Anxiety – Causes & Solutions

Types of anxiety
A person can experience anxious feelings in response to a specific event, like a car accident or they may have unexplained, constant  worry, feelings of doom, anticipation of a stressful event with reccurring negative feelings or feeling as if they’re nerves are frazzled. They may feel this way all the time or only occasionally.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry and/or  fear. It can be a mild, but chronic nagging. Imaginings of disasters, trouble, glitches that could, would, should, or might happen  fill your thoughts and keep you from feeling comfortable and relaxed in your body and in your life.

Physical signs of anxiety
Anxiety is usually accompanied by muscle tension, sleeplessness, lack of appetite or chronic eating. People try to squash these feelings by keeping busy, focusing on the needs of others, drinking or smoking. Anxious people sometimes crave carbohydrates such as breads, pasta and potatoes. Little do they know that these foods often fuel more anxiety. Many people try to calm their anxiety by drinking alcohol or using drugs. We call that self-medicating. They risk  developing an addiction, overdosing on meds or developing a more serious health problem, like diabetes.

Anxiety is often felt in the stomach
Anxiety sufferers may have a “nervous stomach” (Irritable bowel, ulcers, spastic colon or colitis) which may both result from and contribute to problems with digestive flora.

Panic attacks are the sudden feeling of rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, faintness and feelings of having a heart attack. Panic attacks usually increase anxiety due to fear of having more panic attacks. Panic attacks are disabling and may accompany agoraphobia (fear of going out or social phobia). They may cause someone to avoid going out or being around people for years. Some people may find that they  may have panic attacks or phobias that come and go with certain foods, medications or exposure to certain chemicals or certain settings.

What causes this anxiety? There are a number of theories but the underlying mechanism is a nervous system that is getting a message that there is an emergency around you. That nervous system is sending alarm messages to the body which prepares for fight or flight. Fear and anxiety go hand in hand. Sleeplessness and anxiety are regular companions.

Anxiety solutions….