It’s common to experience stress in our busy culture today. Most people have family, work, financial, and social responsibilities. When these responsibilities feel overwhelming, we can feel stressed and overworked. However, there are specific symptoms that can indicate that a person is not stressed, but in fact, anxious. If this anxiety gets to be too much, treatment might be necessary. This article will address the difference between stress and anxiety and the symptoms that might require anxiety treatment.
First, it’s important to know that in some cases, stress can be positive. Imagine if you need a job. You might be stressed about your finances without an income. However, this very stress is what prompts you to revise your resume, fill out applications, and refine your interviewing skills. Without this stress, you might not go through the steps of getting a job. So, in many cases, stress can motivate us to accomplish our goals.
Yet, for many people, too much stress can impair a person’s physical, emotional, and psychological well being. It can even interfere with daily life. Also, some men and women might turn to drugs or alcohol as a means of coping with their anxiety. They might not even realize that they have an illness of anxiety and feel that they need to find a way to cope with their life. Sadly, however, most people turn towards unhealthy ways of coping versus getting mental health treatment. This is true for many people who are not familiar with the symptoms of anxiety.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Social Phobia
- Other types of Phobias, such as fear of small spaces – claustrophobia
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
There are certain indicators that can point to whether a person might have a diagnosis of anxiety. Essentially, you should get anxiety treatment if you have been experiencing anxiety for at least six months. If your anxiety is persistent and doesn’t seem to have a trigger or source, then you might have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It’s common for those with this disorder to sweat, feel their hands tremble, experience their heart beat more quickly, and/or feel a sense of tension in their body. Someone with this disorder might have something called floating anxiety. This is a type of anxiety, unlike social anxiety which is anxiety derived from social experiences, is not associated with any other experience. Floating anxiety feels as though it comes out of nowhere for no particular reason. This and other symptoms of anxiety can get in the way of a person being able to function normally in life.
If you notice any of these symptoms in your own life, it would be a good idea to get assessed for an anxiety disorder. With the right diagnosis, you can then receive the right treatment. Anxiety treatment might include medication to relieve some of the symptoms as well as therapy to address any factors that could be contributing to the anxiety. Both therapy and medication are an excellent form of anxiety treatment. Lastly, it’s important to get anxiety treatment if you are also suffering from an addiction. In fact, both illnesses require treatment and should be addressed at the same time.
If you are experiencing anxiety and it’s getting in the way of your life, contact a mental health provider for an assessment and support!
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