What is the difference between anxiety and general stress? Who is prone to anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are a common mental illness. They are different from simple anxiety. Anxiety disorders are caused not only by temporary tension or fear, but also by temporary heartbeat, hand shake, etc. In patients with anxiety disorders, anxiety may not fade or even worsen. In the case of anxiety disorders, they are not only psychologically affected, but the body may also develop discomfort, and even the symptoms may affect daily life, including work performance, school performance, or interpersonal relationships, and continue for a long time. .

Anxiety is not far from us. According to the study, 19.1% of Americans have experienced any form of anxiety in the past year. In other countries, the incidence of anxiety disorders is not low. According to these epidemiological data, you, me, or friends around you may have experienced or are experiencing anxiety, but often we are not aware of it. .

I hope Members know that "anxiety disorder" is actually a very common mental illness. I hope that through proper cognition, the public will not have a wrong understanding of the cases of anxiety and lead to the stigma of the disease. As long as you have correct understanding and cognition, don't exclude help. With the support of friends, family, medical system and society, most patients with anxiety can have good therapeutic results.

What is the cause of anxiety disorder? Who is prone to anxiety?

The cause of anxiety disorder has not yet been fully understood. It is generally believed that the injury or stress experience in life may trigger some ethnic groups that are more likely to be anxious, which leads to anxiety. In addition, heredity may also be related to anxiety.

Human health is not just about physiology, but also about mental health. Physiology will be ill, and psychology will actually be. And physiology and psychology will affect each other. For example, when you are nervous, your heartbeat and breathing will naturally accelerate. This is the most obvious example of physiological influence.

In the brain, the amygdala and hippocampus are two important parts of the stress response. The amygdala mainly deals with fear and threats, while the hippocampus is related to memory. Therefore, when people are under strong pressure, the fear and threat of pressure will stimulate the amygdala, and the hippocampus will be responsible for storing this memory. .

After the amygdala and hippocampus receive such stimulation, the autonomic nervous system is activated. When the sympathetic nerve is activated, it will produce heartbeat acceleration, rapid breathing, rising blood pressure, and tight muscles.

There are some advantages to this mechanism. Suppose you are a primitive person. If you meet a tiger on the grassland, after hearing the tiger's cry, you will see the tiger rushing toward you. The amygdala will feel the fear, and the hippocampus will remember. This kind of feeling, then the sympathetic nerves start, let your heartbeat, breathing speed, blood pressure rise, there is an instantaneous explosive power to escape the tiger's pursuit. The memory of the hippocampus will let you start your sympathetic nervous system when you encounter the cry of the tiger from the next time, and quickly escape.

However, such a mechanism, if overly sensitive, may lead to negative results. An anxiety disorder may be related to such a mechanism, but it is necessary to remind everyone that the detailed mechanism has not yet been confirmed. This is only a possibility that is currently considered.

The risk factors currently considered to be associated with anxiety disorders are organized as follows:

• Experience or witnessed injuries: Children who have experienced abuse, or who have witnessed the injury, have a higher chance of developing anxiety during their lives.

• Stress caused by disease: Physical illness can also cause psychological anxiety.

• Accumulation of stress: A huge stress event, or the accumulation of many small stress events, may cause anxiety at some point.

• Personality: Some people with specific personalities have a higher chance of developing anxiety.

• Other mental illnesses: Cases with other mental illnesses, such as psychosis, depression, etc., have a higher chance of developing anxiety.

• Genetics: If a relative with blood in the family has an anxiety disorder, the chance of getting sick may be higher.

• Drugs and alcohol: The use of drugs or alcohol, especially in cases of abuse, can cause or worsen anxiety.

In this case, we must remind everyone that the focus of these risk factors is to remind everyone to pay attention. Do not think that if there is such a situation, it will definitely cause anxiety.

What are the symptoms of anxiety disorder? What is the difference between general mood anxiety?

Anxiety and the anxiety that most people have experienced are actually very different. Everyone must have experienced anxious moods, such as facing an exam, a competition, or being about to do a medical exam that you are unfamiliar with. It is normal to feel anxious in this situation. In addition to feelings of tension, rapid heartbeat, hand shaking, and even nervousness to stomach pain are all possible, but these symptoms usually end after the event.

But friends with anxiety disorders often have strong, excessive, persistent fears and fears, and maintain or repeat for a long time. Sometimes even things that seem normal in everyday life may make them feel like this. These feelings of anxiety and fear affect daily life, and for those with anxiety disorders, these feelings are difficult to control, but others seem to have emotional and emotional anxiety and actual tension. If you are out of touch with the level of danger, others may feel "has it been so serious?", but that's true. For anxiety cases, these feelings are real and really serious.

These conditions may cause the anxiety cases to be misunderstood and feel "what are you doing?" But in fact, the anxiety cases require more reason and support.

There are several different forms of anxiety related to anxiety, such as generalized anxiety disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or post-traumatic stress disorder ( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD)...and so on, the symptoms will vary. In the case of generalized anxiety disorder, there are common psychological and physical symptoms:

• Restless or nervous

• Irritable

• Uncontrollable fears and worries

• It is difficult to concentrate and the head is blank

• Sleep disorders (such as insomnia)

• Easy to feel tired

• headache

• Muscle stiffness and tightness (common in the shoulder and neck)

What are the treatments for anxiety disorders? How to improve anxiety in daily life?

The current common treatments for anxiety disorders include psychotherapy and medication. According to randomized and double-blind studies, these two approaches, or a combination of the two, can be of significant help to the individual case, so which treatment is actually needed, requires a physician and a case, or sometimes a case caregiver Discuss together to make decisions.

Psychotherapy for anxiety disorders

In the process of psychotherapy, the psychotherapist will assist the case, hoping to control anxiety in thinking and relax in behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy is currently considered a relatively effective way of treating anxiety disorders. The advantage of this therapy is that there are no side effects of taking the drug, and the patient can learn how to observe and control his anxiety and emotions. The downside is that it takes a long time and effort.

Medical treatment for anxiety

Although the drug may be accompanied by side effects, the advantage is that the effect is usually faster. A variety of drugs are currently available in cases of anxiety disorders to alleviate the symptoms of the case. Some anti-depressants are helpful for people with anxiety disorders, and there are also specialized anti-anxiety drugs available. In some patients with severe anxiety, the doctor may prescribe drugs such as sedatives, but usually for short-term control and not for long-term use.

The drugs related to anxiety disorders involve different symptoms of the case, as well as the side effects of various drugs, as well as the interaction of drugs. Please be sure to discuss it with your doctor. Do not adjust the drug.

In the treatment of anxiety disorders, there is no "no treatment method to use", whether it is psychological treatment, or medical treatment, or a combined treatment, it is feasible, the most expected of medical personnel is to Cases and families have complete communication, and jointly make the most favorable choices for the case, and work together.

How to improve anxiety?

If anxiety is to be improved, the focus in daily life is to learn to "observe" your emotions and to "control" your emotions. This can be practiced through meditation or in activities that involve some behavioral therapy or group therapy. Other things you can do include:

• Sports: Many aerobic exercises help relieve stress, including walking, jogging, swimming, climbing... and more. If you can exercise for more than 150 minutes a week, your doctor will be very happy.

• Learn to relax: activities such as yoga, Pilates or meditation... help to relax.

• Avoid excessive caffeine: Too much caffeine may make you more anxious, and if you are tired, don't rush to get caffeine.

• Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse: Every doctor will tell you not to smoke or drink. This is not only bad for your health, but also bad for you.

• Participate in support groups: There are many friends with anxiety or other psychological problems, you are not alone. There are many supportive groups in Taiwan, and medical institutions can assist you in referrals and participation.

Seeing this, I believe that you have a general understanding of anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorder is not a terminal illness. In modern high-pressure life and the impermanence of life, each of us must have experienced anxiety. We hope that this knowledge can help you understand the causes of anxiety and learn the way to face anxiety.

If you or your family and friends are caught in an anxiety disorder, don't forget that we are not alone. This world may seem indifferent, but we will always support each other, use the right knowledge to deal with anxiety, and face anxiety in a positive and optimistic way. I believe we can all get better and better.