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Anxiety

The seed of anxiety begins innocently enough, as worry— usually over a specific thing, or many things. Worry affects each of us every day and can vary in strength depending on the importance of the thing that hangs over us. Worry over job performance, appearing on stage, or before a major life event, are all-natural causes for worry. But the moment that it begins to grow into an all-encompassing sense of dread that impedes your ability to find reliable coping mechanisms is when that worry becomes anxiety. Like other cases of mental phenomena, anxiety has its triggers and if left untreated can begin to dictate the moods, habits, and paradigm of the sufferer, sometimes long into the future.

 

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety shares many symptoms with other disorders, and may sometimes be misdiagnosed. The following symptoms are a list of the more common complaints of those suffering from acute anxiety.

  • Difficulty focusing on any one task for long periods of time
  • Restlessness, jitteriness, and muscle pain caused by constant tenseness
  • Lethargy and slothfulness, usually brought about by a desire to avoid triggers
  • Presenting certain tendencies found in those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This includes strict adherence to behavioral patterns and dwelling on the cause of the anxiety.
  • Presenting gastrointestinal problems such as gas, constipation, or any other symptoms adjacent to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
  • An increased heart rate and labored breathing, not resultant of strenuous physical activity. 
  • An added strain on personal relationships, manifesting as distrust, obsession, or avoidance.
  • An abundance of stress, usually regarding the particulars of a past traumatic event. If these particulars are recurring (e.g. driving after a major car accident), anxiety may likely increase substantially.

 

The Different Sides of Anxiety

As far as emotional and mental disorders go, anxiety is the genus for a lot of accompanying diagnoses that may require help from specifically licensed professionals. These conditions are numerous, but a few of the better-known disorders include:

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Once called “shell shock” to specifically refer to veterans who had experienced war, PTSD became better realized as a general disorder afflicting anyone who had had a substantially traumatic event occur in their life. Survivors of a near-death experience, abuse, or tragedy can often suffer from PTSD which can lead to a debilitating relationship for the victim with the thoughts, actions, and people who trigger their recall of the trauma.
  • Panic Attacks: Perhaps the most acute distillation of anxiety, panic attacks manifest as moments of extreme stress, accompanied by shortness of breath, heavy sweating, and racing heart palpitations. Often nausea and vomiting can occur, as well as feeling lightheaded. Panic attacks can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): This type of disorder expands the malady of anxiety past the hyper-specific circumstances normally associated with it, and characterizes it more as an ever present, all-encompassing dread. The sufferer of GAD will rarely feel a reprieve from their anxiety, even doing things that they normally enjoy and often can’t cite just one thing that troubles them.

 

Overcoming Anxiety

Anxiety is a troubling disorder to live with for numerous reasons, not the least of which is the sometimes inconsistent nature of the trouble. Anxiety can be a constant feeling that presses down on the individual, or it can “sneak up” on the person at a moment’s notice, with little warning. However you experience anxiety, it is an unhappy and destructive way to live, and our team of professionals can help you meet and overcome your mental and emotional malady.

Once you feel ready to meet with us, all you have to do is call our clinic and set up an appointment to meet with one of our counselors. Our team of professionals is fully licensed and practiced in numerous therapeutic treatments for anxiety, and are authorized to prescribe medication as needed.

 

Phone: 833-719-0886 | Fax: 801-501-0249

Draper Office

248 East 13800 South, #4
Draper, UT 84020
833-719-0886

Bluffdale Office

14241 South Redwood Road Suite 100
Bluffdale, UT 84065
833-719-0886