What is anxiety? The term "anxiety" refers to the feelings of nervousness, apprehension, or dread that people typically experience when faced with something they perceive as challenging - an audit, public speaking, participating in something, a job interview, divorce, being fired, or any number of others. events that cause stress.

Sometimes anxiety is characterized by vague, anxious feelings of nervousness and apprehension. Often a person has no idea what is bothering him.

Definition of anxiety from the medical community

According to the definition in the dictionary of healing, nursing activities and Mosby's medical professions, anxiety is the expectation of impending danger and fear, accompanied by excitement, tension, rapid heartbeat and rapid breathing, which may or may not be associated with a specific event or environment.

While this concept is technically accurate, it fails to explain that anxiety is a normal and possibly life-saving response to danger. Imagine you are walking down the street, alone at night. A couple of street light bulbs need replacing, causing darkness to overtake the normally lit area. Suddenly you hear footsteps behind you - they are rapidly approaching. The heart begins to beat, the mind paces with impulses about what to do - run or fight. In this case, worrying can save lives. Of course, the person following you may have just gone for an evening jog and poses no threat. But this battle of your body or reaction to the sound of footsteps can save your life if the runner meant you harm.

A less extreme example involves a final exam or an important project at work. Since anxiety is related to the test or syllabus, it makes you work harder on your plan or focus on your studies and exam. In these and many other situations, anxiety is understandable and normal. If you never worry about whether you do well on tests or know your boss well, you won't get very far in school or at work. Plus, if you don't pay attention to the footsteps rushing towards you on a lonely, dark street, you may not live to see another day - or at the very least - you will become the victim of a robbery.

A person must understand that this is a normal and healthy reaction to stress. Anxiety is an adaptive way of coping with various external stimuli and challenges in the world. It is short-lived and does not have a dramatic impact on your life. However, when anxious feelings such as anxiety and fear begin to interfere with daily life regularly, seem unreasonable and excessive, or have no clear connection with any external stimuli or shocks, it can become an anxiety disorder, and that's a completely different story.

Causes of anxiety

What causes anxiety in one person may not cause anxiety in another. Various factors environmental, environmental, genetic, and brain chemistry contribute to a person's tendency to experience symptoms of anxiety. It's normal to feel anxious during a divorce, before giving a public speech, or before giving a speech, but some tend to worry about these events and other issues more intensely than the typical person.

Some even have anxiety attacks. Experts believe these individuals may have a genetic predisposition to anxiety or may have learned to feel anxious from a parent or other caregiver.

Of course, there are also those “nervous fools” who simply tend to worry. Maybe you know someone who likes to talk and worry about the worst possible outcomes. Their lives are not negatively impacted and there is no focus on the gloom or doom - they just seem to get some kind of enjoyment out of it. Although environmental and other factors may contribute to nervous behavior, these people tend to view worry and talk about worries as enjoyable, much like those who enjoy gossiping, engaging in chatter about the actions and shortcomings of others.

Environmental factors as a cause of concern

They represent grounds for concern for everyone, not just those who may be worried. Some environmental problems and experience contribute to experiences:

• Death of a loved one
• Divorce
• Physical or emotional abuse
• Operating voltages
• School stress
• Anxiety related to financial burden and money
• Natural disaster
• Public speaking
• Fear of illness
• Tension in personal friendships or family relationships
• Birth of a child

Medical factors as a cause of concern

Certain medical conditions and their associated shocks have long been a known cause of anxiety. Some include:

• Serious medical problem or illness
• Medicinal side effects
• Symptoms of the disease (certain physical ailments imply anxiety as a manifestation)
• A lack of oxygen caused by a condition such as emphysema or a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism).

Substance abuse as a cause of anxiety

Illegal drug use is cause for concern. Use of cocaine or illicit amphetamines can cause anxiety, as can withdrawal from certain prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines, oxycodone, barbiturates, and others.

Anxiety and genetics

There is compelling evidence linking anxiety and heredity. In other words, children with at least one anxious parent or significant other with first-degree anxiety are also likely to develop anxiety tendencies. Some studies show that people with abnormal levels of certain gray matter neurotransmitters are more likely to experience anxiety. When these values ​​are not normal, the brain can sometimes react inappropriately, causing confusion.

The first step in dealing with fear and anxiety is to learn what is causing your particular anxiety. Even if genetics predisposes one to anxiety, external and environmental factors, such as medical conditions, substance abuse or divorce and financial problems can aggravate this condition. Once you know what causes anxiety, take steps to counteract it and stop its negative effects on your life.

Symptoms

Everyone knows what it feels like to feel a surge of anxious manifestations. Your stomach twists and turns and sweat begins to form on your forehead before standing in front of your management team to make a presentation. Or you start to tremble before approaching your boss to ask for a raise or a flight. Almost everyone has felt icy waves of fear creep up his or her spine when they hit a parking lot or street after dark.

Recognition of signs

Accepting anxiety before your nervousness and other symptoms get out of control will help reduce their intensity. Typically, signs of anxiety fit into one of two categories: physical and emotional.

Bodily signs include reactions to stress that others can notice. Expansive refers to a response to a shock or difficult situation where other people would not normally be able to detect it.

Physical manifestations of anxiety:

• Nausea or dizziness
• Frequent need to urinate
• Diarrhea not caused by illness
• Shiver
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Sweating
• Rapid heartbeat and breathing
• Muscle tension

Symptoms of emotional anxiety:

• Feeling of fear
• Difficult concentration
• Irritability
• Intensity and nervousness
• Expecting the worst result
• Excessive severity for danger signs
• Fear
• Feeling crazy

For some, anxiety levels increase to the point where they experience a panic attack. Here is information about treating these attacks.

How can you reduce anxiety symptoms?

One way to combat anxiety is to face your worries and fears about upcoming problems in advance to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. Perhaps your boss has asked you to give a speech to a large group of potential clients or executives in two weeks - or you have a doctor's appointment scheduled in a few days, at which point your doctor will order certain lab tests because of symptoms you've been having. You may not be feeling anxious about the event right now, so this is a great time to counter the nervousness and apprehension that comes with the big date approaching.

Keep a worry journal. Think about an upcoming event that you know will cause anxious feelings and negative thoughts. Write down any negative thoughts, worries, or fears that arise as a result of thinking about the event. Incorporate your fears about what could go wrong; the worst performance and physical symptoms occur just before the challenges that come with anxiety. Writing down feelings and worries is harder than just thinking about them. When labeled, these unfavorable thought patterns lose some of their power to control you.

Set aside time for confusion. View daily schedule and select two 10, 15 minute alarm periods for each day. Do this at the same time every day. For example, you can delay 10 minutes. in the morning at 7:00 and 10 at 3:00 in the evening - whatever works best for you, but keep the same schedule consistently and strictly control the time at which you can worry. During this period, you can focus on your fears and worries without trying to “fix” them.

The rest of the day, however, should be quiet. If you feel anxious during the day, or negative thoughts intrude, write it down in a notebook and put off thinking about it until your next anxious period.

Accept the uncertainty in life. Worrying about all the things that can go wrong (or for that matter) in life doesn't make it any more predictable. Learn to enjoy the here and now - good things happen in the present moment. Education about accepting uncertainty will help you overcome many of the warning signs.

Fear

Fear, a very common manifestation of anxiety, dissipates and loses its power when confronted with a jigsaw. The other signs of confusion listed above will follow suit when considered in front of your upcoming problems or stress-inducing events. Symptoms of anxiety, although unpleasant, are normal as long as they are short-lived and not overwhelming to the point that they interfere with your daily activities.

Sometimes professional help for anxiety is needed, especially if a person suffers from severe anxiety symptoms. Support can come in the form of therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, and alternative or natural anxiety treatments.

Help for anxiety can be obtained from specialists such as:

• Doctors - family doctor or psychiatrist
• Therapists - usually a psychologist or licensed counselor

One way to get a referral to an anxiety expert is to call your county mental health association or medical society. When choosing a professional for anxiety help, it is important that you feel comfortable and that they are properly trained and experienced in treating anxiety. Some other considerations when choosing a professional include:

• Healing format involving partners and family
• Cost of therapy and insurance coverage

Others also provide help with anxiety or with lifestyle changes that reduce anxiety symptoms. Examples would be nutritionists or those in an anxiety support group. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America provides a list of local organizations on its website.

You can also contact your county mental health agency to ask if they know of other supportive communities. Family, friends, community groups, and religious groups also help combat anxiety. The HealthyPlace forum is another place where you can find help online.

Treatment

Treatment that uses self-help strategies works very well for patients with mild to moderate anxiety. A healthy lifestyle is your best defense against anxiety. If you don't eat right, don't exercise, drink too much alcohol as well as illicit drugs, or don't participate in socializing and activities outside your home, you're more likely to suffer from unpleasant symptoms anxiety, including panic attacks. Why not try living a healthy lifestyle as a form of anxiety treatment to avoid expensive medications and doctor visits?

Active, healthy attitude

Participating in activities where you meet other people is the optimal treatment for anxiety. You can help out at a soup kitchen, raise money for your favorite charity, or volunteer at a child's school or place of worship. This type of activity requires you to reach out to others instead of stewing in your own fears. Meet other adults who may worry about circumstances that don't worry you at all. Use this opportunity to help others with their problems, which over time will reduce your personal anxious feelings and negative thoughts.

Exercises

This method helps relieve symptoms and will add the added bonus of increasing your fitness (read about anxiety and high blood pressure). According to the highly rated Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic, regular exercise can improve symptoms of anxiety as well as relieve depression.

Scientists don't know exactly how exercise relieves anxiety and blues, but they do know that it relieves symptoms and may even prevent them from returning in the future. Some of the methods theorize that exercise helps relieve anxiety by releasing endorphins (known as sensory hormones). chemicals) into the brain, reducing certain chemicals associated with the immune system and increasing body temperature, which has a calming effect on the body and mind.

Exercise also takes your mind off worries and breaks the cycle of unfavorable thought processes that lead to anxious experiences.

When you begin to complete your tasks, you gain confidence and a sense of personal power. You will also feel better about your appearance. You will meet others on the treadmill, at the gym, or in yoga class. Sometimes all it takes is a friendly greeting or a pleasant smile to lighten your mood and calm your thoughts. Finally, exercise is a positive way to cope with anxiety. This is much more effective in the long run and infinitely healthier than ruminating on your fears and worries, or using drugs and alcohol to cope.

How to Treat Anxiety with Exercise

The question isn't how to deal with activity anxiety. It's more like: when and how do I start? The term training often conjures up thoughts of running laps of a quarter-mile track while your coach yells at you to go faster. But exercise includes a variety of activities that are beneficial for your physical and mental fitness if done regularly.

Perhaps you've always wanted to do yoga or try a Zumba Fitness class. Or maybe you once liked basketball, weight lifting, or running. If so, it's time to get back into one of these favorite activities.

Not interested in any of these activities? Almost anything that requires you to get up and move is exercise. If you love gardening, walking the dog, washing and detailing a car, playing in the park with your kids - or anything else that requires physical activity - start here. Keep an exercise log and write down any activity you do every day. This will help increase your confidence and the likelihood that you will maintain it.

Eat healthy food, exercise, socialize with others, and avoid drugs and alcohol to have the best chance of successfully treating anxiety.

Traditional methods

Many people are looking herbal remedies to relieve anxiety as it is the number one mental illness in the United States. Traditionally, several different herbs have been used to treat anxiety. However, it is important to remember that anti-anxiety herbs are medications and may have side effects and interact with other medications.

Naturopathic remedies for anxiety should only be taken under the supervision of a professional. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be especially careful when choosing which anti-anxiety medications to take.

Medicines

Valeriana is common natural remedy for insomnia, but is sometimes also used for anxiety. Valerian is a contraceptive herb that produces a sedative effect and therefore should not be taken with other sedatives such as sleeping pills or pain medications. Other products that should not be combined with it include:

• Benzodiazepines
• Barbiturates
• Antidepressants
• Antihistamines

Research differs as to whether valerian works as a medicine for the treatment of anxiety disorders, with a recent review of the literature suggesting that it is not effective. Valeriana is sometimes mixed with lemon balm or St. John's wort when used as an anti-cancer drug. When valerian is mixed with these other herbs, it is especially important not to confuse the natural supplements with other medications.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR RELIEF OF WORRY AND ANXIETY

Homeopathy is a type alternative medicine, which uses highly diluted substances to treat various diseases. These solutions are known as medications. They are believed to cause the same symptoms in healthy person, as in patients.

Overall, the scientific evidence shows that the present method is no better than placebo.

Anxiety Remedies

• Aconitum - for anxiety accompanied by irregular or strong pulse, shortness of breath or fear of death.
• Albom Arsenicum - for excessive anxiety that has no clear cause and is accompanied by restlessness, especially after midnight. It can also be used for perfectionists, including children, who worry about everything.
• Phosphorus - for the looming feeling of doom and anxiety when one is alone. And is also used for impressionable adults and children who are easily influenced by other people's confusion.
• Lycopodium - for increased productivity and other types of anxiety in those who are insecure but hide their low self-esteem behind arrogance and bravado. It may also apply to children with bedwetting experiences.
• Gelsemium - for anxiety at work leading to diarrhea, various pains, dizziness, weakness, trembling, or speech problems.
• Argentum nitricum - for tensions about performance (eg before exams in children school age) with a fast heart rate, feeling weak, diarrhea or flatulence.

Kava-Kava

"Kava Kava (Pepper)" is a well-known herbal supplement for mild to moderate anxiety. However, while some studies have found it to be beneficial for anxiety, others have found it to be no better than a placebo. Kava kava is believed to produce an anti-anxiety effect without the sedative effect of valerian.

Note: The FDA has reported that kava may cause serious damage liver and is known to interact with other drugs such as alcohol, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics.

Other natural remedies

A naturopath may prescribe many different herbs for anxiety. Other common options include:

• Passionflower - Initial research suggests it may be as effective as some over-the-counter medications, but it may interact with sedatives, blood thinners, and antidepressants.
• Ginger.
• Chamomile.
• Licorice - should not be used if you have heart failure, other heart problems, kidney or liver disease, or high blood pressure.

How to get rid of anxiety yourself at home

Anxiety can be treated with different approaches, including medication, therapy, alternative means and self-support. The final method for anxiety is simply anything you can do to relieve the symptoms of the anxiety. These tactics come to the rescue in combination with other types of treatment.

Studying the problem

Some ways to combat anxiety include:

• Researching your illness
• Reduce lifestyle changes
• Creating a support network

Mastering any mental disorder is the first step towards conquering it. This may be done by a doctor, therapist, or other professional. You are also free to do this yourself.

• There are many books and resources available on anxiety. Contact your local library or public organization Mental Health for materials.
• Online assistance.

Self-help includes lifestyle changes

While learning about anxiety is a good first step, the next step is something you go through in practice. Everyone's life can be unhealthy and overly demanding, but these tips can help you create a lifestyle that promotes peace:

• Eat healthy and exercise - this seems obvious, but if you don't take care of your body and keep it in good shape, self-help may not work. Try cutting back on processed foods and unhealthy fats and instead focus on healthy lipids like omega-3s. You can find them in cold-water fish like salmon, as well as flax seeds and other foods.
• Use relaxation exercises - these focus on relieving tension and creating calm. Many people find this type of self-help helpful. Breathing practices, mediation and yoga also help improve this.
• Take a minute for yourself - often when you feel depressed, you forget about yourself. Spending time with friends, hobbies, or just breathing fresh air can reduce overall stress.
• Don't take on more than you can handle - it's impossible to do everything, make sure of this and ask for help from others if you think you've taken on too many responsibilities.
• Change your attitude - a pessimistic and gloomy outlook will not help your anxiety symptoms. Instead, focus on the positive and the things you are grateful for.

Using support

Self-help for anxiety doesn't mean you have to go it alone. A good technique for dealing with anxiety is to create a support network of people who will help you during difficult times. Sometimes nothing relieves anxiety better than watching a sporting event with a friend or spending the day shopping. Having people in your life that you can talk to about your health is main way in this fight.

People who become part of the support network:

• Friends
• family
• collective organizations
• faith leaders or religious communities
• those in mental health support groups

How to help someone with anxiety

Anxiety symptoms can be difficult for the individual and those around them. Often, education and treatment options are also needed for loved ones, especially when the form is severe. As a loved one, you have the opportunity to help someone with anxiety in several ways, including:

• Receiving alarm information
• Participation in therapy or support group
• Approval of new healthy shapes behavior and beliefs
• No disappointment if treatment doesn't help right away
• Help you set realistic treatment goals
• Ask someone with anxiety how to help

It is also important to maintain your own support system, because when you help someone with anxiety, sometimes you too become exhausted.

Treating anxiety seems difficult, but with effort and persistence, the vast majority of people experience relief. It's important to remember that alarm help doesn't work overnight. Sometimes you need to try several treatments before finding the right one. Additionally, stress may cause an increase in symptoms, but this does not mean that treatment is not working. Look for things that will improve you in the long term, not just in at the moment, as there is no instant cure for anxiety.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Get professional help when needed—you don't have to deal with anxiety yourself
• Maintain a support system - including family, friends, professionals, support groups, etc.
• Create healthy habits- exercise, diet and sleep are all important
• Reducing or eliminating drug use - including alcohol and caffeine
• Take a deep breath and count to ten - remember that symptoms of severe anxiety will subside over time
• Learn about anxiety and what triggers your symptoms
• Use relaxation techniques - deep breathing, meditation and yoga.

Almost everyone knows what anxiety and anxiety are. Such sensations are a signal from the human psyche, which indicate that there are changes in the systems of the human body, or in the environment around him. Anxiety ensures the mobilization of a person’s internal resources in case of danger. Therefore, in this condition it is often observed muscle tension, trembling. Every body system is ready for extreme actions.

A person in a state of anxiety cannot concentrate and cannot sleep normally. He is tormented by bad premonitions, he is constantly afraid of something. Most often, this reaction occurs in stressful situations or other diseases. This condition has physical signs. A person experiences headache, and also painful sensation in the back and chest area. The heart rhythm may be disturbed. All these phenomena are observed against the background of general fatigue and malaise.

At in good condition mental state of anxiety is necessary for a person, since it is required to withstand the dangers of the outside world. The brain begins to work more actively, allowing the body to prepare for certain actions. But if constant worry and anxiety are not controlled, they suppress the person and his daily life changes. Occur frequently anxiety disorders, when a person is terrified of losing his job, or vice versa, he has to go through an interview with the employer in order to get the desired position.

To these are added various fears of a specific nature, perhaps obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress. Similar disorders appear in people starting from the age of fifteen. Anxiety and anxiety are chronic problem, and if they are not treated, then further development of the disease is possible.

Diseases accompanied by anxiety

Typically, people suffering elevated state anxiety, have problems psychological nature. But there are other diseases in which patients are subject to particular anxiety. This hypertension. In this case, disturbing behavior is observed high level. It should be noted that approximately half of patients diagnosed with hypertension suffer from psychopathological disorders of a neurotic level.

Experts identify such syndromes as anxiety, hypochondriacal, obsessive-phobic, depressive, and others. They are expressed in the fact that the patient is constantly in a restless state and fears for his health, and completely unreasonably. He believes that the doctors are not telling us something, and his situation is much more serious. A man constantly demands to be measured blood pressure, asks for repeated research, seeks the possibility of treatment from psychics and healers.

How do you know if your anxiety is normal?

There are certain signs that indicate that it is time for you to see a doctor. The main ones are presented here.

1. A person subjectively believes that the feeling of anxiety is an obstacle to normal life, does not allow one to calmly go about one’s business, and interferes not only with work, professional activity, but also with a comfortable rest.
2. Anxiety can be regarded as moderate, but it lasts quite a long time, not days, but whole weeks.
3. Periodically, a wave of acute anxiety and anxiety rolls in, attacks are repeated with a certain stability, and ruin a person’s life.
4. There is a constant fear that something will definitely go wrong. Failure in exams, a reprimand at work, a cold, a car breakdown, the death of a sick aunt, and so on.
5. It can be difficult to concentrate on a specific thought, and it is very difficult.
6. There is tension in the muscles, the person becomes fussy and absent-minded, he is unable to relax and give himself rest.
7. Feeling dizzy, watching increased sweating, violations arise from gastrointestinal tract, my mouth gets dry.
8. Often, in an anxious state, a person becomes aggressive and everything irritates him. Fears and obsessive thoughts are possible. Some fall into deep depression.

As you can see, the list of signs is quite long. But if you think that you or someone close to you has at least two or three symptoms, this is already a serious reason to go to the clinic and find out the opinion of a doctor. It may well turn out that these are signs of the onset of a disease such as neurosis.

How is high anxiety treated?

Traditional medicine using drugs copes with such emotional disorders like anxiety increased anxiety. The treatment is carried out by a psychotherapist, and an experienced one can also help medical psychologist. Typically, the course of treatment includes antidepressants and tranquilizers; what exactly to prescribe is decided by the specialist, since each case is individual. But it should be noted that psychotropic drugs provide only symptomatic treatment.

This means that primary symptom becomes less intense, but the very reason for its occurrence remains. In this regard, in practice, relapses often occur, and the anxious state may return again, but slightly changed. For example, a person becomes susceptible to obsessive fears or constantly experiences depression.

There are medical centers, which are not used in the treatment of such patients medications. Specialists use psychotherapeutic methods, which are also very effective in solving emotional problems, and provide full recovery patient. Anyway, best option treatment is prescribed by a qualified specialist. Doctors often use techniques mixed type, when both medications and psychotherapeutic methods of restoring a person’s mental health are simultaneously used.

How to get rid of worry and anxiety on your own

To help himself, the patient, as prescribed by the attending physician, must reconsider his lifestyle. Usually in modern world Speed ​​decides a lot, and people try to get a huge amount of things done, not taking into account that the day has a limited number of hours. Therefore - one of important tasks is the need to adequately assess one’s own strengths, and Be sure to leave enough time for rest. Be sure to save at least one day off so that it fully lives up to its name - a day off.

Of great importance is also diet. When an anxious state is observed, harmful elements such as caffeine and nicotine should be avoided. Reducing the consumption of fatty and sweet foods will be beneficial.

You can achieve a more relaxed state by conducting sessions massage. Increased rubbing should be done in the neck and shoulder area. With a deep massage, the patient calms down, as excess tension, characteristic of a state of increased anxiety, is removed from the muscles.

Benefits l any sport and physical exercise . You can simply go jogging, cycling and hiking. It is advisable to do this at least every other day, for at least half an hour. You will feel that your mood and general condition are improving, and you will gain confidence in own strength and possibilities. Anxiety caused by stress gradually disappears.

It’s good if you have the opportunity to tell about your feelings to a person who will listen and understand you correctly. Besides the doctor, it could be close person, family member. Every day you should analyze all past events in which you took part. By telling an outside listener about this, you will put your thoughts and feelings in order.

You should reconsider your life priorities, And engage in so-called revaluation of values. Try to become more disciplined, do not act rashly, spontaneously. Often a person plunges into a state of anxiety when turmoil and confusion reign in his thoughts. In some cases, you should mentally go back and try to look at the situation from the outside, to evaluate the correctness of your behavior.

When doing things, make a list, starting with the most urgent. Don't multitask. This distracts attention and ultimately causes anxiety.

Feeling anxious for no reason is evidence of a person having a negative emotional experience. Anxious people are largely focused on external criteria. In addition, anxious people often feel the need for increased self-control, even over minor aspects of the situation. Failure to do this provokes an even greater level of anxiety and the emergence of new negative experiences.

Popular on the site: 12 simple ways to calm down and not be nervous (editor's note)

An important role in a negative emotional experience is played not so much by the fact of experiencing it, but by its strong memorization and reproduction in memory.

• Features of family education

Family education also has a great influence on the development of anxiety. It is impossible to talk about any specific violation, since their range is quite wide: overprotection of the child, increased expectations, high demands, poor relationships between parents and between family members.

Emotional problems are more likely to occur in people who were raised by parents who were prone to nervous conditions, irritability and depression. Parents of anxious children are more likely to experience concerns and fears, while calm children are raised to be balanced and positive adults.

When an adult experiences a feeling of instability and anticipates a constant threat, this is instantly transmitted to the child. This is often expressed in excessive concern and fear for the life and health of the child. This causes the child to feel insecure and defenseless, which persists and becomes stronger over the years.

• Post-traumatic stress

As external cause Anxiety can be identified as post-traumatic stress. Post-traumatic stress disorder– these are difficult emotional experiences, such as a feeling of helplessness, horror, strong fear that arose as a result of a one-time incident, or as a result of repeated injuries and a long stay in a stressful situation. The consequence of such experiences in adults is increased anxiety.

This applies to people who survived an accident, were involved in a war, an environmental disaster or gross violence.

• Intrapersonal sources of anxiety.

An important source Anxiety can highlight a person’s internal conflict, which is directly related to his self-esteem and attitude towards himself. Anxious people do not tend to change, adapt to difficulties and correct their shortcomings, which distinguishes emotionally well people. On the contrary, anxious people are characterized by a fixation on the past or on a very distant future, a period over which they are unable to influence.

To summarize, it can be noted that anxiety in the soul for no reason is a stable personal formation that was formed at different age stages. In junior school and preschool age the onset of anxiety was provoked by the situation in the family and relationships with parents. It was then that such qualities as vulnerability, a tendency to take offense, and a heightened reaction to the attitude of others began to take shape in the child. This, as well as a predisposition to remember negative rather than positive events, leads to the accumulation of negative experience, which is subsequently expressed in the consolidation of anxiety as a personal character trait.

IN adolescence the feeling of anxiety is consolidated on the basis of an internal conflict with oneself, the contradiction between the “ideal self” and the “real self.”

The causes of anxiety are in one way or another related to the dissatisfaction of needs characteristic of each age period.

In the 21st century, people are exposed to many constant stress factors. Attack by negative media news, interpersonal problems, global military conflicts are easily removed from peace of mind. Poor nutrition and the environment, adding to psychological difficulties, can cause a state of depression, depression, an unreasonable feeling of fear, and severe anxiety.

Anxiety is accompanied by symptoms:

• A sudden feeling of anxiety and panic, as if something is going to happen.
• A constant state of discomfort, diffuse pain throughout the body, mild nausea.
• An attack of unreasonable fear of death, of increasing danger without a visible source of threat.
• Anxiety that intensifies in the evening. Depressed Bad mood. Mental turmoil, persistent melancholy.
• Obsessive fears, bad thoughts about the sudden possibility of dying.
• Worsening of the condition in the morning after drinking coffee - increased tremor, anxiety. It becomes difficult to breathe, nausea, inexplicable anxiety and panic.

Psychology and psychiatry describe the increasingly frequent phenomenon of panic attacks. An unconscious defensive reaction is provoked by prolonged stressful situations, an oppressive feeling of being under control, defenselessness in society. Psychotherapist Walter Cannon described a specific state of the body: “fight or flight” in 1932.

The term implies the inclusion of protective mechanisms that have been present in genes since the appearance of the species Homo sapiens. An explainable phenomenon shows that panic attacks occur for no reason, without real threats, provoke flight, defensive attack.

Symptoms of unreasonable fear, panic attack:

1. The sudden attack was not provoked by anything. A feeling of increasing anxiety and panic appears.
2. Unpleasant “excitement” in the chest and stomach.
3. Impaired breathing function: rapid, superficial can lead to HVS syndrome (pulmonary hyperventilation). The result is dizziness, lightheadedness.
4. Nausea, “trembling”, trembling throughout the body.

The feeling of panic is caused by constant overexcitation of the sympathetic, nervous system which is controlled spinal cord. Peripheral system is responsible for the physiology of the body, which is not controlled by the human will.

An anxious state causes acute signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia:

• Paleness skin, coldness of the extremities, weakness, feeling of a “lump” squeezing the throat.
• Tremor, internal trembling that cannot be calmed on your own.
• Hyperhidrosis is increased sweating of the feet, palms, or entire body.
• Cardioneurosis - causeless excitement provokes irregular heartbeat, tachycardia, pulse rate up to 150 beats per minute.
• A common cause of panic is an irrational, obsessive fear of death, numbness of the body, tingling in the hands and feet.

The condition is caused by constantly growing negative experiences, severe stressful situations of a physical and neuro-emotional nature. On an unconscious level human brain begins to perceive the body as a source of danger, and is constantly in the mode of waiting for a threat.

At this stage of the reactionary struggle, there is an increased production of the hormone adrenaline, cortisol, by the adrenal glands. They provoke unmotivated aggression, self-aggression, nervousness, and rudeness. The period does not last long, followed by a depressed state of boredom, indifference, and lethargy.

Regular attacks of causeless panic provoke:

• Insomnia, insomnia, due to unreasonable fear. Nightmarish dreams associated with constant anxiety, fear of falling asleep, frequent awakenings.
• Constant lack of appetite, emotional apathy, anorexia, frequent irritation. Drowsiness, increased tearfulness, causeless mood swings.
• Psychogenic pain in the heart area, which is the cause of fear sudden death. Headaches, dizziness.
• Obsessive phobias, unspecified mystical fears, increased nervous excitability.
• Derealization is a sudden state of clouded perception of reality. A sign of prolonged mental stress.
• Sudden panic attacks are the cause psychosomatic diseases. Anxiety triggered by bad thoughts increases blood pressure.

The causes of panic attacks are diverse, often present in a complex, rarely represented by a single factor. Prerequisites possible disorder nervous system can be observed as early as childhood, 7-8 years of age, becoming more noticeable by the age of 18.

A person who begins to perceive himself as an individual falls under a complex of unfavorable influences that traumatize the psyche. In young people and older people, symptoms and panic attacks are similar.

The underlying causes of fear attacks, inexplicable anxiety

1. Emotional deprivation: insufficiently fulfilled psycho-emotional needs and feelings. Seen in single men and women of different ages, young children from disadvantaged families. Manifested by a lack of support and acceptance. Panic syndrome is triggered by constant emotional, tactile hunger, lack of energy exchange with parents and loved ones.
2. Long-term hidden or untreated depression, diseases of internal organs. Organ problems have a particular impact on the emotional state. endocrine system. An imbalance of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland and adrenal glands is one of the causes of attacks of incomprehensible anxiety, which creates feelings of panic.
3. Toxic, harmful interpersonal relationships according to scenarios: accusations, increased demands, manipulation. Elimination of the opportunity to talk and restore justice. The loss of a loved one is a common factor in long-term neurosis.
4. Hormonal changes in the body during adolescence menopause. Pregnancy, early postpartum period. Seasonal shortage sunny day, autumn blues.
5. Deliberately created conditions where a person constantly feels powerless over a situation, for example - a school curriculum, emotional tyranny in the family, persecution. Staying near a source for a long time provokes attacks of panic and inexplicable anxiety.

A feeling of sudden fear may arise against the background of relative emotional health, during the period when the stressor ceased to act. The feeling of anxiety appears unexpectedly and tends to intensify negative symptoms in the body and mind of a person.

How to overcome chronic anxiety - what to do at the very beginning?

• Seek advice from a psychotherapist.

Before prescribing therapy, the doctor must exclude the following diseases: diabetes mellitus, cervical osteochondrosis, the presence of oncological tumors. Assign a comprehensive biochemical analysis blood, check the balance of microelements and vitamins.

• Do not use medications on your own that relieve symptoms of sudden panic fear or severe anxiety.

It is forbidden to take pills without eliminating the cause. Anxiolytics, antidepressants, tranquilizers will help for a short period of time, constant use will provoke addiction. Often after withdrawal there is an increased feeling of panic, constant anxiety, unjustified fear of death.

• Must pass daily monitoring ECG, undergo an ultrasound of the heart.
• Get rid of diets that cause a lack of useful microelements and vitamins. Long-term veganism, vegetarianism, raw food diet, and exclusion of glucose quickly leads to frequent attacks of panic attacks.

A balanced diet is a primary factor in the treatment of depression and panic attacks. The constant presence in food of the proper combination of proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates can prevent most sudden anxiety states caused by hunger.

• Before treatment, it is necessary to undergo an examination by specialized specialists to exclude morphological and structural diseases of the organs. The last examination is carried out by a psychiatrist. Panic attacks can be only part of another pathological psychocomplex.
• Drug treatment of panic attacks is prescribed after the ineffectiveness of work on emotional state, eliminating the source of stress.

Psychotherapist Evgeniy Batrak regards panic attack syndrome as a borderline condition. At this stage, the disease has not manifested itself in full force, but the symptoms signaling disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system are already clearly pronounced.

How to prevent causeless anxiety attacks in advance?

1. Regular exercise helps prevent panic attacks. fresh air. Running, swimming, any active sport, breathing practices.
2. Self-regulation of emotional background. If you suddenly feel that an attack is coming, you should learn to distract yourself: pinch painfully, stop thinking about the approaching panic attack, interrupt negative thoughts with memorized phrases from auto-training.
3. Physical, emotional overload, all reasons panic attacks– exclude. Plan your time in advance, perform safe work, do not alarming, fear.
4. Sudden, causeless anxiety often causes short sleep, work without vacation, and emotional overload. You need to sleep at least 8 hours a day; frequent stress causes exhaustion of the nervous system; if possible, take a long vacation.
5. Eliminate constant sources of anxiety, negative experiences, change jobs, or end harmful relationships. Don’t hold back your emotions, find a suitable way to express them: dancing, sports, drawing. Any creative activity distracts from bad ones obsessive thoughts, excitement.

The state of an unbalanced nervous system returns to normal quite slowly. It is necessary to treat yourself with patience, to maintain a systematic autogenic calming training and daily routine.

How to overcome a sudden anxiety attack on your own?

1. Provide yourself with access to plenty of space and fresh air. Dispersing attention around helps to overcome sudden panic and anxiety. Fixing the cause of internal anxiety aggravates the situation.
2. Control the depth and frequency of breathing movements. Make breathing rare, moderately deep, avoid hyperventilation. It will help dull the feeling of anxiety and reduce emotional stress.
3. Ask for help, or feel free to refuse it. Depending on the reasons, it may be easier to cope with attacks of emotional anxiety on your own.
4. In case of a sudden panic attack at night, internal trembling, fear - urgently get up to eat, drink warm weak tea. There is no need to eat sweets. The process is a distraction, will gradually increase the level of glucose in the blood, and reduce the feeling of anxiety.
5. During frequent, constant panic attacks, remove additional irritants - restless music, films, books, TV, limit Internet use as much as possible.

A mistake in helping people experiencing attacks of sudden fear and panic is the immediate use of medications that block emotions. This causes exhaustion of the nervous system, emotional insensitivity, and dependence on the therapy received. Emotional lability and anxiety require the exclusion of a negative irritating factor.

For two months you can exclude viewing all potentially dangerous things, avoid situations that provoke causeless excitement and panic. Maintain a strict work and rest schedule, eat a balanced diet to avoid a lack of microelements necessary for a healthy nervous system.

Every person is periodically in a state of worries And anxiety . If anxiety manifests itself in connection with a clearly defined reason, then this is a normal, everyday occurrence. But if such a condition occurs, at first glance, for no reason, then it may signal health problems.

How does anxiety manifest itself?

Excitement , anxiety , anxiety manifested by an obsessive feeling of anticipation of certain troubles. In this case, the person is in a depressed mood, internal anxiety forces partial or total loss interest in activities that previously seemed pleasant to him. Anxiety is often accompanied by headaches, problems with sleep and appetite. Sometimes the heart rhythm is disturbed, and attacks of rapid heartbeat occur periodically.

As a rule, a person experiences constant restlessness in his soul against a background of anxious and uncertain life situations. These may be worries about personal problems, illnesses of loved ones, dissatisfaction professional success. Fear and anxiety often accompany the process of waiting for important events or any results that are of paramount importance to a person. He tries to find the answer to the question of how to overcome the feeling of anxiety, but in most cases he cannot get rid of this condition.

A constant feeling of anxiety is accompanied by internal tension, which can be manifested by some external symptoms — trembling , muscle tension . Feelings of anxiety and restlessness bring the body into a state of constant " combat readiness" Fear and anxiety prevent a person from sleeping normally and concentrating on important matters. As a result, so-called social anxiety appears, associated with the need to interact in society.

The constant feeling of inner restlessness may worsen later. Added to this are some specific fears. Sometimes motor restlessness manifests itself - constant involuntary movements.

It is quite clear that such a condition significantly worsens the quality of life, so a person begins to look for an answer to the question of how to get rid of feelings of anxiety. But before taking any sedatives, you should definitely establish the exact causes of anxiety. This is possible subject to a comprehensive examination and consultation with a doctor who will tell you how to get rid of anxiety. If the patient bad dream, and anxiety constantly haunts him, it is important to determine the original cause of this condition. Prolonged stay in this state is fraught with serious depression. By the way, a mother’s anxiety can be transmitted to her baby. Therefore, the child’s anxiety during feeding is often associated with the mother’s anxiety.

The extent to which anxiety and fear are inherent in a person depends to a certain extent on a number of personal qualities of the person. It is important who he is - a pessimist or an optimist, how stable he is psychologically, how high a person’s self-esteem is, etc.

Why does anxiety occur?

Worry and anxiety can be a symptom of serious mental illness. Those people who are constantly in a state of anxiety, in most cases have certain psychological problems and are prone to .

Most diseases mental nature accompanied by a state of anxiety. Anxiety is characteristic of different periods, For initial stage neuroses. Severe anxiety is observed in a person dependent on alcohol when withdrawal syndrome . Quite often there is a combination of anxiety with a number of phobias, irritability, etc. In some diseases, anxiety is accompanied by delirium and.

However, in some somatic diseases, anxiety also appears as one of the symptoms. At hypertension People often have a high degree of anxiety.

Anxiety may also accompany hyperfunction thyroid gland , hormonal disorders during the period in women. Sometimes sharp anxiety fails as a harbinger of a sharp drop in blood sugar levels in patients.

How to get rid of anxiety?

Before pondering the question of how to relieve an anxious state, it is necessary to determine whether the anxiety is natural, or whether the anxiety is so serious that it requires consultation with a specialist.

There are a number of signs that indicate that a person will not be able to cope with anxiety without visiting a doctor. You should definitely consult a specialist if your symptoms anxiety state appear constantly, which affects everyday life, work, and leisure. At the same time, excitement and anxiety haunt a person for weeks.

Anxious neurotic conditions that recur consistently in the form of attacks should be considered a serious symptom. A person constantly worries that something in his life will go wrong, while his muscles tense, he becomes fussy.

You should definitely consult a doctor if anxiety conditions in children and adults are accompanied by dizziness, heavy sweating, work disruptions Gastrointestinal tract, dry mouth. Often, an anxiety-depressive state worsens over time and leads to.

There are a number of drugs that are used in the process complex treatment anxiety and anxiety. However, before determining how to get rid of an anxiety state, the doctor needs to establish an accurate diagnosis, determining what kind of disease and why it could provoke this symptom. Conduct an examination and determine how to treat the patient, must psychotherapist . During the examination, it is necessary to assign laboratory tests blood, urine, carried out ECG. Sometimes the patient needs consultation with other specialists - an endocrinologist, a neurologist.

Most often, tranquilizers and antidepressants are used in the treatment of diseases that provoke anxiety and restlessness. The attending physician may also prescribe a course of tranquilizers during therapy. However, treatment of anxiety with psychotropic drugs is symptomatic. Consequently, such drugs do not relieve the causes of anxiety. Therefore, relapses of this condition are possible later, and anxiety may appear in an altered form. Sometimes anxiety begins to bother a woman when pregnancy . How to remove this symptom in this case, only a doctor should decide, since taking any medications by the expectant mother can be very dangerous.

Some specialists prefer to use exclusively psychotherapy methods in the treatment of anxiety. Sometimes psychotherapeutic techniques are accompanied by taking medications. Some additional treatment methods are also practiced, for example, auto-training and breathing exercises.

In folk medicine, there are many recipes that are used to overcome anxiety. A good effect can be obtained by regularly taking herbal teas , which include herbs with sedative effects. This mint, Melissa, valerian, motherwort etc. However, you can feel the effect of using herbal teas only after constantly taking such a remedy for a long time. Besides folk remedies should be used only as an auxiliary method, since without timely consultation with a doctor, you can miss the onset of very serious diseases.

Another important factor influencing overcoming anxiety is the right way of life . A person should not sacrifice rest for the sake of labor exploits. It is important to get enough sleep every day and eat right. Caffeine abuse and smoking can aggravate anxiety.

A relaxing effect can be achieved with a professional massage. Deep massage effectively relieves anxiety. We should not forget how much exercise improves your mood. Daily physical activity will allow you to always be in good shape and prevent the worsening of your anxiety. Sometimes a brisk walk for an hour in the fresh air is enough to improve your mood.

To control his emotions, a person must carefully analyze everything that happens to him. Clearly identifying the cause that caused anxiety helps you focus and switch to positive thinking.