Sanity & Creativity, Defining Anxiety.

A blog post in the "Sanity & Creativity" segment of the Mental Health and Wellness section in my class media teams' digital web magazine.

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The most common obstacle encountered on the path to mental stability is anxiety.

The phenomenon is commonly described as the looming or persistent feeling of tension and unease. A brew that makes for a troubled and restless mind indeed. Although there is a lot of stigma and illiteracy about mental health in general, one thing that is an absolute truth is that anxiety is a natural emotion experienced by countless amounts of people all over the world. Know you are never alone.

One of the things we know about anxiety is that it is an often complex response to reality or our perception of it. Its effects can include cognitive, physical, and behavioural symptoms or changes. Although causes for anxiety beyond genetics, brain chemistry, and the environment are unknown, over the years studies have discovered increasing amounts of information about the differences in its manifestations and corresponding treatments. When the effects of one’s anxiety do not go away and begin to interfere with daily life, it's then classified as a disorder. The different anxiety disorders that exist are recorded in what is called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders: 5th Edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR).

The first and most common is Generalised Anxiety Disorder. This disorder is characterised by excessive and long-lasting worries about nonspecific and ordinary events or occurrences. The second notable one is Panic disorder. The main clinical symptoms of this form of anxiety include sudden waves of intense fear, shaking, dizziness, nausea, and breathing difficulties that often escalate rapidly. Phobia is the final disorder I designated as being pertinant. People with phobias tend to avoid or live in fear of objects and situations they consider uncomfortable or threatening in nature even if they recognise the feeling as illogical. The last two disorders are usually related to specific causes or triggers like trauma. However, something that they all have in common is that, to some regard, they can be treated.

If you feel like your anxiety is crippling your life, know that there are ways out there for you to be helped. Most professionals would suggest that you undergo forms of psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which teaches you to recognise and change the harmful thought patterns that are the root of your anxiety. There is also a lot of medicine that is used to treat a wide range of mental illnesses that are available to help those in need. So it is never too late to help yourself, daunting though it might be, all it takes is knowing to take the first step towards a better you. I know it’s possible because I’ve done it too. So can you.