Anxiety disorders can cause mild to severe symptoms, but treatment is available
Most people experience some anxiety.
However, severe anxiety can be overwhelming and sometimes debilitating.
Severe anxiety pops up if the body’s natural responses to anticipated stress exceed healthy levels.
The symptomsa racing heart, changes in breathing, and headachescan hinder your ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
Long-term or recurrent severe anxiety can be a sign of ananxiety disorder.
Left untreated, it can lead to chronic health problems, including heart disease.
This article discusses severe anxiety.
It explains common anxiety reactions and how the severity can vary.
What Is Severe Anxiety?
The mind and body naturally perceive and react to potential threats automatically, with the goal of staying safe.
This is often helpful and means your body is working the way it should.
Anxiety is a way of preparing for future stress or possible negative experiences.
Severe anxiety symptoms can become a persistent problem.
They can interrupt daily functioning, impact quality of life, and become too difficult to manage.
Severe anxiety can even bring about suicidal thoughts.
Symptoms of anxiety can impact a person’s mind, behaviors, and physical well-being.
Though anxiety symptoms can be different for each person, worry and avoidance are common.
The actual symptoms of severe anxiety are no different from mild or moderate anxiety.
However, severe anxiety symptoms are less likely to be self-manageable.
It can mean physically avoiding something, such as crowds, or declining invitations to events.
It can even lead to isolation.
It’s common for social isolation itself to lead to anxiety and depression, adding to the problem.
Physical Symptoms
Severe anxiety can lead to physical symptoms.
Muscle tension is a natural tightening of muscles when the body experiences stress.
A tight jaw and tense abdominal muscles are examples of ways that muscles react to stress and anxiety.
Anxiety disorders are categorized into different types based on the specific way symptoms are experienced.
Signs that warrant further evaluation include:
When Is Anxiety an Emergency?
Severe anxiety accompanied by thoughts of suicide or self-harm requires emergency medical attention.
In addition, panic attacks often mimic a heart attack or other serious health condition.
You may be prescribed a fast-acting anxiolytic (antianxiety medication).
If medication does not resolve these troubling symptoms, seek medical care.
Causes of Severe Anxiety
The exact cause of anxiety disorders is unknown.
Several factors can play a role, such as genetics and brain chemistry.
Stress and your environment can also contribute to the development of severe anxiety.
Situations and events that may trigger an anxiety disorder are unique to individual experiences.
Alcohol, caffeine, medications, and substance use can also trigger anxiety symptoms.
Severe Anxiety Diagnosis
Anxiety is one of the most underdiagnosed mental health disorders.
Though it is very common, many people do not seek treatment for anxiety.
One study found only 20% of people with an anxiety disorder seek help from healthcare providers.
If you’re trying to manage severe anxiety alone, it may be time to seek professional care.
Your healthcare provider or insurance company can help you to find a mental health professional.
Anxiety disorders can only be diagnosed by licensed mental health professionals.
Mental health professionals often use measurement scales to determine anxiety levels.
Based on the responses, a determination of mild, moderate, or severe anxiety will be provided.
Even severe levels of anxiety can be treated by working with a mental health professional.
Sometimes,medicationis recommended along with psychotherapy.
With exposure therapy, a person is gradually introduced to the anxiety-causing stressor over time.
This key in of therapy is done with the support of a qualified mental health professional.
Practicing these new skills when calm will help you to implement them once the exposure stage of therapy begins.
Mindfulness
Mindfulnessis an evidence-based practice that can be done for severe anxiety.
It can help people to overcome racing thoughts or constant worry with a focus on the present.
Support Groups
When working through severe anxiety, it’s important to have ongoing support.
Summary
Anxiety is a common mental health concern.
Severe anxiety can impact a person’s overall well-being, ability to function, and enjoyment of life.
Anxiety disorders can range from mild to moderate to severe.
With the right support, even severe anxiety can be reduced and managed.
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