Anxiety is a perfectly normal emotion. When we start a job in a new environment, sit an exam, or make a major decision, we all experience some degree of anxiety. In situations like these, we would rarely call it an "anxiety problem". But if your anxiety lasts unusually long or runs unusually deep, and the anxiety has already begun to hinder your daily life, you may be struggling with an anxiety problem. Under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research findings estimate that 14% of Hong Kongers had anxiety symptoms reaching the level of moderate anxiety. Anxiety Disorder refers to a range of psychological disorders, including Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, and so on (the post-traumatic stress disorder we have shared about before is also a type of anxiety disorder). Living in a society full of pressure, we all need to understand our own psychological state and how we can maintain our mental health.
What symptoms does an anxiety disorder have?
When we usually mention "anxiety", we may all focus on the emotional response. The symptoms of anxiety, however, can be divided into four domains: physical, emotional, behavioural, and cognitive.
The physical responses anxiety brings include a faster heartbeat and breathing, gastrointestinal discomfort, dizziness and headaches, sweating, sleep problems, and trembling limbs.
The emotional impact, beyond worry and tension, can also make a person more easily irritated and agitated. It is worth noting that these emotions are often out of proportion to the actual circumstances and difficult to bring under control; they are not something that can be eased simply by being told "don't worry so much".
Behavioural change is an often-overlooked symptom of anxiety. The behaviours anxiety triggers include avoiding particular situations or objects, and misusing alcohol or drugs. People troubled by anxiety problems often want to resolve them by avoidance or by numbing themselves, yet both of these behaviours can make the anxiety problem worse.
Anxiety problems affect a person's memory and concentration, scramble their thinking, and make it hard to reach decisions — they can cause severe disruption to daily life.
Types of anxiety disorder
Beyond the three types mentioned above, anxiety disorders also include Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia, and Separation Anxiety Disorder. This article will first focus on Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Agoraphobia.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder
If someone is troubled by the above anxiety symptoms for more than six months, and the symptoms do not arise from any specific cause, they may be diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Sufferers usually feel persistent and excessive anxiety, worrying too much about money, health, family, and work, which affects how their daily life functions.
Panic Disorder
A Panic Attack is the most important feature of Panic Disorder. A panic attack makes the sufferer feel intense anxiety and fear, a rapid heartbeat, chest pain, trembling, and a sense of suffocation, as if they cannot control themselves. A panic attack may appear with no obvious cause, and because the symptoms of a panic attack resemble those of heart disease, a non-professional may not be able to make an accurate judgement. People who have been through a panic attack will not necessarily develop Panic Disorder; a person with Panic Disorder, however, has had at least two panic attacks and constantly worries within a one-month period that another panic attack will occur.
Agoraphobia
A panic attack feels extremely distressing, and because it can also cause inconvenience to others, the situation may become awkward, so a person with Panic Disorder fears the next attack and consequently develops avoidant behaviour. A panic attack can potentially trigger Agoraphobia. Because they are afraid a panic attack will occur and do not want to face awkward or helpless situations, people with Agoraphobia feel fearful in circumstances such as using public transport alone, being in a crowd, being in a public place, or being in an enclosed indoor space (such as a cinema), which hinders their daily life.
How to handle anxiety problems
Although our readers are not necessarily troubled by clinical anxiety problems, everyone should take anxiety problems seriously at an early stage, so that the problem does not worsen. Most ways of maintaining mental health are similar to maintaining physical health: have healthy eating and sleep habits, do a moderate amount of exercise each week, and reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol as much as possible. Beyond this, if it feels comfortable for you, gaining more support from family and friends and letting yourself relax for a while every day are both good ways to lower stress and ease your emotions. If the situation does not improve, you can choose to seek help from a professional (such as a counsellor), and be sure to take good care of your own emotions.
TreeholeHK has now launched a psychology service. Tailored to your needs, it draws on psychology to help you handle the difficulties of daily life. The psychology service lets you talk things through fully, provides appropriate guidance and emotional support, helps you make fresh sense of past experiences and come to know yourself, and draws on your inner resources to face life.
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