Have you ever felt like your mood is simply due to the general stresses of everyday life, but then you find yourself worrying about every little thing and feeling on edge? If you find that you are constantly on edge and worried about things that don’t seem to warrant this level of concern, it might be the result of a larger issue.
What Is That Larger Issue?
Anxiety is generally caused by a combination of factors including genetics, environment, and life events, but it can also be caused by certain medications or a medical condition. Some people may have a physical cause for their anxiety, like a heart condition, while others may have a mental health problem like depression or social anxiety.
As mentioned, in some cases, anxiety & symptoms of anxiety can be caused by an underlying health issue, that may not be mental health related. For example, if your blood sugar drops to a dangerous level, it can cause you to sweat and shake which can be experienced as anxiety. Similarly, if you have an overactive thyroid causing you to sweat excessively and feel nervous & restless, you may confuse that for general anxiety disorder.
Heart issues such as tachycardia or irregular heartbeats can increase your heart rate and cause your body to show signs similar to anxiety. Even things as simple as dehydration are often misdiagnosed as anxiety because the symptoms for both issues overlap including feeling lightheaded and increased heart rate. Hormonal imbalances that are natural or caused by an underlying hormone production issue can trigger anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, and depression.
Different Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is often erroneously used as an umbrella term to describe a collection of symptoms. A trained professional understands that there are very clear indicators of anxiety disorders and specific treatments and therapies to address them. The following is a short list of the most common anxiety disorders. Understanding the difference between these disorders and other symptoms can confirm that you have an anxiety disorder or are experiencing similar symptoms, but do not “check the boxes” of an anxiety disorder diagnosis.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is probably the most common. People with generalized anxiety get overly anxious about a wide variety of everyday things.
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), is more of a performance-based anxiety. This type of anxiety is common in performers, CEOs, and other high-level professionals.
- Panic disorders cause people to have panic attacks. Sometimes these intense episodes of fear have certain triggers and sometimes they don’t.
- Phobia Disorders occur when very specific things cause anxiety, such as a fear of heights or spiders.
It is important to include regular doctor visits and medical exams in your mental and physical health routine. Your anxiety experiences could actually be a serious physical condition that requires immediate treatment. Treating only the symptoms and not the underlying medical concern will never allow you to fully recover. During your sessions, Dr. Keise and the team of experienced professionals at Insyte Psychiatric will review and discuss your symptoms with you and may even work with your general physician to find the correct treatment plan for you.
