Anxiety

Anxiety

Anxiety; emotion and disorder.

Anxiety is a normal feeling that everyone experiences at some point, no one is completely anxiety free. People often get nervous before an important event such as a final exam, a sports final, a play premiere or a first date. Anxiety is an emotion that most of us feel in relation to things that matter to us, and it can be very useful; made people work harder, work harder or improve concentration. Anxiety also benefits us in dangerous situations, it is anxiety that helps people run from rocks or avoid oncoming cars.

We all have a built-in anxiety response that has evolved with humanity to help us survive. The anxiety response manifests itself in various symptoms, both emotional and physical. Common physical symptoms include a faster heartbeat, shallower breathing, increased sweating, and nausea. The anxiety response also affects our thoughts, and when we experience symptoms of anxiety, our thoughts are often characterized by intense worry, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.

Although anxiety is primarily a normal emotion and can be very helpful, it can also be problematic. When anxiety is too much, occurs often or occurs in inappropriate situations, it stops being useful to us. Anxiety can become so severe that it holds people back, prevents them from doing things they want to do, or makes people feel very uncomfortable in situations that cause the anxiety. When anxiety starts to have a significant impact on our daily life, it may be an anxiety disorder. A simple example of the difference between anxiety as a normal and even useful feeling and anxiety in an anxiety disorder would be, on the one hand, anxiety before a final exam, which causes a person to work hard, achieve better concentration and study well for the exam, but on the other hand, anxiety before a final exam, which becomes so much that a person is unable to study or concentrate and eventually decides to skip the exam.

You can think of the anxiety response as a smoke detector. A smoke detector is very useful and can save our lives when it goes off and goes off (much like the panic response that goes off when there is real danger). If the smoke detector goes off all the time and on the slightest occasion, for example when we light candles or pop popcorn, it is no longer useful (similar to an anxiety response that goes off in inappropriate situations or in excess). When a smoke detector behaves this way, it's time to replace the battery or fix it. The same goes for the anxiety response. If people feel a lot of anxiety, feel anxious very often, or if anxiety is holding them back in some way, they should seek professional help.

The goal of anxiety therapy is not to completely get rid of anxiety, but we want it to serve its purpose as this normal and useful feeling. The goal is to reduce it when it does not benefit us and learn to deal with it.

Anxiety as a disorder

If anxiety has started to have a major impact on people's quality of life, for example if people stop doing things they want to do because of anxiety, it is possible that it is an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is actually another way of saying that the anxiety has become so intense and disabling that a person needs help to deal with it. There are many types of anxiety disorders and what they have in common is that individuals experience anxiety that holds them back in certain situations. Anxiety can also occur with panic attacks, when multiple physical symptoms of anxiety occur at the same time. Most people experience panic attacks at some point in their lives. It is important to know the symptoms of anxiety disorders and panic attacks in order to distinguish between anxiety as a normal feeling and anxiety as a problem or anxiety disorder. On this page you can find information about some common anxiety disorders; general anxiety disorder, social phobia and specific phobia as well as information about panic attacks. You can find more detailed information about anxiety in many places on the internet, for example on the Anxiety Treatment Center's website: www.kms.is.

Here you can find an interview with a person who has struggled with anxiety both in video form and in traditional text, the video is from Hugrún's campaign #huguð

Panic attack

A panic attack is when people feel a sudden and overwhelming sense of fear in the absence of any real danger. During a panic attack, people experience very strong physical symptoms of anxiety that intensify and reach a peak within minutes. Anxiety attacks usually pass quickly and usually the symptoms disappear in less than half an hour. Examples of these physical symptoms include a faster heart rate, increased sweating, shaking, feeling like you're suffocating, chest pain, numbness, feeling faint, and nausea. This is often followed by thoughts and fears of losing control, losing consciousness, having a heart attack or dying. Anxiety attacks can occur unexpectedly and happen in situations where a person does not expect them, but they can also occur in situations that normally cause the person anxiety.

Anxiety attacks are not a disorder, but they are very uncomfortable and can be a symptom of a disorder. Panic attacks can occur in many anxiety disorders, for example, people with syringe and needle phobia can have panic attacks in the vicinity of syringes and needles. Panic disorder is when people have repeated panic attacks, which cause them great distress, and they are constantly worried about having another attack. Although panic attacks often accompany the disorders, they can happen to anyone and it is possible to have a panic attack without having an anxiety disorder.

In everyday speech, we often talk about a panic attack when people are very worried about something for a long time or feel worry pouring over them. It is certainly unpleasant to experience such a thing, but the emotions and physical reactions that accompany a panic attack are much stronger and more overwhelming. It is important to know the symptoms of a panic attack and know the difference between the two because when people have a panic attack and do not recognize the symptoms, they often think they are dying or having a heart attack and even seek medical help because of it. Panic attacks are characterized by intense fear, intense physical reactions, and they peak within minutes.

Some people only have one episode, while others have episodes over and over without it having a major impact on daily life. When panic attacks are regular, part of a disorder or the main symptom of the disorder (panic disorder), the attacks cause great difficulty and distress. When panic attacks begin to have a significant impact on life and well-being, people should seek help.

Specific phobias

A specific phobia is an intense fear or dread of certain objects or phenomena that is not consistent with the cause of fear or dread. In English, this is called a phobia, but in everyday speech, that word is often used for a fear that is much milder than a real phobia. Common examples of specific phobias include phobias of spiders, dogs, wasps, vomiting, elevators, airplanes, storms, or being up high. People with phobias try to avoid these phenomena as best they can or endure them with great anxiety, fear or distress. For example, a person with wasp phobia may find it difficult to be outside in the summer, keep all windows closed, avoid camping or any situation where wasps might be present. There is thus a big difference in degree between finding it unpleasant to be near wasps and having a wasp phobia, although the first example is often mistakenly called a phobia.

Anxiety symptoms that are common in specific phobias include a fast heart rate, increased sweating, and feeling unable to move. Also, some people have panic attacks when they see what they are afraid of. In limited phobias, a vicious cycle develops where avoidance behaviors (for example, not going outside in the summer, never coming near dogs or never going in elevators) maintain the anxiety and even increase it over time. By avoiding the situation or phenomenon, people feel relief for a short time, but the worry and fear are actually still there. If people manage to persevere in the situation, they usually realize that there is nothing to fear and the anxiety slowly decreases. Thus, a person with mild anxiety reminiscent of a specific phobia, for example, spiders, can reduce the anxiety by persevering around spiders and getting used to being close to them. People often need help to reduce anxiety, especially if the anxiety and fear has become so great that it is a specific phobia. The treatment of a specific phobia is quite simple and often it only takes a few hours with a psychologist to get over it.

Social phobia

Social anxiety disorder is when people feel extreme fear or anxiety in social situations. Most of the time, anxiety is related to worries that others are judging you, that you will look bad, or that you will say or do something that others think is stupid. Examples of social situations are having a conversation with someone, going to a party, meeting new people, giving a lecture, eating or writing in front of someone, or talking to superiors. It is normal to feel anxious in some social situations, and the vast majority of people find, for example, giving a lecture or speaking in public stressful. If we didn't have any anxiety related to social situations, we wouldn't care about how we appear and what other people think. Most of us are social beings, and therefore experience anxiety in relation to some social situations.

People with social anxiety disorder experience more anxiety in social situations, and the anxiety becomes so great that it causes difficulties in daily life or significant distress. Often, social phobia leads people to avoid social situations completely or just persevere through them, experiencing great anxiety and distress in the process. It can be noticeable when people avoid situations, such as not showing up to a party or refusing to go to school, but sometimes the behavior of people with social anxiety disorder can be less noticeable, for example when people practice a lot before a lecture or limit eye contact. Some people have social anxiety only in certain situations, such as presentations in front of people and it is called performance anxiety. Social anxiety can have a significant impact on people's lives and decision-making. It can lead to social isolation, cause people not to attend birthdays, parties or events that would be enjoyable without the anxiety, and sometimes it even causes people to choose courses with little introductions or group work, or to not accept a promotion if it comes with it. increased communication.

Some people with social anxiety disorder drink alcohol or use drugs to facilitate social interaction and may even be unable to attend a party without it. A short-term solution in the form of drugs does not fix the social anxiety disorder, but can lead to even more problems and even develop into an addiction problem. Therefore, individuals who experience social anxiety or milder anxiety in this type of situation should pay close attention to their own consumption and even reduce or stop until they overcome their social anxiety. Social anxiety can also lead to depression, and it is also important to seek help.

Physical symptoms common in social anxiety disorder include flushing, sweating, shaking, or stuttering. It is common for these physical symptoms to fuel even more anxiety because people often fear that others will notice them and judge them for the symptoms. These concerns are usually unrealistic, and the redness or sweating is not enough for others to notice, and most people would not think much of these physical symptoms if they did notice them. In social situations, individuals with social anxiety disorder may also experience extreme insecurity or a blank mind. People who experience these symptoms and have difficulty in social situations, whether many or few, should not hesitate to seek help.

Generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder consists of intense and repeated worries of various kinds and all kinds of things. Worries are negative thoughts that often revolve around the fact that something bad will happen to one's self or to one's loved ones. They can be related to anything such as performance at work or school, the future, money matters, your own health or the health of others. It is difficult or impossible for a person with generalized anxiety disorder to shake off their worries and focus on other things. Often the worry becomes more and more exaggerated the longer it lasts, like an ever-expanding snowball rolling down a hill.

People with generalized anxiety disorder often feel restless and very tired, as it is difficult for the body to be in a chronic state of anxiety. Muscle tension is very common among people with generalized anxiety disorder, and often they see a doctor because of bad muscle inflammation and not because of the anxiety itself. Other common symptoms include difficulty concentrating, irritability and sleep disturbances. People with generalized anxiety disorder often find it difficult to fall asleep, often because worries come to mind when they lie down in bed and have time to think.

There is a lot of uncertainty to exist, the uncertainty is really unavoidable. We can never know for sure what will happen tomorrow, how others will behave or what the future holds. It is believed that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder find it difficult to tolerate uncertainty. That's why they often try to plan here about everything that can be planned and repeatedly check if everything is not exactly as it should be. The worry increases the uncertainty, and the uncertainty increases the worry, and thus a vicious circle is created that is difficult to get out of. When people experience severe and overwhelming anxiety, it is important to seek professional help.

PTSD

Trauma is a difficult or stressful experience that naturally affects people and often takes time to recover from. Traumas vary in severity and people are sensitive to them, but some traumas are so severe that they would cause difficulties for most people. When people experience a serious trauma where their life, the lives of others, their well-being or the well-being of others is threatened and they experience great fear, horror or helplessness during the trauma, it is common for people to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or even develop PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress shortly after a trauma is not necessarily a sign of PTSD, but can be a normal reaction to a difficult life experience. If the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are still present, disrupting life and causing distress, and more than a month has passed since the traumatic event, it is possible that it is a case of post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is common and it is estimated that around 10% of people will get it at some point in their lives.

The symptoms of PTSD are numerous and it must always be diagnosed by a professional. The following are the main categories of symptoms, but professionals look at many factors, such as the number of symptoms, when diagnosing, and there are many more symptoms than are listed here.

• Re-experiencing trauma in some way (eg memories, flash-backs or dreams)
• Avoid situations, stimuli, thoughts and other things that remind you of the trauma
• Negative changes in thinking or worsening of well-being (eg, feelings of guilt, reduced interest in important activities, difficulty remembering things related to the trauma, and difficulty experiencing positive emotions)
• Altered levels of arousal and response (eg irritability, self-harm, recklessness, irritability and sleep disturbances)

It is important that individuals with PTSD seek help. People who have experienced trauma but do not meet the criteria for PTSD can also benefit greatly from recovery. Getting over trauma can be extremely difficult, and the difficulties and distress associated with trauma should not be ignored, even after a long time has passed.

WHO TO LOOK FOR?

Healthcare:When people seek help from professionals, the first port of call is usually healthcare. The first step is to book an appointment with a doctor who can refer you to the appropriate person if the problem cannot be solved there. heiligaeslan.is

Psychiatric emergency department:If the situation is urgent or serious, do not hesitate to go to the psychiatric emergency department at Landspítala, but people can go there with urgent psychiatric issues without having an appointment. The psychiatric emergency department is located on the 1st floor of the psychiatric department building on Hringbraut. The emergency room is open from 12:00-19:00 on weekdays and from 13:00-17:00 on weekends and the phone number is 543 4050. In emergencies outside of these hours, you can go to the emergency department at Landspítala Fossvogur. landspitali.is

In private psychologists' offices.On the website of the Icelandic Association of Psychologists, sal.is, there is a search engine that can be used to find psychologists based on location, language, specialization and other factors.

In private psychiatrists' offices.A number of psychiatrists provide medication and talk therapy in their private practice.

A more detailed list of resources in Iceland can be found here .