Susan was an out-going sophomore in high school. She had lots of friends and was always doing things with them on the weekends. One day in school, a teacher asked her to get up in front of the class and discuss a current political situation. Susan was not prepared. Because she wasn’t prepared, she became very anxious. Her heart pounded and her hands shook so much that she couldn’t think straight. She felt lightheaded like she was going to pass out.
After that experience, Susan started dreading going to school. She was afraid she would have to speak in class. She stopped going out with her friends and shut herself up in her room.
Susan is suffering from an anxiety disorder.
What exactly is an anxiety disorder? It is when a person is constantly worried or feels anxious all the time. A gnawing feeling of dread is with them all of the time. It seldom goes away. It interferes with normal day-to-day activities and relationships with others. There is a persistent feeling of fear or worry that doesn’t seem to ever go away.
Some common emotional symptoms include a being tense and jumpy most of the time. You may have trouble concentrating and feel restless and irritable. You always anticipate that something awful is going to happen. You sometimes even feel like there is danger or a catastrophe just waiting to happen.
Everyone experiences stress in his or her life. It’s when these anxious feelings of dread interrupt and interfere with your normal day-to-day activities and relationships that there is cause for concern. When these anxious feelings are constant, you have gone from normal anxiety into an anxiety disorder.
If you feel that you have an anxiety disorder, there are several self-help activities that you can do before you seek professional counseling. First, make sure that every day you set aside time to do something fun. Daily set aside relaxation time. Take care of your body. Eat healthy and get at least 8 hours of sleep. Get emotional support from family members or friends.
Making positive lifestyle changes can reduce your anxiety. You can overcome those feelings of dread and irritability. You can create happiness in your life. By doing so, you can reduce or eliminate your anxiety disorder.