Feeling anxious is a mental emotion, commonly experienced by people at any stage of life. This article discusses how to know if anxiety is too much and how to manage it.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness or some kind of fear. People usually get anxious when they feel certain kind of problems at their work or before taking any test or before taking any vital decisions, etc. However, these feelings are quite natural and you do not need to worry if you feel a little anxious while doing some important tasks.
But an anxiety disorder is a completely different thing. Anxiety disorder is characterized by feelings of nervousness, anxiousness, and tenseness but it differs from the normal feelings of fear and anxiety. It is actually a kind of mental illness which can be very harmful to your health. Anxiety disorder is treatable and you can certainly lead a normal life if you take proper treatment at the right time.
How To Know If Anxiety Is Too Much?
The exact cause of the anxiety is still unknown but it is assumed that it occurs due to various factors that include a genetic factor, environmental factor, and psychological factor as well as developmental factors. Generalized anxiety disorder is also associated with depression, irritable bowel syndrome, stress, substance abuse, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Hence, proper treatment is very necessary.
Studies have shown that some of the characteristic features of anxiety symptoms may be abdominal pain, indigestion, chest pain, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia and headache.1 These complaints can sometimes worsen and cause more trouble. Before looking at how to know if anxiety is too much, it is necessary to understand the way in which it presents itself.
Though the symptoms of anxiety disorder differ from person to person, the following are some common problems that you will observe in almost all cases of anxiety disorder:
- Excessive panic, fear, and uneasiness
- Disturbances in sleep
- Muscles tightness and body aches
- Dry mouth
- Nausea, diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitation
- Irritability
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Restlessness
Apart from the above symptoms if you observe the following signs and symptoms you must understand that the level of your anxiety has become too much and you need immediate medical attention:
- If the level of worry becomes so much that it becomes difficult to focus on the daily task and accomplish it.
- If you observe restlessness in almost all days for more than six months.
- If fatigue is accompanied by excessive worrying.
- If you feel highly irritable in your day to day lives.
- If you feel too much trouble sleeping and repeatedly wake up in the middle of the night.
- If you extremely fear in doing something and it is accompanied by rapid heartbeat, excessive sweating, body trembling, shortness of breath, tightness on the chest, nausea as well as fear of dying or losing your control.
- If you want to keep yourself aloof and feel extremely shy when meeting new people or feel lonely even when in groups.
- If you feel uneasy when in public, remain in an open place, stand in the crowd, remain alone at home, etc.
- All these are alarming conditions, which show that your anxiety is too much and you immediate treatment.
What To Do If Anxiety Is Too Much?
When the level of anxiety is too much it is very important to take some essential steps to control it. Let us understand what to do about it.
The following are some very effective ways to reduce anxiety
- Eating a Healthy Diet: Nutritious diet can help you in a great way to reduce your anxiety. Include vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, nuts and whole grains in your diet regularly.
- Taking Probiotics and Fermented Foods: Take probiotics to lessen anxiety disorder. Fermented foods are also very helpful for this.
- Limiting the Level of Caffeine: It is also important to limit your intake of caffeine. Intake of excessive caffeine can certainly worsen the level of anxiety, hence must be limited.
- Avoiding Alcohol and Beverage: You should stay away from alcohol as well as beverages to reduce the level of anxiety.
- Quit Smoking: Smoking can also increase the risk of anxiety. Hence, it is very important to quit smoking if you want to reduce the level of anxiety and improve your overall health.
- Doing Regular Exercise, Yoga, and Meditation: Doing regular exercise also helps in reducing the anxiety level. You can also try meditation as it is a great way to reduce stress. Practicing yoga regularly can certainly help you in reducing the symptoms of anxiety.
- Taking Medication when Anxiety is too much: In some severe cases doctors may prescribe various types of medicines such as tricyclics, benzodiazepines, anti-depressants, beta-blockers, etc. that will help you to manage the level of anxiety and depression.
Conclusion
Anxiety can affect you in many ways, hence it is necessary to know if anxiety is too much and what to do about it. You may have many serious complications that may worsen both your mind as well as physical conditions. It may lead to social isolation, poor quality of life as well as insomnia. In severe cases, it is also seen that many patients also do suicide. So, do not take your anxiety disorder lightly and check with your doctor immediately to know if your anxiety is too much.
Also Read:
- How Is Anxiety Disorder Linked To Chronic Pain?
- Yoga As A Treatment Option For Anxiety Disorders
- Alternative Treatment Options for Anxiety Disorders
- Worry and Anxiety: Self Help Tips to Stop Worrying and Reduce Anxiety
- Social Media Anxiety Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Recovery Tips
- Breathing Exercises for Anxiety
- Foods You Must Avoid To Get Rid of Anxiety Problems