| Anxiety is something that everyone goes through | | | | confronted with a situation the brain searches for |
| at one time or another. Kids and adults are both | | | | a similar event so that it can decide how to react. |
| susceptible to having routine anxiety. Examples of | | | | If there is no such event in storage then your |
| things that can cause anxiety are: First day of | | | | body must react chemically. At this point you |
| school, bill collector's calling and moving to a new | | | | would enter what is called a fight of flight mode. |
| house. | | | | When a fight or flight mode is entered then you |
| Beyond normal anxiety there are more serious | | | | will likely experience symptoms such as sweaty |
| disorders that some people go through. GAD | | | | palms or a racing heart. You will then either |
| (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), OCD (Obsessive | | | | become aggressive and stand up for yourself or |
| Compulsive Disorder) and panic disorders are all | | | | run like the wind. |
| examples of more serious anxiety disorders. | | | | Keep in mind that the anxiety that I described |
| Diagnosing an anxiety disorder is not a cut and | | | | above is different from experiencing fear. For |
| dry task. Typically, the most important | | | | example, if someone is robbing you and |
| information is the mental records of the patient. | | | | threatening with a knife then you are probably |
| The doctor will normally look over the history and | | | | experiencing fear. Fear is a focused reaction to a |
| then go from there. There is no way to diagnose | | | | specific event. Anxiety is the opposite. It is |
| an anxiety disorder by using a laboratory test. A | | | | typically unfocused and not related to a single |
| psychologist or psychiatrist must perform certain | | | | cause. |
| tests in order to determine what is causing it to | | | | If you feel that you experience an abnormally |
| happen to you. These tests actually rule out what | | | | high degree of anxiety then you should consult |
| is not causing you to have anxiety in order to | | | | your doctor and see if there is anything they can |
| pinpoint what your specific problem is. The type | | | | do for you. Chances are they will either give you |
| of things they try to rule out are: alcohol/caffeine | | | | a mild medication or refer you to a psychologist |
| abuse, prescription medications, poor diet, | | | | or psychiatrist. You might be dealing with an |
| recreational drugs and whether the work | | | | underlying problem that is much more serious. |
| environment is an issue. | | | | Living in constant anxiety is not worth going |
| Anxiety is caused by a normal response that the | | | | through. It can make life almost unbearable. |
| body has to either a threat or danger. When | | | | |