What is anxiety? Some signs that identify it


On many occasions we feel things that we do not know how to explain or name. The anxietyfor example, is an emotion that makes us feel afraid, apprehensive, restless, tense, or all of the above.

The clinical psychologist, Gabriella Abate (@psychats), explains that the anxiety it is an emotion that we all feel and we all have, some with a little more intensity, some more frequently, it varies from person to person. For her, the anxiety It arises when we interpret something as a threat or as a danger.

“The anxiety It is a feeling of fear, dread and restlessness. It can cause the person to sweat, feel restless, tense, and have palpitations. It may be a normal reaction to stress. For example, you may feel anxious when faced with a difficult problem at work, before taking an exam, or before making an important decision,” according to the Medline plus space.

Anxiety or disorder of anxiety

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Feel anxiety and suffer from a disorder anxiety they are two different things. According to the behavior specialist Gabriella Abate, feeling anxiety It is normal and valid, but feeling it constantly can lead to or evolve into a disorder of anxiety.

Abate assures that on many occasions we are aware that we are facing a disorder of anxiety when it begins to affect day-to-day functionality. For example, when someone stops going out, they don’t want to see people, they don’t want to be at events, they start missing work, among other symptoms.

Some types of disorders

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  • The anxiety Pervasive: People with this disorder worry about common problems, such as health, money, work, and family. But, their worries are excessive and they have them almost every day for at least 6 months.
  • Specific Phobia: People with phobias have an intense fear of something that poses little or no real danger. Your fear may be of spiders, being in the air, going to crowded places, or being in social situations (known as anxiety Social).
  • Panic disorder: People with panic disorder suffer from panic attacks. These are sudden and repeated moments of intense fear with no apparent danger. The attacks come on quickly and can last up to 40 minutes.

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  • Post-traumatic stress: Some people develop this disorder after experiencing a shocking, frightening, or dangerous event. Fear is part of the body’s normal “fight or flight” response, which helps us avoid or respond to potential danger.
  • Obsessive Compulsive (OCD): This disorder is characterized by a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that cause repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause great emotional suffering.

Signs of a person with anxiety

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“There is no correct or unique answer to identify a person with an anxiety disorder. Obtaining this diagnosis is complicated, because it varies from person to person and in many cases it goes unnoticed,” says the specialist.” Gabriella Abate clinical psychologist

Each person is different, therefore, they feel and express emotions in different ways. Some of the signs or symptoms that can be noticed in an anxious person are:

  • Restlessness, it is difficult for him to sit and be still.
  • Tremors.
  • Compulsive behaviors (smoking, compulsive eating).
  • Irritation.
  • Speech with many concerns for the future.
  • Hyperventilation or shortness of breath.
  • Avoidance of certain activities or situations that trigger the anxiety.
  • It’s hard for him to sleep.
  • Think everything will go wrong.

How to help?expand image

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a person with anxiety they only expect to be understood, but they think that others cannot understand them, which makes it difficult to help.

Gabriella explains that you have to be careful when approaching this person, because they may want to push you aside and avoid sharing their emotions. According to her comments, people who experience these emotions do not want to overwhelm the other, it even gives them anxiety charge others.

“When a person has anxiety, the most important thing is to approach them and let them know that you are there, that you are available and that you can listen to them” Gabriella Abate clinical psychologist

ways to help

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  • Emotional support: at this point you can propose to talk about it without much insistence, letting the other understand that you are there to listen and that letting off steam can make them feel better.
  • Distraction: if the person does not want to share their emotions with you so that you can support them and validate what they feel, it is prudent to accompany/distract them so that that person can occupy their mind with something else and not isolate themselves. Sharing an ice cream or a coffee can be good options.
  • Do not invalidate it: if that person decides to tell you what happens to him, it is important that you do not invalidate it. “Whatever I tell you, even if it seems ridiculous to you, something extremely little or that it’s not worth worrying about, we shouldn’t say: that’s nothing, or it’s not worth worrying about,” because it doesn’t help and it does feel the person misunderstood.
  • Ask: if who is in a situation of anxiety is a close person we can ask: how can I help you?

help someone with anxiety It is not like holding hands and breathing together –sometimes it can work-, but the help will depend on how each person is and at this point it is necessary to accompany understanding that each being is different.

What you must not do

They should not be invalidated or made to feel like a burden because they already feel like a burden.

Source-www.diariolibre.com