Anxiety is the leading clinically diagnosable mental health
disorder – it affects millions of people. Everyone experiences a
little anxiety in life.

Title: Has Anxiety taken over your life?

Author: Nansia Ressi

It can be necessary and a motivator to
help us make plans and perform well. However, anxiety disrupts
the everyday life of millions of people. According to the U.S.
Surgeon General, anxiety disorder is the most common mental
health problem in the United States. Almost 19 million Americans
(aged 18 to 54) suffer from some anxiety disorder each year,
according to a analysis by the National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH).

Anxiety disorders are primarily on overwhelming fear. Everyone
experiences the tingle of fear and anxiety, especially when
encountering an anxiety provoking experience like public
speaking or a first date. However, the difference of an anxiety
disorder is the difference between an occasional feeling of
apprehension and a constant and dominating force in your life.
If anxiety is all consuming, it is a disorder and you need to
take steps to correct it.

One of the most familiar and studied forms of anxiety disorder
is the panic attack. The patient usually feels his or her heart
race and also pain or pressure in the chest. Generalized anxiety
disorder is another of the more commonly diagnosed forms. It
manifests as constant worry that is beyond normal bounds. Other
symptoms include a lengthy event lasting six months or longer,
muscle tension, difficulty staying focused on a subject, trouble
sleeping, and feeling continuously irritated. Panic attacks
don't usually result from general anxiety disorder, but it can
still make life difficult. That type of worry is exhausting,
takes away interest in one's life, and can cause mood swings.
Some other anxiety disorders include social anxiety, obsessive
compulsive behavior, various phobias, and post- traumatic stress
syndrome.

Diagnosing these disorders is not easy as they incorporate brain
functions and there is still a lot to be learned about them. No
one in the medical profession has yet learned why a particular
person's fear response is amplified so much more than another's.
Researchers do know that five neurotransmitters become disturbed
in these disorders and medications have been developed to treat
them. They include anti-depressants and anti- anxiety drugs.

Anxiety disorders are sometimes painful and exhausting, but
there are many options for treatment and healing. The typical
Western response to anxiety combines medication with
psychotherapy. Patients may elect to go to a psychologist, who
guides them through the therapeutic process, or a psychiatrist
who prescribes medication. Medication is a very effective method
of treating anxiety disorders. The best selling medications are
tranquilizers in the benzodiazepines family -- which go by the
more recognizable names such as Xanax, Valium and Ativan. These
drugs are very effective in limiting anxiety or quelling panic,
especially for a short-term duration. However, for patients who
require medication to overcome acute anxiety, antidepressants
have produced better results, especially the selective serotonin
re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI's), such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and
Celexa.

Alternative health care providers view anxiety disorders from an
entirely different perspective. Patients who seek alternative
treatment (usually non-pharmaceutical) should be prepared to
approach the healing process with patience and introspection.
Another therapeutic option is Cognitive Therapy (CBT) which
focuses on creating an understanding of the thought process that
produces worry. It helps anxiety suffers focus on realistic
thoughts rather than unrealistic worries. Other alternative
therapies for anxiety include relaxation training,
desensitization, breathing exercises, meditation, acupuncture,
homeopathy and biofeedback. In addition, some people find
bodywork such as yoga, massage, chiropractic adjustments or even
a brisk walk to provide long-term relief.

About the author:
Nansia Ressi is the manager of Pharmacy Lane - a guide to
pharmaceutical resources on the internet. To read more of
Nansia's work, please visit: http://www.pharmacylane.com

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