Feelings of anxiousness or nervousness are normal in our everyday life. These feelings can be beneficial to your overall well-being. They keep us alert to dangerous situations, motivate us to take action, and even possess life-saving benefits.
However, when these feelings become too intense, excessive, and in some cases, persistent, then you may be suffering from some sort of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder can be mildly distracting to all-consuming. They can affect us both mentally and physically.
Anxiety disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias, and Separation Anxiety Disorder. Some people suffer from more than one type of anxiety disorder.
Worrying or stress in response to stressful life events is normal. However, when these feelings interfere with daily life and persist for long periods, you have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Some symptoms include:
Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep
Having unexplained pains such as muscle aches
Feelings of irritability
It is normal to have unfounded feelings of people judging us on our appearance, the clothes we wear, etc. However, If you persistently feel fear of being watched and judged by orders to the extent that it gets in the way of you going to work, attending school, interacting with other people, or doing everyday things, you have a social anxiety disorder. Some signs of a social anxiety disorder include:
Intense feelings of self-conscious
Blushing, sweating, or trembling
Uncomfortable around strangers
Rigid body posture or speaking with an overly soft voice
A phobia is an uncontrollable fear of certain objects or situations. When phobias feel out of proportion to the actual danger caused by the situation or object, speak to someone immediately. Some phobias include:
Fear of heights
Fear of the dark
Specific animals
Blood
Wind
Do you often have bad dreams about being separated from someone? Do you worry that something bad will happen to someone you are close to? If yes, then you have Separation Anxiety Disorder. A sign that you have separation anxiety disorder could be avoiding being alone or away from your loved ones.
You need to know that having an anxiety disorder is not a character flaw and nothing to feel stigmatized by. You are not alone. Millions of Americans suffer from anxiety. If your anxiety keeps interfering with your daily life, seek professional help immediately.
Anxiety disorder can be treated through psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, medication, support groups, stress management techniques, and alternative methods.
Brain Training is a non-invasive, non-drug method of supporting the brain to become more flexible, stable, and functional. Through external sensors, brainwaves are measured and analyzed against normal brainwaves. The goal is to encourage positive brain activity such as relaxation, focus, and attention, while discouraging brain activities that cause anxiety.
Brain Training has proven to be one of the most effective methods for supporting patients who are dealing with symptoms related to anxiety disorders. Brain Training can do the following for anxiety disorder patients:
Patients learn how to quickly return to the emotional baseline once the anxiety-producing experience is over.
Retrains the brain to naturally prevent and better manage stress reactions.