such traumas or situations are self-perpetuating and when left unnoticed causes bigger harm.
- Consulting a counsellor should be taken in as a potential major. Knowing that everything can’t be dealt alone is immensely important.
How to help someone who has anxiety issues?
- Keep tabs upon behaviour. Notice around whom and under what situation do we feel anxious.
- Talk about the issues they are facing and listen to them.
- In case of major anxiety attacks suggest them for counselling. Help them face their fear and be vocal of it.
- Talk to their family members in case they are not aware of the problem or if they are unknowingly causing more harm.
- Show that you are there for them and motivate them.
- Take them to a new place and help them relieve there stress by changing the environment.
- In case no improvement is made take them to a professional psychiatrist. Some situations are better left upon the professionals. You unknowingly can worsen the state.
- Take their feelings seriously and don’t dismiss them immediately. Put adequate emphasis to their problems.
Anxiety can feel like one of the worst things that can happen to you but worry not. It’s absolutely controllable and treatable with the right amount of therapy and support. Asking for help for the same doesn't make you weak or vulnerable, rather it makes you stronger because it takes a lot of courage to accept that one needs help and then to act upon it.
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