Anxiety may have been a part of your life for as long as you can remember. People with long term anxiety usually identify with this, "If I didn't have anything to worry about, I'd worry about not having anything to worry about." However, anxiety might have popped up unexpectedly after a personal life event such as graduating, changing jobs, getting married, or starting a family. Maybe a larger or more 'global' event has got you in knots like the attacks on 9/11, the theater shooting in Aurora, CO., or even the attack in Paris. The weird thing about anxiety is that you don't even need to be in the place where something happened to be anxious! Small amounts of anxiety after any of the mentioned events is to be expected and even healthy.
So when is anxiety a problem?
First, when you or someone who knows you well notices that it is lingering or harder for you to ignore. For example: You can't stop taking about the thing that makes you anxious or worried and talking doesn't help the feeling go away.
Second, when it is preventing you from doing something you used to enjoy. An example here would be if you no longer go to movie theaters or want to travel on an air plane.
Second, when it is preventing you from doing something you used to enjoy. An example here would be if you no longer go to movie theaters or want to travel on an air plane.
The many faces of Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety attacks are often triggered by stuff that stresses you out and can range from fear of riding a roller coaster to not having enough money to pay bills. Generally, once the stressor is removed, the anxiety attack often stops.. Generalized anxiety typically does not manifest with the suddenness or severity of a panic attack; instead, it tends to increase slowly over time.
While generalized anxiety disorder symptoms do overlap panic attack symptoms a bit, anxiety symptoms tend to be less scary (I'll explain in a minute). Anxiety symptoms typically include: muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, irritability, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder falls between panic attacks and generalized anxiety disorder. While social anxiety disorder tends to come on suddenly and often dramatically, as do panic attacks, it has identifiable triggers similar to generalized anxiety disorder. These triggers include: needing to interact with unfamiliar people, giving a presentation, confronting other people, or be singled out.
Panic Attacks
A panic attack often has a physical component to it that does not come with an episode of generalized or social anxiety. In fact, when someone suffers a panic attack it they might think they are having a heart attack because the physical symptoms: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, heart racing, and darkness in vision or dizziness might be so strong. Panic attack symptoms often appear with no obvious trigger and come on with great intensity. Other panic attack symptoms can include: trembling, chest pain, a sudden fear of dying, the feeling of choking or nausea.
It is not unusual for people experiencing their first panic attack to not attribute it to any sort of anxiety at all, believing their symptoms indicate an actual physical emergency. Panic attacks, however, can lead to anxiety about when the next attack could arrive.
Anxiety attacks are often triggered by stuff that stresses you out and can range from fear of riding a roller coaster to not having enough money to pay bills. Generally, once the stressor is removed, the anxiety attack often stops.. Generalized anxiety typically does not manifest with the suddenness or severity of a panic attack; instead, it tends to increase slowly over time.
While generalized anxiety disorder symptoms do overlap panic attack symptoms a bit, anxiety symptoms tend to be less scary (I'll explain in a minute). Anxiety symptoms typically include: muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, irritability, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder falls between panic attacks and generalized anxiety disorder. While social anxiety disorder tends to come on suddenly and often dramatically, as do panic attacks, it has identifiable triggers similar to generalized anxiety disorder. These triggers include: needing to interact with unfamiliar people, giving a presentation, confronting other people, or be singled out.
Panic Attacks
A panic attack often has a physical component to it that does not come with an episode of generalized or social anxiety. In fact, when someone suffers a panic attack it they might think they are having a heart attack because the physical symptoms: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, heart racing, and darkness in vision or dizziness might be so strong. Panic attack symptoms often appear with no obvious trigger and come on with great intensity. Other panic attack symptoms can include: trembling, chest pain, a sudden fear of dying, the feeling of choking or nausea.
It is not unusual for people experiencing their first panic attack to not attribute it to any sort of anxiety at all, believing their symptoms indicate an actual physical emergency. Panic attacks, however, can lead to anxiety about when the next attack could arrive.
Disclaimer
The information on this site is intended for educational purposes only, not for diagnosis and treatment. It is not intended as a substitute for consultation with a qualified mental health professional that is familiar with your situation. There is also no guarantee being made as a result of information provided or the counseling services offered.