If you are in an anxious state. Anxiety: symptoms, causes, treatment. Why does anxiety occur?

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How to get rid of anxiety? This is a very exciting and very popular question among people of different generations. A particularly common request is that people have a feeling of anxiety for no reason and they don’t know how to get rid of it. Fear that cannot be explained, tension, anxiety, causeless worry - many people experience it from time to time. Unreasonable anxiety can be interpreted as a consequence of chronic fatigue, constant stress, recent or progressive diseases.

A person is often confused because he has been overtaken for no reason; he does not understand how to get rid of the feeling of anxiety, but prolonged experience can lead to serious personality disorders.

Feelings of anxiety are not always a pathological mental state. A person may experience anxiety quite often in his life. The state of pathological causelessness occurs independently of external stimuli and is not caused by real problems, but appears on its own.

A feeling of anxiety can overwhelm a person when he gives complete freedom to his emotions, which in most cases paints extremely scary pictures. In an anxious state, a person feels his own helplessness, emotional and physical exhaustion, due to which his health may deteriorate and he will get sick.

How to get rid of the feeling of anxiety and worry inside

Most people know an unpleasant feeling, the symptoms of which are: heavy sweating, intrusive thoughts, a sense of abstract danger that seems to stalk and lurk around every corner. Approximately 97% of adults experience periodic bouts of anxiety and inner restlessness. Sometimes a feeling of real anxiety provides some benefit, forcing a person to act in a certain way, mobilize his strength and predict possible events.

The state of anxiety is characterized by difficult-to-define sensations that have a negative connotation, accompanied by the expectation of trouble, a feeling of uncertainty and insecurity. The feeling of anxiety is quite exhausting, taking away strength and energy, devouring optimism and joy, preventing you from having a positive attitude towards life and enjoying it.

How to get rid of the feeling of anxiety and worry inside? Psychology will help you figure it out using certain methods.

Method of speaking affirmations. An affirmation is a short optimistic statement that does not contain a single word with a “not” in it. Affirmations, on the one hand, direct a person’s thinking in a positive direction, and on the other hand, they calm well. Each affirmation must be repeated for 21 days, after this time the affirmation will be able to gain a foothold, as good habit. The method of affirmations is a means of getting rid of feelings of anxiety and restlessness within; it helps even more if a person clearly understands the cause of his anxiety and, starting from it, can create an affirmation.

According to the observations of psychologists, even when a person does not believe in the power of statements, then after regular repetition, his brain begins to perceive incoming information and adapt to it, thus forcing him to act in a certain way.

The person himself does not understand how it happened that the spoken statement is transformed into life principle and changes your attitude towards the situation. Thanks to this technique, you can redirect your attention and wait for the feeling of anxiety to decrease. The affirmation technique will be more effective in overcoming feelings of anxiety and worry if it is combined with breathing techniques.

You can focus your attention on something positive, such as reading educational literature or watching motivational videos. You can daydream or occupy your thoughts with an interesting activity, mentally create a barrier to the penetration of disturbing thoughts into your head.

The next method to decide how to get rid of constant feeling anxiety is quality rest. Many people are concerned about their financial condition, but do not think at all that they need to rest and relax from time to time. The lack of quality rest leads to a person’s physical and mental health deteriorating. Due to the daily hustle and bustle, tension and stress accumulate, which lead to an inexplicable feeling of anxiety.

You just need to set aside one day a week for relaxation, visit the sauna, go out into nature, meet friends, go to the theater and so on. If you can’t go somewhere outside the city, then you can play your favorite sport, take a walk before bed, get a good night’s sleep, and eat right. Such actions will improve your well-being.

How to get rid of anxiety? Psychology in this regard believes that first you need to establish the source of anxiety. Often, feelings of restlessness and anxiety arise because a person is simultaneously bombarded with many small things that need to be done on time. If you consider all these things separately and plan your daily list of activities, then everything will appear much simpler than it seems. Many problems from a different perspective will seem even insignificant. Therefore, using this method will make a person calmer and more balanced.

Without unnecessary delay, you need to get rid of small but unpleasant problems. The main thing is not to let them accumulate. It is necessary to develop the habit of timely resolution of urgent matters, for example, such household things as rent, a visit to the doctor, rent thesis And so on.

In order to understand how to get rid of the constant feeling of anxiety and worry inside, you need to want to change something in your life. If there is a problem that for a long time seems unsolvable, you can try to look at it from a different point of view. There are sources of anxiety and feelings of anxiety that cannot leave a person alone for some time. For example, it is impossible to simultaneously solve financial problems, buy a car, pull a friend out of trouble, settle family problems. But if you look at things a little differently, then you will be more able to cope with stress.

We need to do everything possible to improve the situation. Sometimes even talking to other people can help reduce anxiety and clarify the situation. For example, a financial consultant will help you cope with financial problems, a psychologist will help you with family matters.

Between thinking about the main problems, you need to set aside time for distracting activities (walking, playing sports, watching a movie). The main thing is not to forget that the problems that need to be solved remain in the first place, and you should keep your distractions under control so that they do not provoke difficulties with time pressure.

Another method for determining how to get rid of constant feelings of anxiety and worry is mental training. Many have proven that meditation helps calm the mind and overcome feelings of anxiety. Regular practice improves mental health. For those who are just starting to practice, it is advisable to enroll in courses in order to correctly master the technique.

During meditation, you can think about an exciting problem. To do this, you need to focus on it, spend about five or ten minutes thinking about it, but not think about it again during the day.

People who share their anxious thoughts and feelings with others feel much better than those who keep everything to themselves. Sometimes the people with whom you are discussing a problem can offer ideas on how to deal with it. Of course, first of all, the problem should be discussed with the closest people, with a loved one, parents, and other relatives. And not if these people are the source of that very anxiety and concern.

If there are no people around you whom you can trust, then you can use the services of a psychologist. A psychologist is the most unbiased listener who will also help you sort out the problem.

To get rid of the feeling of anxiety and restlessness inside, you need to generally change your lifestyle, in particular your diet. There are a number of foods that can cause anxiety and anxiety. The first of these is sugar. A sharp rise in blood sugar causes anxiety.

It is advisable to reduce your coffee consumption to one cup per day or stop drinking altogether. Caffeine is a very strong stimulant for the nervous system, so drinking coffee in the morning sometimes does not cause wakefulness as much as a feeling of anxiety.

To reduce anxiety, you need to limit your alcohol consumption or stop drinking it altogether. Many people mistakenly assume that alcohol helps relieve anxiety. However, alcohol after short-term relaxation causes a feeling of anxiety, and problems with the digestive and cardiovascular systems can be added to this.

Your diet should include foods that contain elements that induce a good mood: blueberries, acai berries, bananas, nuts, dark chocolate and other foods high in antioxidants, potassium and magnesium. It is important that your diet contains plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.

Exercise can help reduce feelings of anxiety. People who regularly exercise are much less likely to experience feelings of anxiety and restlessness. Exercise stress improves blood circulation, increasing the level of endorphins (hormones that bring joy).

Each person can choose a suitable workout for themselves. Cardio exercise can include cycling, running, brisk walking or swimming. You need to maintain muscle tone by doing exercises with dumbbells. Strengthening exercises include yoga, fitness and Pilates.

Changing your room or work environment can also help reduce anxiety and restlessness. Very often, anxiety develops under the influence of the environment, precisely the place in which a person spends the most time. The room should create a mood. To do this, you need to get rid of the clutter, arrange books, throw out trash, put all things in their place and try to maintain order all the time.

To refresh the room, you can make small repairs: hang wallpaper, rearrange furniture, buy new bed sheets.

You can get rid of feelings of anxiety and restlessness through travel, opening yourself up to new experiences and expanding your mind. We’re not even talking about large-scale travel here, you can just go outside the city on the weekend, or even go to the other end of the city. New experiences, smells and sounds stimulate brain processes and change your mood for the better.

In order to get rid of the haunting feeling of anxiety, you can try using sedative medications. It is best if these products are of natural origin. The following have calming properties: chamomile flowers, valerian, kava-kava root. If these remedies do not help cope with feelings of restlessness and anxiety, then you need to consult a doctor about more strong drugs.

How to get rid of anxiety and fear

If a person regularly feels a feeling of anxiety and fear, if these feelings, due to too strong a duration, become a habitual state and prevent the person from being a full-fledged individual, then in this case it is important not to delay, but to consult a specialist.

Symptoms for which you should consult a doctor: seizure, feeling of fear, rapid breathing, dizziness, pressure surges. The doctor may prescribe a course drug treatment. But the effect will be faster if, along with medications, a person undergoes a course of psychotherapy. Treatment with medications alone is not appropriate because, unlike clients on two treatments, they are more likely to relapse.

The following methods tell you how to get rid of constant feelings of anxiety and fear.

To get rid of feelings of anxiety and fear, you need to make a lot of effort. As you know, fear and anxiety arise at a certain time and the reason for this is some very impressive event. Since a person was not born with fear, but it appeared later, it means that one can get rid of it.

The most the right way There will be a visit to a psychologist. It will help you find the root of feelings of anxiety and fear, and help you figure out what triggered these feelings. A specialist will help a person understand and “process” his experiences and develop an effective strategy of behavior.

If visiting a psychologist is problematic, then you can use other methods.

It is very important to learn to correctly assess the reality of an event. To do this, you need to stop for a second, collect your thoughts, and ask yourself questions: “How much does this situation really threaten my health and life now?”, “Could there be something worse in life than this?”, “Are there people in the world?” who could survive this? and the like. It has been proven that by answering such questions to himself, a person who initially considered the situation catastrophic becomes self-confident and comes to understand that everything is not as scary as he thought.

Anxiety or fear must be dealt with immediately, not allowed to develop, and not allow unnecessary, obsessive thoughts into your head that will “swallow” your consciousness until a person goes crazy. To prevent this, you can use breathing technique: Take deep breaths through your nose and long exhalations through your mouth. The brain is saturated with oxygen, the blood vessels dilate and consciousness returns.

Techniques in which a person opens up to his fear and goes towards it are very effective. A person who is determined to get rid of fear and anxiety goes towards it, even despite strong feelings of anxiety and anxiety. At the moment of the most intense experience, a person overcomes himself and relaxes; this fear will not disturb him again. This method effective, but it is best to use it under the supervision of a psychologist who will accompany the individual, since, depending on the type of nervous system, each person reacts individually to shocking events. The main thing is to prevent the opposite effect. A person who does not have enough internal psychological resources may become even more influenced by fear and begin to experience unimaginable anxiety.

Exercise helps reduce feelings of anxiety. With the help of a drawing, you can free yourself from fear by depicting it on a piece of paper, and then tear it into pieces or burn it. Thus, fear spills out, the feeling of anxiety goes away and the person feels free.

Speaker of the Medical and Psychological Center "PsychoMed"

Anxiety due to real factors or certain life situations- a phenomenon quite normal and familiar to every person. However, if a feeling of anxiety appears for no reason, this is a signal from the body about possible disturbances in its functioning, sometimes very serious.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Feelings of anxiety, fear, and sometimes panic are often caused by the anticipation of an unpleasant or important event or its consequences. It has been noted that the longer the period of uncertainty lasts, the more acute the stress symptoms.

However, there are situations when there are no apparent reasons for worry, but anxiety is regularly present in a person, preventing him from doing everyday activities and enjoying life.

In the early stages, symptoms are observed:

deterioration of psycho-emotional state;
loss of interest in everyday activities, work, hobbies;
headache;
sleep disorder;
loss of appetite;
heart rhythm disturbances.

Over time, emotional overstrain leads the muscles to a constant tone, which is manifested by tremors of the limbs, bouts of trembling, nervous facial tics, twitching individual parts body, difficulty breathing.

Doctors call this condition neurosis - a diagnosis that requires compulsory treatment, not always medicinal. In many cases, it is enough to help the patient decide psychological problem which worries him. As a result, mental balance will stabilize, and life will regain its former colors.

If no action is taken, stress increases, which affects physiological health and causes the development of pathologies and dysfunctions of the cardiovascular, digestive, and endocrine systems.

In such situations, do without taking medicines will not succeed, and therapy will consist of treating the diseases that have arisen and stabilizing the functioning of the nervous system.

Why does anxiety arise for no reason?

Constant anxiety, not associated with a specific irritating factor and arising on its own, has a complex development mechanism. First, thoughts arise about the negative outcome of some situation, then the imagination begins to give dark colors to the possible future, and the person “winds up” himself.

Increased suspiciousness leads to the fact that the patient is unable to find a positive way to solve the problem, and a persistent premonition that “everything will be bad” provokes physical and moral exhaustion.

Experts identify several types of mental illnesses and conditions that manifest themselves as unreasonable fears and worries. Each of them has characteristic features.

Panic attacks

The condition is typical for young people; it most often affects the fairer sex. A sudden attack of fear occurs under the influence of certain factors when the activity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems is disrupted.

For example, an attack is caused by places with large crowds of people - the subway, large shopping centers, concert halls and others. It is also provoked by limited space, concerns about one’s own health, long trips and other factors. Fixed reflexively, when a person is already subconsciously expecting and afraid of an attack, it can arise seemingly for no apparent reason.

Explain the inner jitters psychological stress it is difficult for the sufferer because he believes that the attack is a consequence terrible disease, from which he can die. In fact, nothing threatens the life or health of a person at this moment.

But convincing a patient of this is often difficult and is within the power of a competent psychotherapist. Despite doctors’ beliefs that health is normal, such a person usually believes that the diagnosis has not been sufficiently carried out and is looking for new ways to search for diseases and treatment.

An attack can occur as a result of a prolonged stressful state or after a sudden sudden collision with a strong irritant.

Panic attacks occur due to:

genetic predisposition;
hormonal imbalance;
mental characteristics of the patient;
temperament.

Among the main symptoms of an attack are:

increased heart rate and rhythm;
physical sensation of anxiety - pressure and feeling of fullness in chest, pain syndrome;
arterial hypertension;
feeling of lack of air, inability to breathe deeply;
fear of death;
dyspeptic disorders;
hot flashes and/or cold flashes;
disorders of the sensory organs;
impaired coordination of movements;
disorientation in space;
involuntary release of urine;
dizziness and loss of consciousness.

In psychology and psychotherapy, it is customary to distinguish 3 types of panic attacks, depending on the circumstances that cause them:

spontaneous attack not due to specific reasons;
situational, arising against the background of prolonged psychological stress;
conditional situational attack, the cause of which is drunk alcohol, hormonal disorders, impact narcotic substances and other biological or chemical irritants.

Depression

This condition is experienced not only by adults, but also by teenagers and young children.

Depression is preceded by psycho-emotional trauma, stress factors and severe nervous shock. Sometimes such excessive long-term anxiety occurs against the background of a violation metabolic processes body, hormonal imbalances.

From characteristic features highlight:

apathy - lack of desire to perform familiar, favorite things and responsibilities;
hypochondria, tearfulness, irritability;
lack of strength;
deterioration of self-esteem;
indifference to loved ones and relatives;
decreased concentration and mental performance;
lack of desire to communicate.

Anxiety neurosis

Psychologists have classified this condition as a disease, since the provoking factor is considered to be depressive disorders (severe or prolonged). The cause is dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, and the main manifestation is anxiety, which is accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms:

strong anxiety, constant anxiety, a person notes that his soul is heavy;
an unreasonable feeling of fear;
insomnia;
painfully depressed state;
suspiciousness;
acute headaches;
increased and rapid heartbeat;
dizziness;
nausea;
digestive tract disorder.

Anxiety neurosis rarely occurs on its own; in 90% of cases it is a consequence of mental illness. If there is no treatment, pathologies turn into chronic form, which is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation. The manifestations become permanent, and with a relapse, tearfulness, irritability, and panic attacks are added.

Hungover

After drinking alcohol, you become ill as a result of damage to internal organs by toxins.
A hangover, which the nervous system also tries to cope with, appears in the morning and announces itself with symptoms:

dizziness, headache;
mood swings, blood pressure;
abdominal discomfort;
dyspeptic disorders;
visual and auditory phenomena that arise in consciousness;
heart rhythm disturbances;
tides;
causeless concern and fear;
despair;
memory impairment.

Generalized anxiety disorder

This is a mental disorder manifested by constant anxiety without the presence of an irritating factor.

Symptoms of the disease include:

shiver;
nervousness;
muscle tension;
increased sweating;
heartbeat disturbances;
chest discomfort;
dizziness.

Of the phobias inherent in patients with this diagnosis, the leaders are considered to be fears of death, illness and accident. Women suffer from it more often, and the disease itself tends to become chronic.

How to deal with fear and anxiety

If a bad feeling causing physical and psychological symptoms is disturbing long time or often manifests itself in acute attacks, it is recommended to consult a specialist.

A neurologist or psychotherapist will conduct an initial examination, collect an anamnesis, and, if necessary, refer you for consultation to specialized specialists - a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist. After receiving the results of the examinations, the cause of the sudden and inexplicable irritation and panic is determined, and complex therapy is prescribed.

Medicines

Doctors consider it inappropriate to treat neurotic syndromes only with medications. This therapy eliminates the consequences of attacks, calms the nervous system, but does not get rid of their cause - past psychological trauma, prolonged stress and other provoking factors.

Therefore, it is easier and faster to overcome the current situation with the participation of psychotherapists - this way the effectiveness of treatment will increase and the risk of relapse will be reduced to zero.

Mild disorders can be removed with the help of antidepressants and tranquilizers. It must be remembered that it is forbidden to prescribe medications on your own; this should be done by a doctor. Many of the sedatives with pronounced effects are sold by prescription.

It is important to monitor the effect of the drugs and adjust therapy depending on the results. The average course duration is from 6 to 12 months. If pill therapy does not give the desired effect and the patient’s condition worsens, inpatient treatment is indicated, where injections of antipsychotics, antidepressants, and insulin will help relieve attacks.

To suppress excessive anxiety that arises from time to time, it is advisable to take sedatives, which can be purchased freely at any pharmacy.

These include:

Valerian;
Novo-passit (tablets and liquid extract);
Persen;
Grandaxin;
Sedaphyton.

All medications have specific administration requirements, contraindications, and can cause side effects, so before you start taking them, you should carefully study the instructions for use and follow your doctor’s recommendations for taking them.

Psychotherapy methods

It is difficult to overcome neurotic disorders without the help of a psychologist, so undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy is a recommended stage of treatment. The sessions are aimed at extracting from the subconscious the factors that caused panic and stress and transforming them.

The specialist’s task is to ensure that the patient accepts the fact that has happened. the real reason fear, look at the situation from a positive point of view, remove negative perceptions. Getting rid of obsessive thoughts can be achieved in 5-20 sessions; in difficult situations, therapy can last for several months.

Cognitive technology involves working with both the patient’s thinking and his behavior. The first hours of communication with a doctor are difficult for the patient, as they have to “pull out” strong fears and relive them again.

However, under the supervision of a specialist, the process proceeds more easily and after 2-3 sessions a significant improvement occurs. Special exercises: tests, immersion in a similar situation, enable the patient to gain control over fear, anxiety and anxiety decrease, the person feels calmer and more confident.

There are several techniques that can overcome causeless anxiety and panic:

hypnotic influence;
consistent reduction of the patient's sensitivity to his fears (desensitization);
behavioral therapy;
physical rehabilitation.

The doctor will decide which method of combating neurological disorders to choose in each specific case.

Unconventional methods of treatment

If your soul often becomes anxious, in crowded places everything suddenly freezes inside from fear, and at night you suddenly wake up in panic - this is neurosis, and ignoring the problem is fraught with unpleasant consequences for the health of the soul and body. Proven folk recipes and oriental practices can help you calm yourself down and help you feel less nervous.

Folk remedies

Recipe 1

Return peaceful dreams, will help get rid of panic attacks and internal tremors natural honey. In the morning, dissolve 2 tablespoons of the product in half a liter of warm boiled water and drink the drink during the day in 3-4 doses. The result is noticeable by the end of the first week of treatment.

Recipe 2

Subconscious unreasonable fears will be eliminated by oregano. To prepare the infusion, pour 2 tablespoons of the herb into 0.5 liters of boiling water, cover with a lid and let stand for 60 minutes. Then filter and drink 100 milliliters three times a day before meals. The drink has a strict contraindication - the period of waiting for a child.

Recipe 3

Recovery peace of mind, valerian can relieve nervous overexcitation, headaches and insomnia. Classic decoction recipe: 2 tablespoons of the rhizome of the plant are poured into 500 milliliters cold water, bring to a boil over low heat and leave for half an hour. Strain and take half a glass in the morning, afternoon and evening 30 minutes before meals.

Recipe 4

The best plant for sleep disorders, high pressure and emotional instability, geranium is recognized by folk healers. Place the flower on the windowsill and try to inhale its aroma more often. After just 5-7 days, the functioning of internal organs will stabilize, falling asleep and mental performance will improve.

Recipe 5

In conditions where your soul is restless, you are shaking with fear, your heart is jumping out of your chest, an infusion of mint or lemon balm leaves will help. A handful of dried product is poured with 2 cups of boiling water, covered with a lid and cooled at room temperature. Drink 100 milliliters twice a day. The effect is noticeable on the second day of administration and consists in normalizing heart function and mental state.

Meditation

Meditation will help you find inner harmony and relax your body.

During the procedure, a positive effect occurs:

heartbeat normalizes;
blood pressure stabilizes;
stimulates the synthesis of the pleasure hormone - endorphin;
a healthy psycho-emotional state is restored;
back pain goes away;
the quality of sleep improves and so on.

Many believe that meditation is an integral part of yoga, and this eastern practice involves performing certain asanas, most of which are beyond the power of a beginner.

The opinion is partly true: physical activity is desirable, but not required, so you can immediately begin the procedure of bodily and mental relaxation. Thus, the primary task in case of neurosis is to try to turn off consciousness from external factors, put him into a pleasant half-asleep.

The best way: turn on slow music (shavasana is best), lie down comfortably and close your eyes. Next, gradually relax the muscles and parts of the body - feet and hands, legs and arms, back, pelvis, neck and face muscles.

For 10 minutes, try not to think about anything, abandon worries and problems - listen to the melody and feel complete relaxation. After some time, gradually, starting with your fingers, awaken your body: with movements, deep stretches.

The first meditation sessions are constrained - not everyone manages to relax the first time and let go of their consciousness. But after 2-3 sessions the procedure brings pleasure, calmness and a surge of vital energy.

Affirmations

Autotraining methods are popular in the fight against neuroses, as they make you feel strength, confidence, and the ability to overcome fears, problems, and life’s troubles.

To combat neuroses, fixed phrases are used, which are easy to download on the Internet and listen to several times daily. Soon, slogans and statements will take hold in the subconscious, giving a positive attitude and driving away negative thoughts.

Examples of affirmations:

The owner of my fear is only me.
I am brave and getting braver every day.
I let go of my own fears and manage them.
I am safe and protected.
I can't be broken.
I choose fearlessness and let go of anxiety and panic.

Affirmations are read or listened to thoughtfully, agreeing with each statement and trying it on yourself. This approach will help you cope with depression and mental disorders and avoid relapse.

How to quickly relieve an attack of fear

If a person begins to have a panic attack, you can seek medical help or cope on your own.

It is important to understand that the condition does not cause harm to health and is a temporary, albeit pronounced, discomfort that must be experienced and endured.

If a medical diagnosis has been carried out and a person has no significant organic abnormalities (and minor dysfunctions are detected in everyone), he must accept that the attack is a temporary manifestation of his fear, which will soon pass.

To switch attention, some patients put an elastic band on their wrist and, during an attack, pull it back and release it. A little pain relieves the main symptoms.

If there is severe difficulty breathing, a paper bag helps. A person breathes into it, trying to normalize the rhythm. This method relieves hyperventilation.

Medicines selected by a doctor quickly relieve symptoms, but it is important for a person to learn to cope with fear himself. Once you realize it and overcome it, the attacks will go away on their own.

Prevention

It is within everyone’s power to avoid disturbances in mental and psycho-emotional balance, and it is advisable to take action at the first persistent signs of neurological disorders.

News healthy image life. Giving up bad habits will normalize and support the functioning of the cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, and digestive systems;
Full sleep. Lack of sleep, bad dreams, shifting day and night - this destabilizes mental health, provoking nervous disorders.
Eat properly and nutritiously. Diets and strict restrictions are stressful for the body, so food should bring pleasure and satiation. Develop useful menu A nutritionist will help.
Find something you love. Hobbies include playing sports, cross-stitching, picking berries and mushrooms, cooking exotic dishes, and so on.
Learn to overcome stress. Self-training sessions, breathing exercises, meditation and others help with this.

The results of the fight against neurosis depend on the patient who recognizes the presence of a problem and makes efforts to eliminate it, without neglecting the help of doctors.

Anxiety is one of the individual psychological characteristics personality, manifested by a person’s increased tendency to worry, worry, and fear, which often does not have sufficient grounds. This state can also be characterized as an experience of discomfort, a premonition of some kind of threat. Anxiety disorder is usually classified as a group of neurotic disorders, that is, psychogenically caused pathological conditions characterized by a varied clinical picture and the absence of personality disorders.

Anxiety can occur in people of any age, including young children, however, according to statistics, most often young women aged twenty to thirty suffer from anxiety disorder. And although from time to time, in certain situations, everyone can experience anxiety, we will talk about an anxiety disorder when this feeling becomes too strong and uncontrollable, which deprives a person of the ability to lead. normal life and carry out normal activities.

There are a number of disorders that include anxiety as symptoms. This is phobic, post-traumatic stress or panic disorder. Normal anxiety is usually referred to as generalized anxiety disorder. Excessively acute feelings of anxiety cause a person to worry almost constantly, as well as experience various psychological and physical symptoms.

Reasons for development

The exact reasons that contribute to the development of increased anxiety are unknown to science. Some people experience anxiety without visible reasons, for others it becomes a consequence of experienced psychological trauma. It is believed that a genetic factor may also play a role here. Thus, in the presence of certain genes in the brain, a certain chemical imbalance occurs, which causes a state of mental tension and anxiety.

If we take into account psychological theory about the causes of anxiety disorder, then feelings of anxiety, as well as phobias, may initially arise as a conditioned reflex reaction to any irritating stimuli. Subsequently, a similar reaction begins to occur in the absence of such a stimulus. Biological theory suggests that anxiety is a consequence of certain biological abnormalities, for example, when elevated level production of neurotransmitters - conductors of nerve impulses in the brain.

Increased anxiety can also be a consequence of insufficient physical activity and poor nutrition. It is known that to maintain physical and mental health the correct regimen, vitamins and microelements, as well as regular physical activity are required. Their absence negatively affects the entire human body and can cause an anxiety disorder.

For some people, anxiety may be associated with a new, unfamiliar environment that seems dangerous, their own life experiences in which unpleasant events and psychological trauma took place, as well as character traits.

In addition, a mental state such as anxiety can accompany many somatic diseases. First of all, this includes any endocrine disorders, including hormonal disbalance in women during menopause. A sudden feeling of anxiety is sometimes a warning sign of a heart attack and may also indicate a drop in blood sugar levels. Mental illness are also very often accompanied by anxiety. In particular, anxiety is one of the symptoms of schizophrenia, various neuroses, alcoholism, etc.

Kinds

Among existing types anxiety disorder most often in medical practice adaptive and generalized anxiety disorder occurs. In the first case, a person experiences uncontrollable anxiety in combination with other negative emotions when adapting to any stressful situation. In generalized anxiety disorder, the feeling of anxiety persists permanently and can be directed to a variety of objects.

There are several types of anxiety, the most studied and most common of them are:

For some people, anxiety is a character trait when a state of mental tension is always present, regardless of specific circumstances. In other cases, anxiety becomes a kind of means of avoidance. conflict situations. At the same time, emotional stress gradually accumulates and can lead to the emergence of phobias.

For other people, anxiety becomes the other side of control. As a rule, a state of anxiety is typical for people who strive for perfection, have increased emotional excitability, intolerance to mistakes, and worry about their own health.

In addition to the various types of anxiety, we can distinguish its main forms: open and closed. A person experiences open anxiety consciously, and this state can be acute and unregulated or compensated and controlled. Anxiety that is conscious and significant for a specific individual is called “instilled” or “cultivated.” In this case, anxiety acts as a kind of regulator of human activity.

Hidden anxiety disorder is much less common than open anxiety disorder. Such anxiety is unconscious to varying degrees and can manifest itself in a person’s behavior, excessive external calm, etc. In psychology, this state is sometimes called “inadequate calm.”

Clinical picture

Anxiety, like any other mental state, can be expressed at various levels of human organization. So, at the physiological level, anxiety can cause the following symptoms:

At the emotional-cognitive level, anxiety manifests itself in constant mental tension, feelings of helplessness and insecurity, fear and anxiety, decreased concentration, irritability and intolerance, inability to concentrate on specific task. These manifestations often cause people to avoid social interactions, look for reasons not to attend school or work, etc. As a result, the state of anxiety only intensifies, and the patient’s self-esteem also suffers. By concentrating too much on one's own shortcomings, a person may begin to feel self-loathing and avoid any interpersonal relationships and physical contacts. Loneliness and a feeling of “second-classness” inevitably lead to problems in professional activity.

If we consider the manifestations of anxiety at the behavioral level, they may consist of nervous, mindless walking around the room, rocking in a chair, banging with fingers on the table, fiddling with one’s own lock of hair or foreign objects. The habit of biting your nails can also be a sign of increased anxiety.

With anxiety disorders of adaptation, a person may experience signs of panic disorder: sudden attacks of fear with the manifestation of somatic symptoms (shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, etc.). With obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive anxious thoughts and ideas come to the fore in the clinical picture, forcing a person to constantly repeat the same actions.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of anxiety should be made by a qualified psychiatrist based on the patient's symptoms, which should be observed over several weeks. As a rule, it is not difficult to identify an anxiety disorder, but difficulties may arise when determining its specific type, since many forms have the same clinical signs, but differ in the time and place of occurrence.

First of all, suspecting an anxiety disorder, the specialist pays attention to several important aspects. Firstly, the presence of signs of increased anxiety, which may include sleep disturbances, anxiety, phobias, etc. Secondly, the duration of the existing clinical picture. Thirdly, it is necessary to make sure that all existing symptoms do not represent a reaction to stress, and are also not associated with pathological conditions and damage to internal organs and body systems.

The diagnostic examination itself takes place in several stages and, in addition to a detailed interview with the patient, includes an assessment of his mental state, as well as a somatic examination. Anxiety disorder should be distinguished from the anxiety that often accompanies alcohol addiction, since in this case a completely different medical intervention is required. Based on the results of the somatic examination, diseases of a somatic nature are also excluded.

Fear is a way to save your life. It is for this purpose that the ability to fear is embedded in every living creature at the level of instinct. But people, educated and imaginative creatures, turned this instinct outward and turned it into a habit.

Regular and unreasonable feelings of anxiety are most often experienced by people with an anxiety disorder, such as neurosis, VSD, hypochondria, panic attacks or generalized anxiety disorder.

Causes of anxiety and fear that are not visible

“Are you playing up your fantasies again? Have you been inventing fears for no reason again?” - these questions can be asked by a person who just yesterday was worried about a public speaking or interview with a new employer. Of course, he considers his own fear justified and adequate - he was worried about his work, about his reputation, about the future, after all.

Although from the point of view of nature, any anxiety that has no connection with life-threatening factors is anxiety without a reason. But it is precisely with hypochondria that at the very bottom of the soul there lives a real animal fear for one’s own life, which does not go away day or night. But voicing your anxiety means once again running into a wall of misunderstanding and irritation. If relatives believe that this feeling of anxiety appeared for no reason, out of the blue, then what can we say about the doctors?

This attitude of others forces the hypochondriac to hush up his inner experiences, remaining alone with them. Meanwhile, anxiety eats away all the positivity, all hopes and dreams from within. While a person is accused of immaturity and spinelessness, irreversible changes begin to occur in his cerebral cortex.

The brain acquires new neural structures that “process” fears and muffle them. This is how the body itself tries to fight the negative pathological condition anxiety. But this struggle is unequal, and it usually ends for a person with an increase in his anxiety, an increase in phobias and fears.

Anxiety often comes from childhood

Almost every hypochondriac experienced their first attacks of anxiety and panic at school age. It was then that the teenager for the first time so clearly felt what he mistakenly took for the “touch of death” - a jump in blood pressure, a surge of adrenaline, wild panic and despair. This imprint remained on the psyche forever. The person grew, and anxiety grew with him, regularly fueled by new panic attacks or surrounding events related to death.

Feelings of anxiety and restlessness do not arise without a reason. Never. The only reason that determines the anxiety of a hypochondriac is the immense, huge, hidden fear of death, which the patient has carried through many years and is ready to carry on. He will hide it so that his family and friends will consider him “normal” and love him as before. And this desire to hide fear also has its own reason - it comes from deep childhood.

At all costs, justify the love of parents, comply with their scenario, and not provoke scandals at home - this is the attitude that a preschooler who is brought up in a tense home atmosphere remembers. All the suppressed negativity and fear falls on the psyche in a thick layer, a kind of swamp is formed, which absorbs all other mental troubles. And most often it is in this swamp that the first one gets stuck panic attack, and behind it - and all this a person transfers from childhood to his own adult life. And a familiar cycle begins:

Feelings of anxiety and restlessness for no reason before bed provoke insomnia and force you to constantly take sedative drops or sleeping pills.
A person feels inferior, sick, vitality decreases, and flights of fantasy take him to the “land of unknown lethal diseases.”
The patient, not feeling support from his family and doctors, tries to find answers to questions himself: he surfs medical forums, reads a lot of terrible information, and intensifies his hypochondria.
Anxiety is growing in geometric progression, taking on new, more serious forms.

Life is today!

A person may for a long time blame his anxiety on a “bad childhood,” authoritarian parents, or incompetent doctors. Sometimes hypochondriacs even benefit from anxiety! After all, you can blame all your failures, laziness and irresponsibility on this “illness” and even expect that they will take pity on you and do everything for you. But is this healthy?

Almost everyone knows what anxiety and anxiety are. Such sensations are a signal from the human psyche, which indicate that there are changes in the systems of the human body, or in the environment around him. Anxiety ensures the mobilization of a person’s internal resources in case of danger. Therefore, in this state, muscle tension and trembling are often observed. Every body system is ready for extreme actions.

A person in a state of anxiety cannot concentrate and cannot sleep normally. He is tormented by bad premonitions, he is constantly afraid of something. Most often, this reaction occurs in stressful situations or other diseases. This condition has physical signs. The person experiences a headache and painful sensation in the back and chest area. The heart rhythm may be disturbed. All these phenomena are observed against the background of general fatigue and malaise.

In a normal state of mind, an anxious state is necessary for a person, since it is required to withstand the dangers of the outside world. The brain begins to work more actively, allowing the body to prepare for certain actions. But if constant worry and anxiety are not controlled, they suppress a person and his everyday life is changing. Occur frequently anxiety disorders, when a person is terrified of losing his job, or vice versa, he has to go through an interview with the employer in order to get the desired position.

To these are added various fears of a specific nature, perhaps obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress. Similar disorders appear in people starting from the age of fifteen. Anxiety and anxiety are a chronic problem, and if they are not treated, further development of the disease is possible.

Diseases accompanied by anxiety

Typically, people suffering elevated state anxiety, have psychological problems. But there are other diseases in which patients are subject to particular anxiety. This hypertonic disease. In this case, high-level anxiety behavior is observed. It should be noted that approximately half of patients diagnosed with hypertension suffer from psychopathological disorders of a neurotic level.

Experts identify such syndromes as anxiety, hypochondriacal, obsessive-phobic, depressive, and others. They are expressed in the fact that the patient is constantly in a restless state and fears for his health, and completely unreasonably. He believes that the doctors are not telling us something, and his situation is much more serious. A person constantly demands that his blood pressure be measured, asks for repeated tests, and seeks the possibility of treatment from psychics and healers.

How do you know if your anxiety is normal?

There are certain signs that indicate that it is time for you to see a doctor. The main ones are presented here.

A person subjectively believes that the feeling of anxiety is an obstacle to normal life, does not allow one to calmly go about one’s business, and interferes not only with work, professional activity, but also with a comfortable rest.
Anxiety can be regarded as moderate, but it lasts quite a long time, not days, but whole weeks.
Periodically, a wave of acute anxiety and anxiety rolls in, attacks are repeated with a certain stability, and ruin a person’s life.
There is a constant fear that something will definitely go wrong. Failure in exams, a reprimand at work, a cold, a car breakdown, the death of a sick aunt, and so on.
It can be difficult to concentrate on a specific thought, and it is very difficult.
There is tension in the muscles, the person becomes fussy and absent-minded, he is unable to relax and give himself rest.
Feeling dizzy, watching increased sweating, gastrointestinal tract disorders occur, and the mouth becomes dry.
Often, in an anxious state, a person becomes aggressive and everything irritates him. Fears and obsessive thoughts are possible. Some fall into deep depression.

As you can see, the list of signs is quite long. But if you think that you or someone close to you has at least two or three symptoms, this is already a serious reason to go to the clinic and find out the opinion of a doctor. It may well turn out that these are signs of the onset of a disease such as neurosis.

How is high anxiety treated?

Traditional medicine using drugs copes with such emotional disorders like anxiety increased anxiety. Treatment is carried out by a psychotherapist, and an experienced medical psychologist can also help. Typically, the course of treatment includes antidepressants and tranquilizers; what exactly to prescribe is decided by the specialist, since each case is individual. But it should be noted that psychotropic drugs provide only symptomatic treatment.

It means that primary symptom becomes less intense, but the very reason for its occurrence remains. In this regard, in practice, relapses often occur, and the anxious state may return again, but slightly changed. For example, a person becomes susceptible to obsessive fears or constantly experiences depression.

There are medical centers that do not treat such patients. medications. Specialists use psychotherapeutic methods, which are also very effective in solving emotional problems and ensure the patient’s complete recovery. Anyway, best option treatment is prescribed by a qualified specialist. Doctors often use techniques mixed type, when both medications and psychotherapeutic methods of restoring a person’s mental health are simultaneously used.

How to get rid of worry and anxiety on your own

To help himself, the patient, as prescribed by the attending physician, must reconsider his lifestyle. Usually in modern world Speed decides a lot, and people try to get a huge amount of things done, not taking into account that the day has a limited number of hours. Therefore, one of the important tasks is the need to adequately assess one’s own strengths, and Be sure to leave enough time for rest. Be sure to save at least one day off so that it fully lives up to its name - a day off.

Of great importance is also diet. When an anxious state is observed, harmful elements such as caffeine and nicotine should be avoided. Reducing the consumption of fatty and sweet foods will be beneficial.

You can achieve a more relaxed state by conducting sessions massage. Increased rubbing should be done in the neck and shoulder area. With a deep massage, the patient calms down, as excess tension, characteristic of a state of increased anxiety, is removed from the muscles.

Benefits l any sport and physical exercise . You can simply go jogging, cycling and walking. It is advisable to do this at least every other day, for at least half an hour. You will feel your mood improve and general state, there will be confidence in your own strengths and capabilities. Anxiety caused by stress gradually disappears.

It’s good if you have the opportunity to tell about your feelings to a person who will listen and understand you correctly. Besides the doctor, it could be close person, family member. Every day you should analyze all past events in which you took part. By telling an outside listener about this, you will put your thoughts and feelings in order.

You should reconsider your life priorities, And engage in so-called revaluation of values. Try to become more disciplined, do not act rashly, spontaneously. Often a person plunges into a state of anxiety when turmoil and confusion reign in his thoughts. In some cases, you should mentally go back and try to look at the situation from the outside, to evaluate the correctness of your behavior.

When doing things, make a list, starting with the most urgent. Don't multitask. This distracts attention and ultimately causes anxiety.

Try to independently analyze the cause of the anxiety. Identify the moment when anxiety increases. In this way, you can get help until the moment when the situation becomes critical and you are unable to change anything.

Don't be afraid to acknowledge your feelings. You must be able to be aware of the fact that you are scared, anxious, angry, and so on. Discuss your condition with your doctor or other support person who is concerned about your well-being.

Be sure to consult a psychologist. The doctor will help you get rid of increased anxiety and anxiety, and teach you how to act correctly in a difficult situation. The psychologist will find an individual method that will definitely help you. You will return to a full life in which there is no place unreasonable fears and worries.