Anxiety can be defined as a mood or feeling that occurs seemingly out of nowhere. The absence of a trigger can be alarming, especially since the person cannot detect, and therefore avoid, this type of stimulus. Anxiety can best be defined as the cousin of fear, a normal feeling that comes when a person is confronted with a threatening situation. That anxiety could crop up anywhere and anytime should give you an idea of how difficult life must be for people afflicted by this disorder.
There are various theories around the concept of developing anxiety disorders. Pessimism is assumed as one of the main culprits. Once a person thinks of the worst case scenario alone, and believes that it could happen more readily than the best case scenario, the seeds of a dreadful anxiety disorder are sown. With this mindset, the person prepares to cope with the imagined future threat and becomes more convinced that it is hopeless to avoid it.
One distinguishing factor between real fear and anxiety is that the former has something to do with a present danger, while the latter is more connected with an imagined dangerous situation that could occur in the future. A person suffering from anxiety disorders may show the same response as a person dealing with a present fear. However, while the reactions go away in the person facing an immediate threat after the danger has been eliminated, an anxiety-ridden individual is constantly besieged by these feelings, which in turn make him lose focus and keep him from functioning normally. Since the perceived threat is always there in the person’s mind, he may show shortness of breath and perspiration.
Anxiety becomes a big problem when the co-morbid condition, depression, shows up in the person’s psyche. When a person afflicted with anxiety shows depression symptoms, intervention becomes a necessity. To keep it simple, depression comes when the anxiety-ridden person loses all hope of his situation ever improving. He becomes wrapped up in his negative thoughts and his body responds poorly to comforting words or thoughts.
A depressed person could hardly function, especially when it comes to taking care of himself or the people around him. It’s not unusual to find out that depression is the main reason why a co-worker quit his job or lost his happy family life. When this disorder takes over the life of a person, he becomes an empty shell, with the negative feelings constantly nagging him. It is advisable to never let anxiety symptoms go undiagnosed so that depression symptoms will never occur.
Fortunately for many people suffering from depression and anxiety, they snap back to their normal selves after a certain period. The problem is that the depression could come back, and the constant worry about various things may trigger a relapse.
Should you start looking for treatment options if you show symptoms of anxiety? The answer is yes, a solution should be found quickly before the anxiety grows worse. The problem with depression setting in due to anxiety disorders is that physical manifestations become evident. Many physical symptoms of both disorders are related with the heart and the respiratory system.
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