Anxiety management in Barranquilla, Cindy Pérez

Anxiety management in Barranquilla

Psychology

Author: Cindy PérezModified date: 12/11/2021

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a complex emotional response in people of all ages, which activates a physiological, behavioral, cognitive and affective response; in the face of events that are perceived as unexpected events, of which there is no control. Anxiety is a daily experience for individuals, being also a behavior that fulfills a fundamentally adaptive function. However, it can become maladaptive and affect the well-being of the subjects (Clark & ??Beck, 2012; González, 1993).

How do I know if I have anxiety?

Occasionally experiencing anxiety is a common aspect of life. In any case, it can become a pathological procedure, when due to the sequence of responses or their enormous strength, it is not possible to establish a balance between the subject and the stimuli. In this sense, in the presence of frequent episodes that involve worry and excessive fear in the face of daily events; If these anxious feelings interfere with usual activities, it could be talking about an anxiety disorder, which are exaggerated compared to the real risk and can be experienced for a long time (Clark & ??Beck, 2012; González, 1993, Mayo Clinic , 2021).

When should I start an anxiety treatment?

You should start an anxiety treatment when:

Feeling constant worry, fear or anxiety; if these feelings cause you discomfort and are difficult to control; and if they also disturb your social, occupational, academic, family activities, among others.
If you have difficulty with the consumption of psychoactive substances.
If you suffer from other psychological pathologies and / or if you consider that anxiety may be related to a physiological condition.
If anxiety begins to interfere with your daily life, it is time to seek professional support to control it.

(Mayo Clinic, 2021)

Which specialist should I go to if I have anxiety?

If you are experiencing anxiety that is disproportionate to reality, you should go to a mental health professional to start treatment with an interdisciplinary team of psychology and psychiatry.

What are the causes of anxiety?

There are risk factors that can trigger anxiety disorders, such as traumatic events, stress, other mental disorders, family history with suffering from anxiety disorder, personality structure. Likewise, some medical causes could be related to the origin of anxiety episodes or disorders, among which can be found, heart disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, respiratory diseases, addiction to psychoactive substances, abstinence from the consumption of psychoactive substances, gastrointestinal diseases , tumors, among others (Mayo Clinic, 2021).

What are the types of anxiety?

There are different types of anxiety:

Generalized anxiety disorder: corresponds to a constant and excessive worry about common activities, events. This concern is far-fetched in the face of reality or fact, it becomes very complex to control and harms physical health. It is usually accompanied by other anxiety disorders or depression.
Agoraphobia: it is an anxious disorder, characterized by an excessive fear of scenarios and conditions, which can lead to episodes of panic or to experience feelings of being helpless, in danger or ashamed, for which the individual will do everything possible to avoid these stimuli.
Panic disorder: these are continuous episodes of intense attacks of fear and anxiety. The subject may have a feeling of threatening disaster, trouble breathing, chest pain, or fast, pounding palpitations. When individuals experience panic attacks, they usually develop a greater concern that the event will repeat itself again, therefore, they tend to avoid environments or events that could trigger it.
Selective mutism: This disorder is a psychological condition that prevents a child from speaking and expressing himself in certain situations, without a physiological cause in speech. In this sense, it arises as a consequence of the experience of some traumatic event or of great impact for the infant. Selective mutism can occur in settings such as school, work, social or family settings; thereby causing poor academic, work and social performance.
Separation anxiety disorder: this disorder occurs in childhood, generating in minors a feeling of worry and fear in excessive levels when separating from their father figures or caregivers. Either in short or prolonged periods, the child's anxiety will manifest itself in the same way, disturbing her psychosocial and physical development. .
Social anxiety disorder or social phobia: social phobia is known to cause high levels of anxiety, fear and rejection of social settings, product of the emotions of shame, uncertainty, shyness, worry and fear of not being accepted or being pointed out negatively by other people.
Specific phobias: this type of phobia implies an evident anxiety, when the subject feels exposed to a specific object, animal, or condition, I always keep the intention and the uncontrollable desire to evade it. It should be mentioned that in some cases the phobia of a specific stimulus can generate panic attacks.
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder: in this disorder, very intense symptoms of panic or anxiety are manifested, as a consequence of the misuse of hallucinogenic drugs, medications, alcohol, among others, as well as periods of abstinence from the use of said substances.
Specific and non-specific anxiety disorder: it is a category for those phobias or anxieties that do not exactly meet the criteria established to diagnose a certain anxiety disorder, however they are still equally alarming and harmful to people's well-being .
Anxiety disorder due to illness: characterized by acute anxiety and panic states, as a result of some physiological illness.

(Mayo Clinic, 2021).

How to control anxiety?

Control anxiety when the person presents anxious episodes, it is recommended to do physical activity, yoga, meditation, listen to relaxing music, have a balanced diet, reduce caffeine intake, spend more time with family and friends, avoid procrastination , practice mindfulness, among others. In addition, psychotherapy is essential for the management of anxiety.

Are there medications for anxiety?

Anxiolytic and antidepressant medications are usually used for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Anxiolytic drugs for anxiety are the most widely used and belong to the category of high-vigor benzodiazepines, with a calming effect.