Anxiety is often a sign of a mental health disorder—but not always. The possible causes can range from hormonal disfunction to metabolic diseases
Fear is a vital emotion that is justified in many situations. It only becomes a problem when fear arises again and again in harmless, everyday situations – it leads to grueling states of anxiety.
The fact that the body is on constant alert cannot always be explained by a mental illness.
Everyone knows the feeling of fear – it is a mixture of inner restlessness, anxiety and a worries of future, threatening events or situations.
Nobody wants to feel afraid.
And yet in many situations it is not only a completely normal, but also a necessary reaction to danger.
You even need fear to recognize a potential risks and respond for fight or flight.
When afraid, the body releases the stress hormones adrenaline and that’s sharpen your concentration, you feel the muscles get tense.
This survival mode was important for survival of our ancestors in the Stone Age, for example when they faced a dangerous animal.
Now we rarely experiences such life-threatening situations.
Yet fear is a constant companion in everyday life
Fear of being hit by a car causes us to constantly look left and right before crossing a street.
Or it keeps us from approaching an aggressive dog.
But even non-life-threatening situations can cause anxiety, such as important exams, moving or a flight.
Anxiety is different feeling of fear.
Affected people get extreme states of anxiety, even in harmless situations, and often do not know why they feel this way.
Or they may not recognize that it is anxiety. A lot are unaware that they are suffering from anxiety.
Anxiety is characterized by the fact that they do not occur in attacks like a panic attack.
Anxiety comes as a discomfort
Anxiety symptoms can vary from episode to episode:
- strong tension
- restlessness
- Deep thoughts
- Increased heart rate
- shallow but fast breathing
- Tapping with the fingers
- Muscle tension
- Sweat
- damp, cold hands
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Dry mouth
The body goes into survival mode and, as a result, releases stress hormones. The racing heart ensures that the muscles are better supplied with blood; faster breathing means more oxygen is taken in.
Anxiety can also occur in children with the same symptoms. However, it is not always easy for parents to recognize that their child is suffering. Signs are your child frequently complains about headaches or stomach aches, or shows signs of nervousness and inner restlessness.
When the anxiety typically appears can provide information about the possible causes.
It makes a difference whether the anxiety symptoms last all day or only show up in the morning or evening.
The feeling of not being able to get out of bed, depression, anxiety and restlessness in the morning are warning signs of a high level of stress.
Anxiety at night often happens If you don’t have anything to do, then you can quickly get into deep thoughts that prevent you from falling asleep.
There are many reasons why some people develop anxiety while others remain deeply relaxed even in difficult situations – neurobiological, genetic, hormonal and environmental factors come into play.
Anxiety disorders often run in families, so that some people develop a craving for them.
There can be various causes behind the hormonal imbalance – both mental and physical illnesses are possible.
Anxiety disorder as a cause of constant anxiety
Train and reason of an anxiety disorder.
This can take various forms: If the anxiety states have no specific trigger, this indicates a generalized anxiety disorder. If left untreated, it can severely limit the lives of those affected when more and more situations and areas of life are filled with fear.
Anxiety Disorder from Alcohol: Mutual Influence
An anxiety disorder can be made worse by drinking alcohol. Alcohol has an anxiety-relieving and relaxing effect at first. But this condition is not permanent; the next day at the latest, the opposite effect sets in.
Even mentally healthy people can suddenly experience depression and anxiety after a night of drinking. This is called hangxiety.
This causes inner restlessness, anxiety and sleep disorders.
In addition to alcohol, coffee and energy drinks also intensify anxiety symptoms.
Anxiety can be hormonal
Women are twice as likely to be affected by anxiety disorders as men. An important factor for this is the hormonal balance. This is why women in particular often experience anxiety and panic attacks during menopause.
Strong mood swings and feelings of anxiety while on your period. The two sex hormones estrogen and progesterone fluctuate during the menstrual cycle – some women are more sensitive to these changes.
Your thyroid can also be over active and be one of the reasons you experience anxiety.
