Psychologist lists five main symptoms of anxiety disorder 01:09

Anxiety disorder (AD), one of the most common mental disorders, can develop in people of different ages, regardless of gender, marital status or social status. Moreover, no specialist can immediately determine whether fear, rapid heartbeat, sleep and appetite disorders, tremors and similar symptoms are signs of a mental disorder. Clinical psychologist Zhanna Ulogova, a member of the Association for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy, told socialbites.ca.

“Before formulating the main symptoms of anxiety disorder, we will analyze the main features of the thinking of an anxious person. This type of thinking is often dominated by themes of danger or hypothetical threats. For example, any symptom that is not understood is seen as a sign of imminent disaster. Catastrophic interpretation stimulates the activation of the sympathoadrenal system, triggering vegetative symptoms – dizziness, rapid pulse and palpitations, lack of air or shortness of breath, chills, weakness, dizziness, heat waves and chills. “The person may also experience sleep disorders, obsessive thoughts, inability to concentrate and relax, restlessness, pain in different parts of the body, gastrointestinal disorders, and changes in appetite,” he said.

According to the psychologist, there are three factors that cause anxiety disorders: biological (genetics, hormonal changes); social (lifestyle, external factors); psychological (cognitive distortions, beliefs).

“In psychology, it is customary to distinguish several types of anxiety disorders. This is primarily social phobia – avoiding social contacts due to fear of negative evaluation and criticism. Another type, panic disorder, is characterized by attacks of panic fear, catastrophic bodily sensations, and fear that help may not be available and escape will be difficult. Post-traumatic stress disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder are fear of recurrence of a traumatic event, involuntary intrusive memories, persistent avoidance. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive worry not related to external situations, feelings of irritability, rush, negative expectations, tension, search for guarantees, and the frequently heard “What if?” It is defined by the question. In obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the person tries to neutralize unwanted thoughts with certain actions to prevent a frightening event, the expert said.

All types of anxiety disorders are characterized by similar symptoms expressed in varying intensities. However, all these symptoms, as a rule, “fit” into five main groups of symptoms.

“Excessive, irrational anxiety occurs in the absence of a real threat. Anxiety is not subject to conscious control and does not disappear on its own when trying to get rid of it. Excessive anxiety becomes a constant companion of a person. Anxiety deprives a person of his freedom and forces him to behave in a certain way. An anxious feeling disrupts the quality of life and restricts the person’s normal functioning and activity,” the psychologist added.

The main difference between healthy adaptive anxiety and pathological anxiety is that in a healthy person the feeling of anxiety is justified, because it is directly related to danger, and the intensity of anxious emotions corresponds to the situation and is accompanied by a temporary feeling. Pathological anxiety is characterized by a premonition of danger, anxiety and fearful expectation that is not associated with a real threat. Such experiences cause discomfort and lead to limitation and impairment of quality of life.

“If anxiety is interfering with normal functioning, pharmacotherapy comes to the rescue. The most commonly used antidepressants of the SSRI group are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The main thing is not to take medications uncontrollably, “prescribing” them to yourself on the basis of self-diagnosis. And of course the best option is to consult a professional psychotherapist. “Proven methods aimed at improving mental health will help you develop resistance to stress, create and reinforce in your mind working strategies to manage anxiety, master self-regulation techniques and, as a result, improve your mood and significantly increase the quality of life,” he concluded.

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