Anxiety is a very common psychological disorder, however, it can be so integrated into daily emotions that it can be difficult to recognize and deal with. It essentially lurks in the shadows and is more commonplace than one might think. Realizing this may not only help provide individuals with anxiety some comfort, but also may help to reduce how isolating it can feel to have a psychological disorder. It’s important to recognize the signs of anxiety for not only yourself, but anyone else who may be dealing with it so you may offer some help or at least be able to point them in the right direction.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a psychological disorder or a set of symptoms that are not clinically diagnosable, but still present the same. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread and uneasiness. These feelings may be triggered by something presently or in the past, or come on suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere.

It is completely normal to feel anxious when faced with a challenge, difficult problem or a high stakes opportunity. It is even normal to feel anxiety before doing anything that is fear provoking, new, and/or scary. However, it becomes a problem when this anxiety is debilitating, meaning that instead of boosting you or providing mild sensations that you can overcome, it freezes you to the point of not being able to do anything.

Anxiety disorders are an exacerbation of this feeling because they last longer and are more consistent. These are conditions in which the anxiety doesn’t go away and can actually get worse overtime. Symptoms can interfere with your daily activities and be so generalized that you can’t do anything.

There are various types of anxiety disorders including:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder: constant worry about ordinary issues like health, money, work and family. These worries are excessive and persistent for at least six months.
  • Panic disorder: present with panic attacks, or sudden repeated periods of intense fear when there is no danger. The attacks come on quickly and can last several minutes or more.
  • Phobias: an intense fear of something that poses little or no actual danger like spiders, flying, crowds, and social situations.

The cause of these disorders is unknown but there are risk factors including personality traits, traumatic events, and a family history of anxiety.

How can anxiety look?

Anxiety can take on a variety of appearances which is why we are describing it as a shadow. Anxiety seems to just slip around in the background, seeming unnoticed except for those who have familiarity with that individual. Even certain people don’t know that they have anxiety and think that their worries and fears are 100% normal and justifiable.

This is why it’s hard to create a picture of what anxiety looks like. In general, anxiety looks like the activation of your sympathetic nervous system. This is the part of your brain that tells you “We’re being chased by a bear, we either need to run or stay and fight.” The heart rate increases, blood starts pumping faster, and our bodies go into defense mode.

This can be really hard to identify on another person, but it should be easier to identify on ourselves. If you are in a situation and you notice you start sweating, your throat feels tight, and your heart is pounding in your chest like a drum, then you may be experiencing some anxiety. If this happens all the time and over very menial things, or even nothing, then you may have an anxiety disorder, especially if this has been happening for a long time.

As far as identifying it on another person, that can be a bit trickier but not impossible. Look for some common signs including turning pale or red, signs of heavy breathing, and a general appearance of uneasiness. If you ask the person how they’re feeling and they sound unsure or not very steady, then definitely check on them and see how they’re doing. Anxiety can also take the form of compulsive or strange behaviors like pacing or are unable to be still. If you notice, many people perform these actions which should give you an idea about how prevalent anxiety is.

What are some beneficial treatments or coping skills for anxiety?

There are quite a few different options for individuals with anxiety and it’s up to each person how they want to respond to these feelings. Therapy is an option, as well as medicine like antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications.
There are also more affordable coping skills to do on your own if medicine and advanced forms of treatment are not an option.

Exercise is a beneficial treatment to anxiety. It tires the body out and may help to regulate your hormones so that way there is no hyperactivation over everyday activities.

Spending time with friends and family is also another way that may help relieve anxiety, especially if your anxiety is triggered by loneliness. Be intentional about making dates with close friends and family and sticking to them. The extra bodies around could definitely be helpful.

Meditation, mindfulness, yoga and other forms of brain exercises are great tools to use for anxiety. These exercises are designed to help improve your focus so you can relax whatever thoughts are triggering your anxiety. If someone you know is having anxiety-related issues, then go and speak with them and ask them things that require their whole attention like what they did that day or if they could travel anywhere, where would they go? Unbeknownst to them, you are giving them exercises to help maintain their focus on the present and take their focus away from what’s bothering them.

How can you help you or someone you know?

The best help for anxiety is the one that you or someone you know will do. This means that if talking to someone or taking medication is not a major preference, then that isn’t a good treatment option or way to help. Sure, therapy, lifestyle changes and potentially medication may be a good combination, but only for those who are going to follow through with the treatment.

If you would like to help yourself, it’s important to be honest about what may be bothering you and recognizing that something is wrong. From there, you can begin to reflect on what brings on these feelings and what you can do to remove those triggers or reminders. If you feel as if you cannot take on these things yourself, then it’s perfectly acceptable to speak with a counselor, mentor, religious leader, or even family member about what’s going on and just ask them to be a support person.

As an individual who does not have anxiety, but wants to help someone, then it’s important to provide that support for individuals who are experiencing anxiety. Although a slight push in the direction towards help may be necessary, timing is everything. If someone is not in the mood or mindset to make a change, then they may move even further in the opposite direction. Find times when they seem the most approachable and just ask what is wrong and then ask if you can offer them help and guidance. By letting them be in charge of the next steps, but knowing you’re there as a supporter, then they may feel more empowered to make positive changes about their health.