What is Anxiety?
People commonly experience feelings of anxiety before any important events in their
lives. Events such as sitting an examination, getting married, business presentations,
etc. However, anxiety disorders are illnesses that bring feelings of overwhelming
anxiety and fear that are chronic and unremitting. Anxiety can progressively worsen
if left untreated.
When faced with danger (or perceived danger) there is a reflex action that our bodies
experience, that a causes physiological and mental arousal, allowing us to cope
with the threat. This reflex action is beneficial in cases of real danger as it,
in turn, increases the output of adrenalin that can increase our strength and speed,
allowing us to react. However, chronic anxiety reduces the quality of the sufferer’s
life and can induce an overall feeling of ill-being. Any person suffering from an
anxiety disorder feels a sense of anxiety that is completely out of proportion with
the physical, mental, or emotional stimuli that they are currently experiencing.
There are a number of types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety
disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress
disorder.
The underlying causes of anxiety disorders are not completely understood, although
the interaction of different neurotransmitters, in the brain, clearly plays a role.
Anxiety disorders can be caused by the taking of illegal or prescription drugs,
or by other medical conditions and it is important to see a doctor to rule out these.
It is possible that the sufferer may have a predisposition to anxiety disorders
but whether this is a result of genetic factors or a family-influenced way of responding
to the world it is unclear.
There are different types of anxiety disorder: -
- Panic Disorder — Repeated occurences of intense fear that strike often and
without warning. Physical symptoms include heart palpitations, shortness of breath,
chest pain, dizziness, abdominal distress, and fear of dying.
- Phobias — The two major types of phobia are specific phobia and social phobia.
Specific phobia causes the sufferer to experience extreme, disabling, and irrational
fear of something that poses little or no actual danger; the fear leads to avoidance
of objects or situations and can cause people to limit their lives unnecessarily.
Social phobia causes the sufferer to have an overwhelming and disabling fear of
scrutiny, embarrassment, or humiliation in social situations, which leads to avoidance
of many potentially pleasurable and meaningful activities.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder — Persistent symptoms that occur after experiencing
or witnessing a traumatic event. Nightmares and flashbacks, depression numbing of
emotions, and feeling irritable, angry, or distracted and being easily startled
are the most common.
Who Is Affected by Anxiety?
Anxiety affects both sexes and all ages.
What Are the Symptoms of Anxiety?
Psychological
- Agitation.
- Irritability.
- Inner tension.
- Fear of losing control.
- Dread that something catastrophic is going to happen, such as a heart attack or
death.
- Feelings of detachment, and feeling separate from the world.
Physological
- Breathing fast and/or feeling short of breath.
- Tightness of the chest.
- Palpitations (racing heart beat).
- Dry mouth.
- Butterflies in the stomach.
- Feeling nauseous.
- Tremors.
- Sweating.
- An urge to urinate.
Complementary Treatment Options
Over the past 14 years, at Pro Holistic, we have found that Shiatsu
is extremely beneficial in the treatment of anxiety, creating a feeling of
wellbeing, initially during treatment, that extends into daily life. Our Shiatsu treatment is often
augmented with the learning of specific Chi Kung exercises that enable our clients
to relax, calm down, and regain control of their lives.
Nutritional
- Taking calcium (1,000 mg a day) and magnesium (500 mg a day) as a supplement to
your diet.
- B complex (50 to 100 mg a day, best in the morning) to decrease stress effects.
- Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, processed foods and alcohol.
- Increase consumption of fresh vegetables and whole grains.
- St. John's Wort helps with both depression and anxiety.
- Kava kava can help for mild to moderate anxiety.
- Passionflower is helpful for anxiety with insomnia.
Allopathic Treatment Options
A number of medications that were originally developed for treating depression have
been found to be effective for anxiety disorders. Some of the newest of these antidepressants
are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Other anti-anxiety medications
include groups of drugs called benzodiazepines and beta-blockers.
Two clinically-proven effective forms of psychotherapy used to treat anxiety disorders
are behavioural therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy. In behavioural therapy,
the focus is on changing specific actions and uses several techniques to stop unwanted
behaviours. In addition to the behavioural therapy techniques, cognitive-behavioural
therapy teaches patients to understand and change their thinking patterns so they
can react differently to any of the situations that trigger anxiety.
Pro-Holistic provides Shiatsu,
Healing Chi Kung therapy, on-site massage, Stress Mangement courses, and Stress Mangement workshops. We also provide tuition in Chi Kung,
Tai Chi, Neijia,
and self defence.