Anxiety: Symptoms, Causes and Prevention

More than 19 million adults in the U.S.suffer from anxiety disorders. Women have a higher diagnosis of anxiety than men do but race is not a factor in predicting anxiety. Provo counseling specializes in working with patients who suffer from anxiety disorders, helping them regain control of their lives.

Today’s medical community has a great understanding and increased knowledge surrounding anxiety. Anxiety is a mental response to physical and/or mental stimuli and upon being provoked causes a physical reaction. The general, most common symptoms of anxiety disorders include:

• Obsessive thoughts that are often uncontrollable and consuming
• Vivid flashbacks or thoughts of traumatic experiences
• Difficulty sleeping
• Overwhelming feelings of panic, fear, dread and/or uneasiness
• Nightmares
• Heart Palpitations
• Dizziness
• Extreme muscle tension
• Nausea
• Difficulty breathing and/or shortness of breath
• Numbness or tingling in extremities
• Dry mouth
• Difficulty remaining still and/or calm
• Ritualistic behaviors, e.g., excessive hand washing
• Extremely cold or sweaty hands and/or feet

Medical science indicates that while the exact cause of anxiety is unknown, it does involve a combination of environmental and physical factors. Changes in brain chemistry coupled with environmental stress trigger anxiety. Long ago anxiety was thought to be a personal character flaw or due to upbringing, though these ascertains have been refuted. Anxiety is a real, documented medical condition. Science also indicates that anxiety disorders are more common in families, pointing to a biological trait or a gene(s) that coupled with certain environmental stimuli or trauma can become triggered.

While anxiety is not preventable, it can be reduced or controlled. Seeking the guidance of Utah counselors is recommended, as they are specialists trained to diagnosis and treat all types of anxiety. People can help reduce anxiety by decreasing caffeine consumption and confirming with a doctor and/or pharmacist that over the counter products do not contain medication(s) that increases anxiety symptoms. Most importantly, therapists in Provo can work with people that have experienced trauma to help reduce anxiety and learn appropriate coping mechanisms, which can include Psychotherapy and/or Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.