Everyone feels anxious at times. How can the impact of anxiety on your well-being and quality of life be reduced? Here are some answers.
There are many ways to define or describe anxiety. First, it is a normal part of the human experience and can be felt at varying degrees of intensity. Anxiety often manifests itself as a feeling of unease, excessive worry and loss of control. It is sometimes associated with physical (palpitations, sweating, tightness in the throat, trembling, etc.), psychological (distress, disorganization, confusion, etc.) and emotional (sadness, despair, anger, etc.) reactions. In essence, it is often the cause of discomfort, and even suffering.
The triggers, mechanisms, reactions and manifestations vary greatly from one individual to another. In other words, everyone experiences anxiety differently. Most of the time, it's nothing to worry about. It is simply a signal from the brain to warn us that a situation is threatening or beyond our ability to cope. In reality, this is often a perception, meaning that the anxious person's fears are not always warranted!
The human brain has a very complex and extraordinarily effective defense system against stress. It essentially serves as a means of survival. When faced with a stressful situation, the brain signals the body to activate a "fight or flight" response. The system that protects us so effectively also ensures that our needs are met. Healthy performance stress is therefore absolutely necessary not only for our survival, but also in order to function and change. The medical term for "good stress" is eustress.
Anxiety, on the other hand, is a reaction to stress that could be described as unbalanced, even maladjusted or even disproportionate. The brain perceives that the threat is great, out of control or of unknown origin. This is followed by a perception of loss or lack of ability to cope... and then the anxiety manifests itself in various ways.
The following situations can generate anxiety: flying, public speaking, starting a new job, having financial problems, experiencing a break-up, being late for an appointment. Sometimes there is no obvious or even apparent trigger. For a variety of reasons, some people experience anxiety more often or with greater difficulty. Fortunately, there are concrete ways to prevent anxiety or to better control it when it occurs.
We have said that anxiety is a normal part of life, but for some people, it is a real health problem that falls under the category of mental illness. This is called an anxiety disorder and is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable fear or worry about specific situations, such as:
Panic disorder, which manifests itself suddenly in recurrent, unexpected attacks that cause intense physical and psychological symptoms, also belongs to the anxiety disorder family.
Speak to a doctor or psychologist if you have or think you have an anxiety disorder. This will allow you to receive a diagnosis and benefit from medical and psychological treatment to help you cope with your illness.
Medication can be helpful or necessary, especially for anxiety disorders. However, there are many ways to prevent or control anxiety, no matter how much it affects you.
Mental health is a precious asset that must be cherished every day. Count on the support of your pharmacist, who can help you take care of it!
