Anxiety
Do you experience excessive and unrealistic worry that is persistent? This worry is often focused on health, work, finances, and safety. Many people may even feel anxious about simple everyday things such as cooking a meal, scheduling a meeting, or choosing a pair of shoes. The intensity, duration, and frequency of the worry can vary. For some people, anxiety can lead to difficulties with concentration and problems managing everyday tasks. In addition to ongoing worry, physical symptoms may also occur, such as trembling, muscle pain, sleep and digestive issues, dizziness, and irritability.
Anxiety can be seen in a range of different conditions, but it can also be a natural reaction in a threatening situation. Originally, anxiety has had a survival value, as it puts the body into a state of alert.
“Anxiety is often described as a feeling unlike and worse than anything else.”
There are different types of anxiety, such as:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – characterized by excessive and unrealistic, persistent worry.
- Panic disorder recurring panic attacks, which may include symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain, unpleasant sensations, sweating, trembling, and tingling. One may also experience fear of dying, losing control, and feelings of unreality.
- Existential anxiety anxiety related to the human condition, such as the meaning of life, thoughts about death, puberty, and developmental crises. Anxiety related to death, isolation, and loneliness.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – an anxiety condition resulting from a severe event or traumatic experience that has triggered intense fear responses. Anxiety reactions are triggered by memories that resemble the event.
- Social anxiety fear of being the center of attention, of embarrassing oneself under others’ scrutiny, speaking in public, etc.
- Obsessions and compulsions are also expressions of anxiety.
- Phobias irrational anxiety that arises in specific situations, such as heights, seeing blood, or being near certain animals.
Anxiety is also often a mixture of many unprocessed emotions that can feel like a large “clump of anxiety.” However, when explored in therapy, it often becomes clear that anxiety is connected to emotions such as anger, disappointment, sadness, and worry. All emotions have their own origin and need to be acknowledged and addressed.
Approximately 10–15% of the world’s population suffers from some form of anxiety-related condition.
