Anxiety: An Everyday Battle
Everyone gets nervous or anxious in situations such as public speaking, preparing for exams or even in the presence of tiny insects such as spiders. All individuals have some degree of anxiety which can arise as a result of different situations and/or thoughts and in response to stress. Anxiety can therefore be defined as a feeling of worry or unease, regarding an upcoming event or something with an uncertain outcome. Anxiety disorder on the other hand, is a more serious form of anxiety. It is considered a mental illness in which the distress is debilitating and interferes with one’s ability to lead a normal life. Specific phobias — social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder– are few of the several types of disorders. Anxiety disorder is characterized by emotional, physical and behavioral symptoms which vary according to the type of anxiety disorder and commonly include feelings of fear or panic, inability to sleep, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, as well as several other symptoms. All these symptoms and more are present in those who suffer from anxiety, however the reasons behind this illness are unknown. Anxiety disorder has nothing to do with upbringing, in fact none of us are immune. Anxiety is relatively treatable despite the fact that many don’t receive treatment.
In addition, anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illness in the US affecting 40 million adults aged 18 and older. Individuals suffering from anxiety are concerned, afraid and overwhelmed on a daily basis. Anxiety disorder is a prevalent issue particularly among university students. The pressure to do well, large workload and importance of academic success puts an immense strain on students. In some cases, students may actually benefit from the anxiety as long as it acts as a motivation to keep up with their readings, do their homework and study. The problem arises when the anxiety becomes toxic, taking over one’s life leading to uncontrollable crying, irrational fears revolving around school work/exams and a chain of insecurities which can be detrimental. Not only does it interfere with one’s ability to do well, it actually interferes with one’s ability to function. Anxiety disorder is also comorbid with other mental illnesses such as depression and suicide.
How can you tell when anxiety shifts from being beneficial to detrimental? When getting up in the morning, going to school or work and struggling to get through ordinary, daily tasks becomes an issue, anxiety disorder can be diagnosed. In other words, when it begins to occur intensely and regularly. Doctors may begin evaluating based on questions regarding medical history and by performing physical exams. If no physical illness is visible, the individual may be referred to a psychologist. With the help of a psychologist, anxiety disorder can be diagnosed and is treatable in time. With the proper help and a great deal of persistence, one can learn how to retrain their mind into shifting negative thoughts into positive ones, shifting ones mindset into a more positive direction.
Generalized anxiety disorder for instance, may be assessed using GAD-7 scale, a 7-item questionnaire where patients are asked to self-report on their anxiety within the two previous weeks. This questionnaire contains a scale where patients are asked to rate questions from “not at all” to “nearly every day.” This scale has been shown to correlate highly with specific anxiety and other disability measures. More severe GAD levels correlate more strongly with higher disability states and demand more health care attention. This test is self-administered, is not considered to be time consuming and is a common choice for diagnosis in primary care settings. Evidence for this test continues to be proven to be valid and reliable in measuring anxiety within the general population.
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