Why does anxiety occur? How to eliminate the feeling of constant anxiety

When a person is in danger, it is normal to feel fear and anxiety. After all, in this way our body prepares to act more effectively - “fight or flee.”

But unfortunately, some people tend to experience anxiety either too often or too intensely. It also happens that manifestations of anxiety and fear appear for no particular reason or for a trivial reason. In cases where anxiety interferes with leading a normal life, the person is considered to be suffering from anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

According to annual statistics, 15-17% of the adult population suffers from some form of anxiety disorder. The most common symptoms are:

Cause of anxiety and fear

Everyday events are often associated with stress. Even such, it would seem, ordinary things like standing in a car during rush hour, celebrating a birthday, lack of money, living in cramped conditions, overstress at work or conflicts in the family are all stressful. And we are not talking about wars, accidents or diseases.

In order to cope with a stressful situation more effectively, the brain gives a command to our sympathetic nervous system (see figure). It puts the body into a state of arousal, causes the adrenal glands to release the hormone cortisol (and others), increases heart rate, and causes a number of other changes that we experience as fear or anxiety. This, let’s say, “ancient” animal reaction helped our ancestors survive in difficult conditions.

When the danger has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. It normalizes heart rate and other processes, bringing the body to a state of rest.

Normally, these two systems balance each other.

Now imagine that for some reason a failure occurred. (Detailed analysis typical reasons presented).

And the sympathetic nervous system begins to become excited, reacting with feelings of anxiety and fear to such minuscule stimuli that other people do not even notice...

People then experience fear and anxiety with or without reason. Sometimes their condition is constant and enduring anxiety. Sometimes they feel nervous or impatient, have difficulty concentrating, or have trouble sleeping.

If such anxiety symptoms persist long enough, then, according to the DSM-IV, a doctor may diagnose generalized anxiety disorder».

Or another type of “failure” - when the sympathetic nervous system hyperactivates the body for no particular reason, not constantly and weakly, but in strong bursts. Then they talk about panic attacks ah and, accordingly, panic disorder . We have written quite a bit about this type of anxiety-phobic disorder in others.

About treating anxiety with medications

Probably, after reading the text above, you will think: well, if my nervous system is unbalanced, then it needs to be brought back to normal. Let me take the appropriate pill and everything will be fine! Fortunately, the modern pharmaceutical industry offers a huge selection of products.

Some of the anti-anxiety drugs are typical “fuflomycins” that have not undergone even normal clinical trials. If anyone is helped, it is through the mechanisms of self-hypnosis.

Others - yes, they really relieve anxiety. True, not always, not completely and temporarily. We mean serious tranquilizers, in particular those of the benzodiazepine series. For example, such as diazepam, gidazepam, Xanax.

However, their use is potentially dangerous. First, when people stop taking these medications, anxiety usually returns. Secondly, these drugs cause real physical dependence. Thirdly, such a crude method of influencing the brain cannot remain without consequences. Drowsiness, problems with concentration and memory, and depression are common side effects of treating anxiety with medications.

And yet... How to treat fear and anxiety?

We believe that an effective, and at the same time gentle on the body, way of treating increased anxiety is psychotherapy.

Just not outdated conversational methods like psychoanalysis, existential therapy or gestalt. Control studies indicate that these types of psychotherapy produce very modest results. And that's the best case scenario.

What about modern psychotherapeutic methods: EMDR therapy, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, hypnosis, short-term strategic psychotherapy! With their help, you can solve many therapeutic problems, for example, changing inadequate attitudes that underlie anxiety. Or teaching clients to “control themselves” in stressful situations is more effective.

The integrated use of these methods for anxiety neuroses is more effective than treatment with medications. Judge for yourself:

the probability of a successful result is about 87%! This figure is not only the result of our observations. There are many clinical trials confirming the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

noticeable improvement in condition after 2-3 sessions.

short-termism. In other words, you don’t need to go to a psychologist for years; usually 6 to 20 sessions are required. It depends on the degree of neglect of the disorder, as well as other individual characteristics the person who applied.

How is fear and anxiety treated?

Psychological diagnostics- the main goal of the first meeting between the client and the psychotherapist (sometimes two). Deep psychodiagnostics is what is built on further treatment. Therefore, it must be as accurate as possible, otherwise nothing will work. Here is a checklist for a good diagnosis:

the real, underlying causes of anxiety have been found;

a clear and rational treatment plan for anxiety disorder has been drawn up;

the client fully understands the mechanisms of psychotherapeutic procedures (this alone gives relief, because the end of all suffering is visible!);

you feel sincere interest and care about you (in general, we believe that this condition should be present everywhere in the service industry).

Effective treatment, in our opinion, this is when:

scientifically proven and clinically tested methods of psychotherapy are used;

the work is carried out, if possible, without medications, and therefore without side effects, no contraindications for pregnant and nursing mothers;

the techniques used by the psychologist are safe for the psyche, the patient is reliably protected from repeated psychological trauma (and sometimes “victims” of amateurs of all stripes turn to us);

the specialist helps to increase the independence and confidence of his client, and does not seek to make him dependent on the therapist.

Sustainable results- this is a consequence of intensive joint work between the client and the psychotherapist. Our statistics show that on average this requires 14-16 meetings. Sometimes you come across people who achieve excellent results in 6-8 meetings. In particularly advanced cases, 20 sessions are not enough. What do we mean by “quality” result?

Sustained psychotherapeutic effect, no relapses. So that it doesn’t happen as often happens when treating anxiety disorders with medications: if you stop taking them, fear and other symptoms return.

No residual effects. Let's turn again to drug treatment. Typically, people taking medications still feel anxious, albeit through a veil. From such a “smoldering” state a fire can flare up. It shouldn't be this way.

The person is reliably protected from possible stress in the future, which (theoretically) could provoke the appearance of anxiety symptoms. That is, he is trained in self-regulation methods, has high resistance to stress, and is able to properly take care of himself in difficult situations.

Many people worry about the smallest things, even if nothing serious has happened. Such feelings bring nothing but anxiety, they destroy nervous system. People who worry a lot cannot live full life. They are constantly tense and uncomfortable. By turning to psychology, you can understand the essence of these phenomena and get rid of them.

What is the difference between fear and anxiety

Fear and anxiety, both of these phenomena may seem the same at first glance. But in reality, they don't go hand in hand. If causeless anxiety destroys the nervous system, then fear, on the contrary, mobilizes the body’s strength.

Imagine that a dog attacks you on the street, a feeling of fear will force you to act, to take any action to protect yourself. But if you simply worry that the dog might attack you, it will make you feel bad. An excessive sense of fear also does not lead to anything good.

Feelings of anxiety may have varying degrees- from mild to strong. This feeling of anxiety and fear for no reason may depend on the state of the body, on upbringing or hereditary factors. This is why there are people suffering from phobias, migraines, suspiciousness, etc.

Main Causes of Anxiety

In this condition, a person experiences internal conflict, which gradually grows and makes him feel bad. Certain factors contribute to this. Let's look at the causes of fear and anxiety:

• psychological trauma in past,
• irritating actions,
• suspiciousness of character, when a person is not sure of anything,
• psychological trauma in childhood, when parents put too much pressure on the child, made excessive demands on him,
• sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition,
• starting life in a new place, earlier unfamiliar to a person,
• negative events in the past,
• character traits when a pessimistic attitude towards life becomes lifestyle,
• disorders in the body that destroy the endocrine system and cause hormonal imbalance.

The destructive effects of anxiety and fear

A person only makes things worse for himself when he constantly lives in a state of anxiety and fear. Not only his psychology suffers, but also his health. When a person experiences constant feeling anxiety, his heart begins to beat faster, he lacks air, arterial pressure jumps up.

From too strong emotions a person gets very tired, his body wears out faster. Trembling appears in the limbs, he cannot fall asleep for a long time, pain appears in the stomach for no apparent reason. Many body systems suffer in this condition, women experience hormonal imbalances, and men experience disruptions genitourinary system. Therefore, you need to know how to get rid of fear and anxiety.

Identifying problems

There is no such person who would not be afraid of anything. It is important to realize how much this interferes with life. Each person has their own fears: some are afraid to speak in public, others have problems communicating with the opposite sex, others are simply embarrassed by their character, they do not want to show themselves too smart, stupid, etc. By recognizing your problem, you can begin to fight it and overcome your fear.

Combating Fear and Anxiety

There are many ways to get rid of anxiety and fear.

1. When you feel anxious, tension always arises. And if this tension is removed, then negative feelings will dissipate. To stop constantly worrying, you need to learn to relax. Physical activity helps in this matter, so try doing exercises, or better yet, do physical activity in a team. Walking on fresh air, jogging, breathing exercises will also help fight excessive anxiety.
2. Share your feelings with loved ones you trust. They will help you dispel feelings of fear. To other people, other people's fears seem insignificant, and they will be able to convince you of this. Communication with loved ones who love you will relieve the burden of problems that are weighing you down. If you don’t have such people, then trust your feelings to a diary.
3. Don't leave problems unresolved. Many people worry about something but do nothing to change it. Don't leave your problems as they are, start doing at least something to cope with them.
4. Humor helps us get rid of many problems, defuse tense situations and make us relax. So hang out with those people who make you laugh a lot. You can also just watch a comedy program or read about something funny. Anything that makes you feel happy can be used.
5. Do something enjoyable for you. Take a break from your negative thoughts and call your friends, invite them for a walk or just sit with you in a cafe. Sometimes it's enough just to play computer games, read a fascinating book, you can always find something that gives you pleasure.
6. Imagine more often a positive outcome of events, and not vice versa. We often worry that something might end badly, and we imagine it in vivid colors. Try to do the opposite and imagine that everything ended well. This will help you reduce anxiety neurosis.
7. Remove everything from your life that gives rise to an anxiety disorder. Typically, watching the news or crime programs, which often talk about something negative, creates an even greater feeling of anxiety. Therefore, try not to watch them.

Psychological tricks to help get rid of fear

Give yourself 20 minutes a day when you can completely surrender to your anxiety and think about what worries you most. You can let yourself go and even cry. But when the allotted time comes to an end, stop yourself from even thinking about it and get on with your daily activities.

Find a quiet place in your apartment where nothing will disturb you. Sit comfortably, relax, breathe deeply. Imagine that in front of you is a burning piece of wood, from which smoke rises into the air. Imagine that this smoke is your alarm. Watch how it rises into the sky and dissolves completely until the piece of wood burns out. Just watch it without trying to influence the movement of the smoke in any way.

Do some handicrafts. Monotonous work helps to distract from unnecessary thoughts and make life more serene.

Even if you can't get rid of anxious thoughts at first, over time you will learn to do it. The main thing is to follow the advice and you will gradually become less worried.

Getting rid of fear - advice from psychologists

Psychologists suggest using several tricks to get rid of fear.

1. Art therapy helps cope with feelings of fear. Try to draw your fear and express it on paper. Then burn the piece of paper with the design.
2. When you experience panic attacks, switch to something else to do so that your feeling doesn't deepen and make you feel bad. Do something else that will absorb all your thoughts and your negative feelings will go away.
3. Realize the nature of your fear, sort it out. Try to write down everything you feel and worry about, and then light the paper.
4. Breathing exercise“Inhaling strength and exhaling weakness” will help you get rid of fear. Imagine that as you inhale, courage enters your body, and as you exhale, your body gets rid of fear. You should sit up straight and be relaxed.
5. Face your fear. If you push through it no matter what, it will help you worry less. For example, you are afraid to communicate with someone, go and communicate with him. Or, for example, you are terribly afraid of dogs, watch them, try to pet a harmless dog. This is the most effective way which helps get rid of fear.
6. When panic and anxiety have completely taken over you, breathe deeply 10 times. During this time, your mind will have time to adapt to the surrounding reality and calm down.
7. Sometimes it's good to talk to yourself. This way your experiences will become more understandable to you. You realize the depth of the situation in which you find yourself. Understanding your condition will help you calm down, your heart will no longer beat so fast.
8. Feeling angry will help you shift away from your fear, so find someone that makes you feel this feeling.
9. Find something really funny, it will neutralize panic attacks instantly. You will feel much better after this.

Stop being afraid of your fears

In fact, the feeling of fear helps us overcome life's obstacles and improve our lives. Many people have done great things out of fear. Great musicians were afraid that they would remain unrecognized and composed great music, athletes were afraid of defeat and reached incredible heights, scientists and doctors made discoveries out of fear of something.

This feeling actually mobilizes the strength of our body, makes us act actively and do great things.

You will never be able to overcome your fear by simply letting it go indiscriminately or not paying attention to it. But you can become happier. Try to live with joy, enjoying the current moment. Don't worry too much about past mistakes and constantly dream about the future. This will help you live comfortably and be happy with what you have.

Do something you enjoy and you will feel important to other people. This will help you cope more easily with all the fears and worries in your life.

There are plenty of reasons for the emergence of a state of anxiety: these include imperfect relationships with children, work problems, and dissatisfaction in the personal sphere.

The body instantly reacts to negative thoughts:

• the heart rhythm is disturbed (as a rule, the heartbeat quickens, a tingling sensation may appear, the heart contracts);
• intermittent breathing (or, conversely, there are such long pauses between breaths that discomfort is felt, the person seems to forget to breathe);
• covers either fussiness or apathy - just thinking about the scale of the problem makes you want to do nothing;
• the brain refuses to work productively, even doing routine tasks requires a lot of effort.

When faced with such an unpleasant condition, the first thing you want to do is solve the problem with the help of medications. But, firstly, only a doctor can make such prescriptions; secondly, such drugs negatively affect other body systems.

Cope with increased anxiety Treatment at home will help. We have selected 18 effective recommendations for combating anxiety in adults.

1. Chamomile.

This is a kind of " ambulance» – a cup of tea made from flowers and twigs of a plant brings a feeling of peace immediately. The effect is provided by substances contained in the plant. In terms of their effect on the body, they are identical to tranquilizers such as diazepam (they bind to the same dopamine receptors as the compounds in pharmaceutical drugs).

Chamomile flowers also contain the active ingredient apigenin. Thanks to its antispasmodic effect, this flavonoid soothes and relieves pain symptoms, helps relax.

Chamomile (with long-term use, at least a month) can help even in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.

2. Green tea.

Perhaps it is this drink that helps Buddhist monks maintain peace and concentration during hours of meditation - green tea It has been present in their diet for 13 centuries.

L-theanine has a calming effect on all body systems. The amino acid normalizes heart rate, blood pressure, and reduces anxiety. Those who consume 4-5 servings of the drink per day are calmer and more focused. In addition, green tea is part of a group of natural remedies that protect against the development of cancer.

3. Hops.

It is used not only in the preparation of a popular foamy drink, but also to relieve anxiety.

It is easy to prepare hop cones yourself (in mid- or late August). Hops are harvested when the inside of the cones turn yellow-green with a pinkish tint. We need to pay attention to weather ripening can occur at the end of July - (if the summer is hot).

The sedative properties of the plant appear not only when brewed; it is useful for relieving anxiety and essential oil hops, its tincture and extract. But the taste of the tea is not pleasant - it is very bitter, so it is better to combine hop cones with mint, chamomile, and honey. If the goal is to improve sleep, it is good to add valerian to the hops (for example, making an aromatic sachet).

When using others sedatives combining them with taking hop cones is not recommended. It would be a good idea to notify the doctor of your desire to use this natural remedy to combat anxiety.

4. Valerian.

Some of the remedies listed above reduce anxiety, but do not have a sedative effect (like green tea, for example). But valerian is from a different group: the plant causes drowsiness and contains sedative compounds that help fight insomnia.

Not everyone likes the taste and smell of the plant, so valerian tea is not as popular as tincture or capsule preparation. To improve the taste, the plant can be combined with mint or lemon balm, honey.

While taking this medication, plan your day so that after taking it you will no longer need to drive or perform tasks that require precision and concentration. Valerian greatly relaxes both the body and the brain.

5. Melissa.

Another plant that has been used since the Middle Ages to reduce stress levels and solve sleep problems.

Melissa is safe and beneficial only when used in moderation. Exceeding the dosage is fraught with increased anxiety. Therefore, you need to take infusions, tea, capsules, lemon balm, starting with small portions (for infusion - no more than 150 ml per day). It is not advisable for hypotensive patients to use this remedy, as lemon balm reduces blood pressure.

6. Passionflower.

Passion flower is the second name for passionflower, along with medicines relieves anxiety attacks, is used to treat insomnia.

May cause drowsiness, enhances the effect of other sedatives. Passion flower is best used as a one-time remedy to help relieve anxiety (in extreme cases, use no more than two weeks).

7. Lavender.

The intoxicating aroma of the plant soothes and helps balance emotional condition. You can often smell lavender in the reception area dental clinics or others medical institutions. And this is not an accident: it has been experimentally proven that the aroma has a calming effect and helps those waiting for a doctor’s appointment to relax.

In another study, students inhaled the scent of lavender oil during exams. And although anxiety levels decreased, some students noted a decrease in concentration. Therefore, people whose work requires good coordination and quick reactions should carefully use products with lavender.

8. Omega-3 fats.

For those who have had to deal with the treatment of heart ailments, this group of fats is well known. Omega-3 (for example, fish oil) helps restore vascular permeability and restore their elasticity. They are useful when you need to calm your nerves and get rid of a depressive mood.

There are omega-3 in salmon, anchovies, sardines, mussels, vegetable oil(olive, flaxseed), nuts. But it is preferable to get omega-3 supplies from seafood, as they contain a higher concentration of these substances.

9. Exercises.

Exercise is good for your muscles and joints, as well as your brain. Moreover, they can be used both as an urgent remedy to help relieve tension and have an effect in the long term.

Physical activity improves self-esteem and makes you feel healthier. The result of your efforts can be assessed objectively – both by appearance and by how you feel. Improving health removes the cause for concern even for people prone to reflection.

10. Holding your breath.

Short-term hypoxia and then filling the body with oxygen can reduce anxiety. You can use a technique borrowed from yoga, it is called “breathing on a count of 4-7-8.”

Before you let air into your lungs, you need to exhale powerfully (through your mouth). Inhale (through your nose) for four counts, hold your breath for 7 seconds, then exhale as powerfully as you did at the beginning (for 8 seconds). 2-3 repetitions a day are enough. This practice is also useful in the treatment of insomnia.

11. Adjustment of sugar levels.

Often irritability and anxiety increase for a banal reason - a person is hungry. At the same time, sugar levels drop, which affects mood and behavior.

It is necessary to keep foods with you for a quick snack: nuts (raw and unsalted), whole grain bread, fruit, dark chocolate, a sandwich with lean meat and herbs.

Snacking on processed foods (sausages, smoked meats), sweets only aggravates the condition due to sharp jumps glucose levels. Very soon the body will again require food and return to a state of irritation.

12. Effect of 21 minutes.

If the thought of systematic exercise scares you, it is enough to find just 21 minutes a day in your schedule - this time period is enough to relieve anxiety.

In this case, it is necessary to choose an aerobic exercise: running, jumping, walking on an elliptical (or regular) staircase; in extreme cases, a regular walk is also suitable (if you keep a high pace).

13. Mandatory breakfast.

Those who suffer from increased anxiety often ignore breakfast. An excuse can be too much workload (when every minute, especially in the morning, is precious), or lack of appetite, or fear of gaining weight.

Choice the right products will not only charge good mood for a long time, but it will also have a beneficial effect on the figure. One of the obligatory dishes during the morning meal should be scrambled eggs (also suitable boiled eggs, omelette). This product fills the body with protein, healthy fats, which allows you to feel full longer. Eggs contain choline - low levels of this element in the body provoke anxiety attacks.

14. Refusal of negative thinking.

When anxiety attacks, there is no room left for positive thoughts; pictures, one more terrible than the other, scroll through your head again and again. Moreover, the likelihood of such a bad development of the situation may be negligible.

This flow of negativity needs to be stopped as early as possible by practicing deep breathing and looking at the problem from all sides. If you work through the situation soberly, without emotions, it will become clear that everything is fixable, and the order of necessary actions will immediately emerge.

15. Sauna or bathhouse.

When heated, the body relaxes, muscle tension subsides, and anxiety decreases.

Even the neutron networks that control mood (including those responsible for the production of serotonin) change under the influence of heat. It’s not for nothing that after the procedure there is a feeling of peace, calm, and your head literally clears up.

16. Walk in the forest.

The Japanese know a lot about maintaining health, including emotional health. The popular practice of shinrin-yoku helps restore psychological balance.

The procedure is also available to residents of other countries – it’s an ordinary walk along forest paths. It is preferable to visit a coniferous forest, receiving a portion of phytoncides as a bonus.

The surrounding aromas, sounds, and the need to walk on uneven ground have a calming effect on the psyche. After just 20 minutes of walking, your stress levels are significantly reduced.

17. Mindfulness meditation.

This Buddhist practice is effective in treating anxiety disorder. It helps to realize the importance of each moment, and to critically evaluate what is actually happening, and not the terrible pictures drawn by the overflowing imagination under the influence of panic.

You can start by simply concentrating on what is happening, the most ordinary things, the main thing is not to allow your consciousness to slip into fantasy (especially with a negative connotation).

18. Statement of the problem.

Finding ways to deal with increased anxiety already indicates that the person has realized the problem. The ability to analyze your emotional state and draw the right conclusions is a good sign and the first step towards improving your condition.

When you know the problem in person, it is easier to solve it. Further steps include working on positive thinking (such as reframing) and making lifestyle changes.

Constantly being in a state of anxiety over time destroys not only emotional health, but also physical. Use these recommendations to combat stress, and if there is no improvement, seek help from a specialist.

Every person since childhood has at least once experienced panic and fear for no reason. The strong excitement that comes out of nowhere, the feeling of overwhelming panic, cannot be forgotten; it accompanies a person everywhere. People suffering from phobias are very familiar with bouts of unreasonable fear. discomfort pre-fainting state, trembling of the limbs, the appearance of deafness and goosebumps before the eyes, rapid pulse, sudden headache, weakness throughout the body, nausea.

The reason for this state is easily explained - an unfamiliar environment, new people, anxiety before a performance, exams or an unpleasant serious conversation, fear in the doctor’s or boss’s office, anxiety and worries about your life and the lives of loved ones. Causal anxieties and fears are treatable and are facilitated by withdrawing from the situation or ending the action that causes discomfort.

Much more complicated situation when an alarming feeling of panic and fear arises for no reason. Anxiety is a constant, restless, growing feeling of inexplicable fear that occurs in the absence of danger and threat to a person’s life. Psychologists distinguish 6 types of anxiety disorders:

1. Alarm attacks. They appear when a person has to experience the same exciting episode or unpleasant event that has already happened in his life and its outcome is unknown.
2. Generalized disorder. A person with this disorder constantly feels like something is going to happen or something is going to happen.
3. Phobias. This is the fear of non-existent objects (monsters, ghosts), the experience of a situation or action (heights-flying, water-swimming) that do not actually pose a danger.
4. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. This intrusive thoughts that an action forgotten by a person can harm someone, endless rechecking of these actions (faucet not turned off, iron not turned off), actions repeated many times (washing hands, cleaning).
5. Social disorder. It manifests itself as very strong shyness (stage fright, fear of crowds).
6. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Constant fear that the events that resulted in injuries or a threat to life will happen again.

Interesting! A person cannot name a single reason for his anxiety state, but can explain how he is overcome by a feeling of panic - the imagination produces a variety of terrible pictures from everything that a person has seen, knows or read.

A person feels the attacks of a panic attack physically. Sudden attack deep anxiety is accompanied by a decrease, constriction of blood vessels, numbness of the arms and legs, a feeling of the unreality of what is happening, confused thoughts, a desire to run away and hide.

There are three distinct types of panic:

• Spontaneous - occurs unexpectedly, without reasons or circumstances.
• Situational - appears when a person expects an unpleasant situation or some difficult problem.
• Conditional-situational - manifests itself as a result of the use of a chemical substance (alcohol, tobacco, drugs).

It happens that visible reasons No. Seizures occur on their own. Anxiety and fear haunt a person, but at these moments of life nothing threatens him, there are no difficult physical and psychological situations. Attacks of anxiety and fear increase, preventing a person from living, working, communicating and dreaming normally.

Main symptoms of attacks

Constant fear that alarm attack will begin at the most unexpected moment and in any crowded place (on a bus, in a cafe, in a park, in a workplace) only strengthens a person’s consciousness, already destroyed by anxiety.

Physiological changes during a panic attack that warn of an imminent attack:

• cardiopalmus;
• feeling of anxiety in thoracic region(bursting in the chest, incomprehensible pain, “lump in the throat”);
• changes and surges in blood pressure;
• development ;
• lack of air;
• fear of imminent death;
• feeling of heat or cold, nausea, vomiting, dizziness;
• temporary absence acute vision or hearing loss, coordination problems;
• loss of consciousness;
• uncontrolled urination.

All this can cause irreparable harm to human health.

Important! Physical disorders such as spontaneous vomiting, debilitating migraines, anorexia or bulimia can become chronic. A person with a damaged psyche will not be able to live a full life.

Hangover anxiety

A hangover is a headache, unbearable dizziness, no way to remember yesterday's events, nausea and vomiting, disgust for what was drunk and eaten yesterday. A person has already become accustomed to this condition, and it does not cause any concern, but as it develops gradually, the problem can develop into serious psychosis. When a person drinks alcohol large quantities, there is a failure in circulatory system and the brain does not receive enough blood and oxygen, a similar disorder occurs in spinal cord. This is how vegetative-vascular dystonia appears.

Symptoms alarming hangover are:

• disorientation;
• memory lapses - a person cannot remember where he is and what year he lives in;
• hallucinations - not understanding whether it is a dream or reality;
• rapid pulse, dizziness;
• sense of anxiety.

In severely drunk people, in addition to the main symptoms, aggression and persecution mania appear - all this gradually begins to take on a more complex form: delirium tremens and manic-depressive psychosis begin. Chemicals have a destructive effect on the nervous system and brain, painful sensations so unpleasant that a person thinks about suicide. Depending on the severity of the anxiety hangover, drug treatment is indicated.

Anxiety neurosis

Physical and psychological fatigue, mild or acute stressful situations are the causes of the appearance in humans anxiety neurosis. This disorder often develops into a more complex form of depression or even a phobia. Therefore, you need to start treating anxiety neurosis as early as possible.

Suffer from this disorder more women, since they are more vulnerable hormonal background. Symptoms of neurosis:

• sense of anxiety;
• heartbeat;
• dizziness;
• pain in different organs.

Important! Young people with an unstable psyche, with problems in the endocrine system, women during menopause and hormonal imbalance, as well as people whose relatives suffered from neuroses or depression are susceptible to anxiety neurosis.

IN acute period neurosis, a person experiences a feeling of fear, which turns into a panic attack, which can last up to 20 minutes. There is shortness of breath, lack of air, trembling, disorientation, dizziness, and fainting. Treatment of anxiety neurosis involves taking hormonal medications.

Depression

A mental disorder in which a person cannot enjoy life, enjoy communicating with loved ones, does not want to live, is called depression and can last up to 8 months. Many people are at risk of developing this disorder if they have:

• unpleasant events - loss of loved ones, divorce, problems at work, absence of friends and family, financial problems, poor health or stress;
• psychological trauma;
• relatives suffering from depression;
• traumas received in childhood;
• self-prescribed medications taken;
• drug use (alcohol and amphetamines);
• previous head injury;
• various episodes of depression;
• chronic conditions (diabetes, chronic illness lung and cardiovascular diseases).

Important! If a person has symptoms such as lack of mood, depression, apathy independent of circumstances, lack of interest in any type of activity, a pronounced lack of strength and desire, fast fatiguability, then the diagnosis is obvious.

Man suffering depressive disorder, is pessimistic, aggressive, anxious, experiences constant feelings of guilt, is unable to concentrate, has poor appetite, insomnia, and has thoughts of suicide.

Prolonged undiagnosed depression can lead a person to use alcohol or other types of substances, which will significantly affect his health, life and the lives of his loved ones.

Such different phobias

A person suffering from anxiety disorders, who also experiences anxiety, is on the verge of transitioning to a more serious neurotic and mental illness. If fear is the fear of something real (animals, events, people, circumstances, objects), then phobia is a disease of a sick imagination, when fear and its consequences are invented. A person suffering from a phobia constantly sees objects or waits for situations that are unpleasant and frightening to him, which explains attacks of causeless fear. Having thought up and built up danger and threat in his mind, a person begins to experience a feeling of severe anxiety, panic begins, attacks of suffocation begin, hands sweat, legs become weak, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness.

The types of phobias are very different and are classified according to the expression of fear:

• social phobia - fear of being the center of attention;
• agoraphobia - fear of being helpless.

Phobias associated with objects, objects or actions:

• animals or insects - fear of dogs, spiders, flies;
• situations - fear of being alone with yourself, with foreigners;
• natural forces - fear of water, light, mountains, fire;
• health - fear of doctors, blood, microorganisms;
• states and actions - fear of speaking, walking, flying;
• objects - fear of computers, glass, wood.

Attacks of restlessness and anxiety in a person can be caused by seeing an example situation in a movie or theater, from which he once in reality received mental trauma. Attacks of unreasonable fear often occur due to the running wild of the imagination, which produced terrible pictures of a person’s fears and phobias, causing a panic attack.

Watch this video from useful exercise“How to get rid of fear and anxiety”:

Diagnosis established

A person lives in a constant restless state, which is aggravated by causeless fear, and anxiety attacks become frequent and long-lasting, he is diagnosed with "". This diagnosis is indicated by the presence of at least four recurring symptoms:

• rapid pulse;
• hot rapid breathing;
• attacks of suffocation;
• stomach ache;
• feeling of “not your body”;
• fear of death;
• fear of going crazy;
• chills or sweating;
• chest pain;
• fainting.

Independent and medical assistance

Specialists in the field of psychology (for example, psychologist Nikita Valerievich Baturin) will help you timely find out the causes of anxiety, which is why panic attacks occur, and will also find out how to treat a particular phobia and get rid of attacks of unreasonable fear.

Can be assigned different types therapies carried out by a specialist:

• body-oriented psychotherapy;
• psychoanalysis;
• neurolinguistic programming;
• systemic family psychotherapy;

Besides drug treatment, you can try to prevent or alleviate anxiety on your own. It could be:

• - breathe with your stomach or inflate a balloon;
• taking a contrast shower;
• distracting counting of objects in the room or outside the window;
• taking herbal tinctures;
• playing sports or doing something you love;
• walks in the open air.

Relatives, family and friends of a person suffering from disorders can be of great help in identifying the problem. By talking to a person, you can learn much faster and more about his illness; he himself may never talk about his fears and anxieties.

Support from family and friends kind words and by deed, compliance simple rules during periods of panic attacks and anxiety, regular visits to specialists and systematic implementation of their recommendations - all this contributes to the rapid relief of existing disorders and complete relief from them.

Worry for no reason is a problem that people face, regardless of their gender, age, health status, or position in society. Many of us believe that the reason for this inexplicably arising fear lies in environmental factors, and few have the courage to admit to themselves that the problem lies within ourselves. Or rather, not even in us, but in how we perceive the events of our lives, how we react to the natural needs and demands of the psyche.

It often happens that a person lives for years with similar problems, which accumulate over time, causing much more serious difficulties and disruptions. Having realized as a result that he is not able to cope with the deep-rooted disorder on his own, the patient turns to a psychotherapist, who makes a diagnosis of “generalized anxiety disorder.” Read below about what this disease is, what causes it, and whether it can be overcome.

The first symptoms of causeless excitement

A person's reaction to danger (real or imagined) always includes both a mental and physiological response. That is why there are a number of bodily symptoms that accompany a vague feeling of fear. Signs of anxiety for no reason can be different, here are the most common ones:

• , rhythm disturbances, “fading” of the heart;
• convulsions, trembling of hands and feet, feeling of weak knees;
• increased sweating;
• chills, fever, trembling;
• lump in throat, dry mouth;
• pain and discomfort in the solar plexus area;
• dyspnea;
• nausea, vomiting, intestinal upset;
• increase/decrease in blood pressure.

The list of symptoms of causeless anxiety can be continued indefinitely.

Generalized anxiety disorder and “ordinary” anxiety: differences

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that there is normal condition anxiety, which is inherent in every person, and the so-called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which in no case should be confused. Unlike anxiety, which happens from time to time, obsessive symptoms GAD can accompany a person with enviable consistency.

Unlike “ordinary” anxiety, which does not interfere with your Everyday life, work, communication with loved ones, GAD is capable of interfering in your personal life, rebuilding and radically changing your habits and the entire rhythm of everyday life. Also, generalized anxiety disorder differs from simple anxiety in that you are not able to control it; anxiety greatly depletes your emotional and even physical strength, anxiety does not leave you day after day (minimum period - six months).

Symptoms of an anxiety disorder include:

• constant feeling of concern;
• inability to subordinate experiences to control;
• an obsessive desire to know how the situation will develop in the future, that is, to subordinate everything to personal control;
• increased fear and anxiety;
• obsessive thoughts that you or your loved ones will certainly get into trouble;
• inability to relax (especially when alone);
• absent-minded attention;
• mild excitability;
• irritability;
• a feeling of weakness or, conversely, excessive tension throughout the body;
• , feeling groggy in the morning, difficulty falling asleep and restless sleep.

If you observe at least a few of specified symptoms, who do not give up their positions for a long time, it is quite possible that you have an anxiety disorder.

Personal and social causes of anxiety disorder

The emotion of fear always has a source, while an incomprehensible feeling of anxiety overtakes a person as if for no reason. Reveal its fundamental principle without qualified assistance very difficult. An obsessive expectation of a catastrophe or failure, a feeling that soon something bad will happen to the person himself, his child or one of the family members - all this becomes familiar to a patient suffering from unreasonable anxiety.

It is interesting that personal and social upheavals often affect a person’s state of mind not at the very moment of their occurrence, but after some time. In other words, when life returns to normal, the subconscious presents us with a problem that has already been experienced, but not processed, resulting in neurosis.

If we were wild animals who have to fight for survival every second, perhaps everything would be simpler - after all, animals are deprived neurotic disorders. But due to the fact that we have no use for the instinct of self-preservation in everyday routine, the guidelines shift, and we begin to transfer it to any minor trouble, inflating it to the size of a universal catastrophe.

Biological and genetic aspects of the problem

Interestingly, the nature of the mechanism of causeless anxiety is not fully known. However, recent research in this area proves that in addition to personal and social upheavals that can affect the emergence obsessive anxiety, there are biological and genetic factors. For example, there is a possibility that a parent suffering from GAD will have a child who is also prone to this disorder.

Interesting information was obtained during latest research in this area: it has been proven that excessive stress can cause changes to occur in the brain. So, with severe fear, certain areas in the cerebral cortex are activated. When the feeling of fear passes, the activated neural networks return to normal functioning.

But it happens that a settlement never occurs. In this case, excessive stress causes the medial prefrontal cortex to “grow” new neural fibers that grow towards the amygdala. They contain an inhibitory GABA peptide, the negative feature of which is increased anxiety.

This mechanism can be considered evidence that human body tries to cope with an unresolved problem on his own, to “process” the stress that has settled deep inside him. The fact that there is a change in the functioning of neural networks proves that the brain is struggling with distress. It is unknown whether he will be able to cope with the problem on his own, since usually fear is firmly “stuck” in the head and flares up at the slightest reminder of a stressful situation.

What's going on in your head?

In the subconscious of every person live his personal fears, which have happened to others, and therefore, in his opinion, can happen to him or his loved ones. It is from here that the legs of our panic attacks and unreasonable anxieties “grow.” The problem is that in case real danger, a person will most likely find a way out, but we don’t know how to deal with internal disturbing “cockroaches”.

As a result, we are faced not with the cause of anxiety, but with its replacement - a picture of this or that event chewed and digested by our perception and the instinct for self-preservation that craves activity. Moreover, this picture is deliberately dramatized to the limit - otherwise we are simply not interested.

An important role in this process Brain biochemistry also plays a role. During the development of the mechanisms of generalized anxiety disorder, changes in the level of neurotransmitters in the brain are observed. Main function of neurotransmitters (mediators) is to ensure “delivery” chemical substances from one nerve cells to others. If there is an imbalance in the functioning of the mediators, delivery cannot occur properly. As a result, the brain begins to react to ordinary problems more vulnerable, which leads to the development of unreasonable anxieties.

Breaking Bad…

To somehow cope with an unreasonable feeling anxiety, a person usually chooses one of the most accessible paths:

• someone “copes” with anxiety with the help of drugs, alcohol or nicotine;
• others take the path of workaholics;
• Some people suffering from causeless anxiety focus on their social position;
• someone devotes their entire life to some scientific or religious idea;
• some “muffle” anxiety with an overly busy and often promiscuous sex life.

It is easy to guess that each of these paths obviously leads to failure. Therefore, instead of ruining the lives of yourself and those around you, it is better to follow much more promising scenarios.

How is generalized anxiety disorder diagnosed?

If symptoms of an anxiety disorder persist over a long period of time, your doctor will often recommend full examination patient. Since there are no tests that could help diagnose GAD, tests are usually used for this purpose - they help determine whether there is a particular physical ailment that could cause these symptoms.

The patient's stories and examination results, the timing and intensity of symptoms become the basis for making a diagnosis of GAD. As for the last two points, the signs of an anxiety disorder must be regular for six months and so strong that the patient’s usual rhythm of life is disrupted (even to the point of forcing him to miss work or school).

Searching for a way out

Usually at the root of the problem lies a complex lump of so-called dominants and stereotypes with which our subconscious is teeming. Of course, the easiest way is to attribute your own anxious reactions to certain life difficulties, to your personal failure, to your temperament, or even worse, to heredity.

However, as the experience of psychotherapy shows, a person is able to control the work of his consciousness, subconscious and entire mental apparatus in such a way as to cope with generalized anxiety disorder. How can he do this?

We present three options for the development of events. However, if the tips below do not help you, you should not bear the burden of unreasonable anxiety on your own: in this case, you should seek the help of qualified specialists.

Scenario No. 1: ignoring provocation

An inexplicable feeling of anxiety is often associated with irritation due to the fact that we cannot find the cause of fear. Thus, it turns out that this or that situation that causes us anxiety is a priori irritable. And in this case, the principle of refusing the provocation that your own subconscious gives you is effective: you need to try to redirect the irritation in another direction.

Scenario #2: Controlling Muscle Tension

Since emotions and muscles act interconnectedly, you can deal with causeless anxiety this way: as soon as you feel increasing signs of approaching fear (rapid heartbeat, sweating, and so on), you need to give yourself a mental order not to let them get out of control. Try to recognize them as the inevitable accompanying “baggage” of anxiety, but don’t let muscle tension take over you completely. You will see: negative bodily sensations in this case will not develop into something more serious.

Scenario #3: Negative emotions do not need to be justified

In a moment of causeless anxiety, you should not look for a logical justification for your negative psychological reaction. Of course, there is a justification for your fears, but in seconds emotional stress you most likely will not be able to soberly evaluate them. As a result, the subconscious will present you on a silver platter with something that is not at all what it should be.

Let's summarize and draw conclusions

So, anxiety for no reason is most often the result of our unreasonably inflated reaction to an event that, in fact, should have caused a much smaller flurry of emotions. As a result, a person's response to anxiety becomes irritability, apathy, or...

To cope with these negative aspects, it is advisable to contact an experienced psychotherapist who uses, will give useful advice. Doing your best work on this problem on your own will also not be superfluous: in order to combat negative emotions and experience less anxiety, try to implement the scenarios described above into life.

Worry for no reason