Anxiety

It is a normal emotion that may even prove helpful in certain situations. However, many people feel excessively anxious and stressed, affecting the quality of their lives and well-being. There are a number of disorders in which anxiety is the major symptom, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder. Anxiety often occurs along with depression and can be a feature of many different health problems.

There are many factors in our modern lifestyle that lead to the development of stress and anxiety, and the prevalence is increasing.

Symptoms and signs of anxiety occur when the body reacts to a situation with a "fight or flight" response:

• shortness of breath
• tight chest
• dry mouth
• butterflies in the stomach
• nausea
• urge to urinate/empty the bowel
• tremor
• sweating
• pins and needles
• elevated heart rate
• internalized stress
• agitation
• fear of losing control
• fear that something catastrophic will happen
• irritability
• feelings of disconnection

While the fight or flight response is a flexible mechanism useful in the face of danger, frequent or prolonged occurrences can have very negative effects on the mind and the body. Chronically high levels of stress affect all physiological systems and increase the risk of many chronic diseases.

For anxiety in particular, BREATHING TECHNIQUES are recommended. Click to read through and start using them.

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