Anxiety is a normal part of the human experience, and it plays an important role in keeping us healthy and safe. Like most emotions, however, anxiety can grow to the point that it does more harm than good, and this is the point at which it becomes a disorder.
As modern humans, many of the challenges we face are the same as those faced at the dawn of our species 200,000 years ago. Each of us must still secure food, clothing, shelter, companionship and assure our physical safety. However, there are new challenges unique to modern life for which our drives and emotions may not be optimally calibrated.
The anonymity of life in modern cities, the financial uncertainty most of us face, the lack of a common code of ethics, the availability of drugs and alcohol and even commuting in traffic can all engage our thoughts and emotions in a way that may cause a type of chronic, baseline anxiety that wasn't present for our ancestors.
What is often surprising to people is that we are essentially the same animals we were 200,000 years ago, with the same bodies, brains, drives and intelligence that evolution crafted for survival on the plains of Africa. As humans now living in the modern world, we are like cars that were built and tuned for off-road use that are now driving on a congested, urban highway.
If we understand an anxiety disorder to be a condition in which anxiety has become so excessive that it leads to distress or dysfunction, then it is very likely that there has always been a certain percentage of the population suffering from these conditions, even hundreds of thousands of years ago on the African plains. We all have a genetically predetermined degree of vulnerability to anxiety, and depending upon the amount of adversity or trauma we experience in our lives, we probably all have the ability to develop an anxiety disorder. Nonetheless, with brains that evolution crafted to function in an environment strikingly different from the one in which we now live, it may be that a greater percentage of us are experiencing higher levels of anxiety than ever before.
So how does one know if anxiety has become a disorder? Only a trained mental health care provider can diagnose an anxiety disorder, and there are several different anxiety disorders, each with their own characteristics, but below are five signs to look for.
Identifying an anxiety disorder as such is important because it is likely to get better with treatment and may not get better without it. An insidious characteristic of anxiety disorders is that they often lead the affected individual to avoid doing things that trigger their anxiety -- including seeking help.
Like the child who is so afraid there is a monster in his closet that he never opens the door, adults with anxiety disorders may suffer needlessly for years because they avoid feared activities and places, thus depriving themselves of the opportunity to learn they are actually safe.
If you think you or a loved one may have an anxiety disorder, it is important to speak to your doctor about it or to schedule an appointment with a licensed mental health care provider. You can also visit www.anxiety.org or www.adaa.org for more information on anxiety disorders and treatment options.
Robert David Jaffee: Anxiety Strikes Boys of Summer
Robin S. Rosenberg, Ph.D.: 9 Ways to Lower Your Anxiety
Kari Henley: Anxiety: A Modern Underworld for Youth and Adults
Dr. Michael J. Breus: PTSD Study: Sleep Deprivation May Help You Cope With Traumatic Events
Psych Central: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment ...
Generalized anxiety disorder: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com
Anxiety Symptoms, Causes, Types, Signs and Treatment on ...
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"estrogen dominance common to perimenopause probably adds to this “anxiety response.” In a normal menstrual cycle, estrogen dominates at the beginning of the cycle, and progesterone rises in the second half. The progesterone has a calming, relaxing effect. But in perimenopause we have more cycles in which we don’t ovulate, so the progesterone level stays low. (Also see our article on irregular periods.) For some women, anxiety attacks are their major symptom of perimenopause."
Read the full article here:
http://www.womentowomen.com/understandyourbody/symptoms/anxiety.aspx
Could this be why so many middle aged women are prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications?
For many years in the U.S. it was highly suggested by the heads of nutrition that to meet our nutritional levels on a daily basis we should eat at least five fruits and vegetables.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8140477/why_we_must_eat_at_least_five_vegetables.html
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Another poster discussed the medication Klonopin/Clonasapam with you; I researched this drug a couple of years ago for a friend and discovered that it is highly addictive and should be taken only for short periods of time as it has some nasty side affects that are irreversible.
While it's great for something like panic disorder, the manufacturer recommends patients not take it for more than 21 days.
Again, thanks for sharing and I wish you the best of luck.
Hope to see you again soon.
Another thing is the "experts" are prone today to link this to our roots as evolving from monkeys. Our spiritual roots in America have been marginalized. But truly, Americans 150 years ago had far more stress than we do today. Those forefathers had no antibiotics, no 401Ks, no clean drinking water. Yet they thrived in the face of untold adversity, from devastating Civil War, to privations in the Frontier West. Americans were once a bold people, who could invariably find hope in their future despite all odds. Yet today, we are so-called crippled by our modern conveniences, and the mental health docs are probably more stressed than any of us. Get tough America! Have faith in your nation and in the God of your forefathers.
And if you take any of these meds, mathom, be careful as they do have side effects. And your anxiety would be a lot less if you stopped worrying about things you cannot control.
Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in the western world, but is almost never recognized. Mg is a cofactor in over 300 biochemical processes in the body, so a lack of it will wreak havoc on nearly every body system. This includes the adrenal glands, cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system. Mg is required for adequate serotonin production. Therefore it is an underlying cause in anxiety and depression. B12 deficiency can cause depression and mania and be mistaken for Bi-polar disorder.
Anyone suffering from anxiety, depression, or any other neuropsychiatric symptoms should first consider a nutritional cause. Supplementing with mg is easy and inexpensive. It's a far better alternative to prescription drugs.
http://www.socialphobiaworld.com/anxiety-linked-to-magnesium-deficiency-16452/
http://www.ctds.info/5_13_magnesium.html#anxiety
The Magensium Miracle by Carolyn Dean
The Magnesium Factor by Seelig
I have learned through books like Lucinda Bassett's "From Panic to Power" that recovery is about living in the moment (stop your what if's), weeding out bad people from your life, cutting down on caffeine, and realizing that you may be more sensitive than other people. Please don't give up! There are books that you can get from your local library for free that can help you break the anxiety cycle.
But people who cannot drive to work or get out of their houses who are otherwise healthy and have tried dietary supplements-- I'd have to say try a benzodiazepine. They're generic; you're not supporting the drug companies very much!