10 Things To Know About Anxiety (Need To Know Facts)

Before we get into the 10 important facts about anxiety, we should identify the different forms of anxiety that people experience. 

General Anxiety Disorder

Constantly and excessively worrying about different things most people only occasionally worry about. Often these worries interfere with everyday situations.

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social phobia)

Intense anxiety or fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in a social or performance situation.- taken directly from ADAA

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Separation anxiety takes place when a child or even an adult excessively worries about being separated from a family member  They also may worry about something happening to the family member as well. It is believed that a chemical imbalance of serotonin and norepinephrine play a role in this problem. 

Panic Disorder

This occurs when people experience anxiety attacks or panic attacks suddenly and become fearful of them occurring again at any time. Symptoms of a panic attack include shortness of breath, profuse sweating, heart palpitations, dizziness, and more.

Phobias

an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. (Definition taken directly from Oxford Languages dictionary)

Social / Selective Mutism Disorder

This happens when someone speaks in some situations but does not verbally speak in other situations. It is categorized as an anxiety disorder. People become fearful of speaking in certain situations, and this usually begins before the age of 5.

A person with an anxiety often suffers from different symptoms including physical symptoms. These anxiety symptoms are as follows:

• shortness of breath
• social isolation
• intense fear
• chest pain
• stomach aches
• heart palpitations
• irrational fears
• hives
• a fight or flight response
• obsessive-compulsive disorder type behavior
• panic attacks
• chest pains
• Easily startle
• Have difficult concentrating
• Seem on edge
• dizziness
• excessive sweating
• insomnia

Factors around you can accelerate anxious thoughts and cause excessive anxiety. Some of these environmental factors include media, chemicals, smells, sounds, natural disasters, and many every day life events.

There are mixed reviews on social media directly effecting anxiety, however, media in general has been shown to bring about bouts of increased anxiety. Brains function differently. For us, technology in general can increase anxiety and depression.

Also, some people are more sensitive to sounds and smells around them. The over sensitive individual is prone to a senses overload leading the nervous system to be anxious.

Additionally, chemicals all around us can increase our anxiety. When the body is not able to process the toxins around us properly, it compensates with symptoms of anxiety, hyperactivity, or depression.

We are extremely sensitive to our surroundings. Deep breathing and being aware of what our body can handle is extremely beneficial when it comes to keeping anxiety under control.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 20 percent of people who suffer from anxiety or depression have a problem with drugs or alcohol use. 

Panic attacks are sometimes cause by the use of alcohol as well. This makes it a difficult cycle for people who use alcohol as a way to medicate their anxiety disorder.

The more alcohol they drink, the more anxiety they experience. In turn, the more anxiety this person feels, the more they want to alleviate the anxiety by drinking alcohol.

Mental, emotional, and sexual abuse from the past can trigger anxiety. A person's everyday life experiences can send them back to times of abuse in a split second. Symptoms of a panic attack can easily be triggered by this.

Seeking professional help and getting proper mental health care are important for abuse to be dealt with properly. 

Balanced bacteria in the gut and a healthy microbiome effect the way neurotransmitters work. Therefore, signaling to the brain becomes problematic when the gut is not working properly since neurotransmitters transmit messages to the brain.

This is a huge deal. It takes work to rebalance and restore the digestive system. It should not be overlooked and the process is different for everyone. 

Lifestyle, environmental factors, and genetics all play a role in why the gut is out of whack. And when this becomes out of whack, the neurotransmitters that are produced in the gut are not able to correctly signal to the brain. 

Anxiety can be one of the results of this imbalance. These feelings are eased when the gut comes back into balance and the brain is able to receive proper messaging. However, this is not a fix-it and forget it type of situation. 

Related Post:  Nutritional Deficiencies and Anxiety

Neurotransmitter functioning that affects anxiety is found to be problematic in depression mood disorders as well.

The exact neurocognitive connection is yet to be made. However, studies show that anxiety and depression both show a link in how these neurotransmitters work. 

There are also patterns in how the neurons in the brain work that alter anxiety and depression. Prefrontal limbic pathways have been shown to be altered that result in episodes of anxiety and depression.

There is a genetic component to anxiety. If certain genes are passed down and then triggered, a person's body will experience problems with anxiety to the extend of being labeled with an anxiety disorder.

People may have family members with anxiety and carry some of those genes. However, it does not mean a person is automatically labeled with an anxiety disorder. 

Lifestyle practices play an important role in the anxiety a person will display. A person should never feel like they are trapped to have anxiety with no control over the situation.

I have many people with anxiety in my family. Some have chosen to live in ways that make the anxiety worse, but my immediate family has chosen to live in ways to control anxiety to our best ability's. The quality of life is huge.

Lifestyle choices can be effective when it comes to helping those who experience anxiety or suffer from mental illness in general. These choices include:

• Getting enough sleep
• Taking a break from social media and computer or phone usage
• Turning your wi-fi off at night or using a timer like this one
• Getting outdoor time 
• Exercising
• Walking barefoot on sand or grass
• Deep breathing
• Appropriate Diet / Low sugar
• Massages or Acupuncture
• Meditation
• Journaling

Related Post:  Ways to Naturally Deal With Anxiety

Using high-quality supplements and an herbal protocol are wonderful for anxiety as well. You need to do research or see a specialist to get the right protocol for your needs.

However, some we have used include 5-HTP, Lemon balm, L-Tyrosine, Ashwagandha, and Calm. You would need to take these things only if they are recommended for your body type.

As the body heals and becomes in balance, anxiety will decrease. Some people are able to experience few anxiety symptoms after getting their body into check. Many of us though will have to be conscientious of how we treat our bodies and the surroundings that are around us.

Using things that are all natural and non-toxic are vital in keeping the body healthy A healthy body will help with hormones and neurotransmitter functioning. This is all necessary to lessen anxiety symptoms.