Feeling anxious? Feeling really anxious? Anxiety is a normal emotion for most people, but there are instances when that nervous feeling causes much more harm than good.

In primitive times, anxiety served as a normal and important “alarm system” that helped you prepare to face or escape danger (also called the “fight or flight response”). In modern times, this alarm system is less important as a way to survive. In some situations, it may actually give you the energy to get things done.

But sometimes anxiety can get out of control, giving you a sense of dread and fear for no apparent reason. This may be because of a chemical imbalance, an unconscious memory, a side effect of a medicine or an illness. This kind of anxiety — the kind that disrupts your life — is called an anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of anxiety disorders can vary from person to person and may include any of the following

● Feeling like you’re going to choke.
● Chest pressure or pain.
● Pounding heart or racing pulse.
● Sweating.
● Shortness of breath or tightness in the throat.
● Dizziness or lightheadedness.
● Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet.
● Trembling or shaking.
● Nausea.
● Hot flashes or chills.
● Sense of unreality or dreamlike sensations.
● Fear of losing control, doing something embarrassing, going “crazy” or dying.
● Loss of sleep.
● Inability to concentrate.

Generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder is ongoing worry or fear that isn’t related to a particular event or situation. It can also be anxiety that is out of proportion to what you would expect — for instance, constantly worrying about a child who is perfectly healthy. The worrying can go on all day. You may feel like you can’t control it or make it stop.

Panic disorder

Panic disorder occurs when you have brief but repeated periods of extreme panic, called panic attacks. Panic attacks usually last about 5 to 30 minutes. There usually isn’t any warning before a panic attack. Many people with panic disorders live in constant fear of when the next one will strike. If your panic attacks usually happen in one particular situation, you may start to blame that situation for bringing on the attack. Then, if your panic attacks remain untreated, they can become a phobia.

Phobia

A phobia is an extreme, unreasonable fear of something specific. You may start to avoid the thing that causes your fear. There are lots of different phobias, including fear of crowds, bridges, snakes, spiders, heights, open places or social embarrassment. A phobia is only considered a problem when it keeps you from living a normal life.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) causes people to have unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and to repeat certain behaviors (compulsions) over and over again. We all have habits and routines in our daily lives, like brushing our teeth before bed. However, people with OCD have patterns of behavior that get in the way of their daily lives. Most people with OCD know that their obsessions and compulsions make no sense, but they can’t ignore or stop them.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after your life is threatened, or after you experience or see a traumatic event. Usually, the event makes you feel very afraid or helpless. Some examples of traumatic events are a natural disaster, rape, severe car crash or fighting in a war.

Help your doctor help you

Make sure to talk to your family doctor if you think you have an anxiety disorder. He or she can help you develop the skills to cope with your anxiety. Your doctor may also suggest cognitive therapy, medicine or both.

Cognitive therapy helps you identify your negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts. You’ll also learn new ways to think about the situations that bother you. You’ll learn new ways to cope with your feelings. Cognitive therapy can also help with feelings of anger, anxiety, shyness or panic.

There are several medicines that can help with anxiety. These can cause side effects such as dry mouth, nausea and drowsiness. Sometimes they also affect a person’s sexual performance. It may be several weeks before you notice the benefits of the medicine.

The following are some tips on coping with anxiety

Control your worry. Spend 30 minutes thinking about your concerns and what you can do about them. Then let go of the worry and go on with your day.
Learn ways to relax. These may include muscle relaxation, yoga or deep breathing.
Exercise regularly. People who have anxiety often quit exercising. But exercise can give you a sense of wellbeing and help decrease feelings of anxiety.
Get plenty of sleep.
Avoid alcohol and drugs, including caffeine.
Confront the things that have made you anxious in the past. Begin by just picturing yourself confronting these things. After you feel more comfortable doing this, you can begin to actually face them.

The stress factor

Even for people who don’t have an anxiety disorder, constant stress can cause feelings of anxiety. Other possible symptoms of stress include depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, back pain and fatigue. If stress is affecting your health, or interfering with your life and daily activities, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your family doctor can treat your stress symptoms and suggest ways to manage stress effectively.

Steps to deep breathing

● Lie down on a flat surface.
● Place one hand on your stomach, just above your navel. Place the other hand on your chest.
● Breathe in slowly and try to make your stomach rise a little.
● Hold your breath for a second.
● Breathe out slowly and let your stomach go back down.