Anxiety Disorder is a common type of mental illness, and something that frequently coexists with addiction. These disorders can ruin daily life, and when combined with drug abuse, the signs and symptoms become worse. Anxiety causes a person to feel an undue amount of fear, stress and other negative feelings without any apparent cause. Everyone feels these emotions sometimes, but when you suffer from an anxiety disorder, you will feel them frequently, and with a level of severity that is much more intense. For many who suffer from these conditions, everyday events may be overwhelming.
There are various kinds of anxiety disorders, and any mental illness can be at a mild, moderate or severe level. In severe forms of anxiety disorders, it might feel impossible to leave your house or venture into public areas. This fear can be paralyzing. All panic disorders have similar signs and symptoms, however, the triggers can be unique to the individual. Signs and symptoms may include:
- Flashbacks
- Feelings of faintness
- Dizzy spells
- Unrealistic fears
- Trembling
- Vomiting
- Difficulty sleeping or troubled sleep
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Rapid heart rate
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Digestion problems
- A sense of catastrophe
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Fainting
Anxiety disorders affect more than forty million American adults. Anxiety disorders that are left untreated can progressively grow worse. Many people who suffer from these conditions will attempt to self medicate with alcohol, marijuana or other dangerous drugs, which is a bad decision. A proper diagnosis of addiction and mental health disorder require the services of medical professionals.
There are many varieties of anxiety disorders, even though it seems that they all share the same signs and symptoms. Types of anxiety disorders include:
- Performance anxiety
- OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Panic Attacks
- PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- General panic attacks
- Specific fears, such as a fear of the dark or of heights
- Social anxiety attacks
If these mental ailments are not treated, the effect can result in permanent damage to the mind, along with a daily existence which includes immense fear and dread. Sometimes panic attacks may cause symptoms that resemble cardiac arrest or other life threatening conditions.