Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

Anxiety Disorder Symptoms can be the bane of people’s existence, causing sleepless nights and panic attacks that are hugely detrimental to quality of life. While the anxiety attacks symptoms problem or disorder can be managed with medication, most users find this in itself presents problems – namely lethargy, which can be difficult if one needs to work or drive a car. Instead, it is most effective for a sufferer of high anxiety to find other ways to cope with their condition.

Anxiety can be defined as a state of fear which is without justifiable reason. While many people feel anxious upon hearing bad or worrying news, this is a normal level of anxiety caused by a shock reaction of adrenaline in the body – and is usually harmless. Anxiety becomes a problem, known as a disorder, when these moments of high anxiety happen frequently or without just cause.

‘Just cause’ is difficult to define, as usually there will be some basis of fear which is creating the anxiety attack. However, in cases such as those suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, this fear is not in scale with the problem actually presented to the individual – in a sense, an anxiety attack is an overreaction. On the other side, many people experience anxiety for no definable reason (inflated or not) whatsoever.

The most important thing to remember is that anxiety is not a sustainable state. Severe anxiety disorders uses up much of the bodies resources, and within half an hour, even the most severe anxiety disorder symptoms will begin to subside. Sometimes, with anxiety, all you can do is learn to ride it out.

Mental Health Issues: Telling Your Family

Due to the many stigmas attached to mental health issues, it can sometimes be hugely difficult for a sufferer to confide in individuals about their condition. They may feel that their confession will be laughed off as being all in the mind, or that it will change the way people look at them. In many cases the fear will be disproportionate to reality – but then, this is how mental health issues affect people.

There is a traditional opinion that mental health issues are somehow less serious than physical conditions. Because a physical condition is usually something that can be seen, there is a tendency to rate them as being more serious than mental health issues. But depression, OCD, SAD and others have affected people so badly that they kill themselves – so it is only right that they are treated seriously too.

In most cases, the anxiety over telling a family member of a mental health condition will be misplaced. They will be concerned for the sufferer and want them to get better. As yet, widespread understanding of mental health issues is not uniformly great, and it may take more explanation than a physical condition. However, in the end the family member will want their brother, son, wife or other family member to feel better, and will learn what they can to help them.

Aside from this, a family has a right to know that their relative is ill. They would be horrified if the secret went to the grave and they had not had a chance to help with their mental health issues. It may be difficult to face up to, but telling family is important.

Herbs For Anxiety

Herbs for anxiety? Do they work? In the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the world went mad for Prozac. Everyone, seemingly, was on the most famous anti-depressant of them all… until a few, select clinical studies showed it could actually worsen anxiety disorder symptoms. Even though expert doctors tried to stress that Prozac was completely safe in all but a few cases (as with any drug), the damage was done – drugs for treatment of anxiety are still distrusted by many to this day.

This leads many people suffering from depression or anxiety problems to turn their backs on conventional medicines, and seek out a herbs for anxiety solutions. There are some famous remedies touted, the most famous of which being St. John’s Wort as an aid for both depression and anxiety problems. Anxiety specifically has the famous Rescue Remedies, based on herbal ingredients, which claim to calm and soothe the user when ingested.

So do they work? Well, yes and no. For a start, with any medicine, herbal or otherwise, there is a placebo element that must be considered. If someone with an anxiety problem is told that Rescue Remedy will absolutely, undoubtedly help them, they may believe it will help so much that it actually does. While the medicine itself has not helped, the effect is the same – mind over medical matter, almost.

Bearing this in mind, it is important to say there is no firm, clinical evidence that St. John’s Wart or anything other herbal remedy can help with an anxiety problem. There is certainly no physiological evidence. It would appear your money is best spent on therapies and psychiatric understanding, though there is no reason not to give a herbal remedy a try once in awhile.