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WHEN YOU SUDDENLY FEEL FEAR AND MOOD SWING IT IS ANXIETY

Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying.
These disorders affect how we feel and behave and can cause physical symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can seriously affect day-to-day living.
It is important to know the difference between normal feelings of anxiety and an anxiety disorder that requires medical attention.

Anxiety disorder

The duration or severity of an anxious feeling can sometimes be out of proportion to the original trigger, or stressor. Physical symptoms, such as increased blood pressure and nausea, may also become evident. These responses move beyond anxiety into an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders occur when a reaction is out of proportion to what might normally be expected in a situation.

Types

Anxiety disorders can be classified into six main types. These include:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

This is a chronic disorder involving excessive, long-lasting anxiety and worries about nonspecific life events, objects, and situations. It is the most common anxiety disorder. People with GAD are not always able to identify the cause of their anxiety.

Panic disorder

Brief or sudden attacks of intense terror and apprehension characterize panic disorder. These attacks can lead to shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and breathing difficulties. Panic attacks tend to occur and escalate rapidly and peak after 10 minutes. However, they may last for hours.
Panic disorders usually occur after frightening experiences or prolonged stress but can also occur without a trigger. An individual experiencing a panic attack may misinterpret it as a life-threatening illness. Panic attacks can also lead to drastic changes in behavior to avoid future attacks.

Phobia

This is an irrational fear and avoidance of an object or situation. Phobias differ from other anxiety disorders, as they relate to a specific cause. The fear may be acknowledged as irrational or unnecessary, but the person is still unable to control the anxiety. Triggers for a phobia may be as varied as situations, animals, or everyday objects.

Social anxiety disorder

This is a fear of being negatively judged by others in social situations or a fear of public embarrassment. This includes a range of feelings, such as stage fright, a fear of intimacy, and a fear of humiliation. This disorder can cause people to avoid public situations and human contact to the point that everyday living is rendered extremely difficult.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

This is an anxiety disorder characterized by thoughts or actions that are repetitive, distressing, and intrusive. OCD suffers usually know that their compulsions are unreasonable or irrational, but they serve to alleviate their anxiety. People with OCD may obsessively clean personal items or hands or constantly check locks, stoves, or light switches.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

This is anxiety that results from previous trauma such as military combat, sexual assault, a hostage situation, or a serious accident. PTSD often leads to flashbacks, and the person may make behavioral changes to avoid triggers.

Separation anxiety disorder

This is characterized by high levels of anxiety when separated from a person or place that provides feelings of security or safety. Separation sometimes results in panic symptoms. It is considered a disorder when the response is excessive or inappropriate after separation.

Causes

Anxiety disorders have a complicated network of causes, including:
  • environmental factors, such as stress from a personal relationship, job, school, finances, traumatic event, or even a shortage of oxygen in high-altitude areas
  • genetics
  • medical factors, such as the side effects of medicine, symptoms of a condition, or stress from a serious underlying medical condition
  • brain chemistry
  • use of or withdrawal from an illicit substance

Diagnosis

A mental health professional can diagnose anxiety and identify possible causes.
The physician will take a careful medical and personal history, perform a physical examination, and order laboratory tests if needed. These tests may provide useful information about a medical condition that may be causing anxiety symptoms.

Symptoms

There are several different anxiety disorders, each with a distinct set of symptoms. However, common symptoms can include:
  • sweating
  • dizziness
  • trembling
  • increased or irregular heartbeat
  • back pain
  • restlessness and fatigue
  • muscle tension
  • being easily startled
  • recurring and ongoing feelings of worry, with or without known stressors
  • avoidance of certain situations that may cause worry, often affecting quality of life
Dr. Shivani Bhardwaj

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