Anxiety is a condition that involves intense emotions, sadness, fear, and uneasiness. Persons suffering from anxiety normally face difficulty in handling normal life situations. They often lose control over their body and panic easily. Moreover, they prefer to stay alone instead of participating in healthy life activities. Furthermore, anxiety not only damages the brain’s health but also affects their physical stability. If you want to know that how does anxiety affect your daily life, then read this article thoroughly. You will be familiar with how anxiety or depression can negatively alter different life aspects. Likewise, you will be able to better understand that what are the effects of anxiety.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal emotion but can lead to persistent fear and negative emotions. However, anxiety also involves the brain’s response to deal with the anxiety. Somehow, anxiety can prepare your body by activating the sympathetic nervous system. Furthermore, this system is essential to produce responses to stressful situations.
What are the side effects of anxiety?
People suffering from anxiety can experience numerous side effects of anxiety or control issues. The most common include:
- Arise in panic disorders
- Undesired worries
- Nervousness
- Scary feelings
- Sadness
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Lack of concentration
- Sweating
- Sudden panic Attacks
Types of Anxiety Disorders
There are different types of anxiety disorders, and some of the most common types include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder:
In GAD, a person remains stressed all the time without any apparent reason. They are unable to regulate their intense emotions. Moreover, they always have difficulty altering their mood to a normal state. However, if you are experiencing anxiety for a longer period, then you might be the victim of generalized anxiety disorder.
Acute Stress Disorder
Acute stress usually results after the first month of trauma. However, acute stress disorder is a short-term stress as compared to chronic stress.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves obsessions. Undesired thoughts and fear usually arise in the minds of affected persons. Moreover, a person suffering from this condition remains unaware of repeating their behaviors. Although people try to get rid of their repeated thoughts, it never happens. Eventually, a person becomes addicted to having negative emotions.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic disorder usually results after experiencing any distressing situation or trauma. The causes of trauma can vary, but leave a major impact on the life of an individual. Primarily, various studies have indicated that one in ten American adults is affected by post-traumatic disorder every year.
Phobias
Specific phobia involves the sudden and excessive reaction to any situation. There are different types of phobias, and each person reacts accordingly. Some common types of phobia include:
- Social Phobia
- Acrophobia
- Claustrophobia
- Agoraphobia
- Cynophobia
- Hemophobia
- Aviophobia
Cause of Anxiety
Multiple factors are responsible for the fact that how does anxiety affect your daily life.
Learn more: Can Anxiety Cause Shortness of Breath?
Medications
Anxiety disorders can also be caused by the intake of a few medications. If women take birth control pills, then they can suffer from anxiety or depression.
Genetics
The main units of heredity that are transferred from parent to child are significantly the genes. Have you ever noticed that if your family member is feeling sad, then on any other day, you get into the same stressful situation? This is entirely due to the transfer of genes. So, different anxiety disorders can be developed by alterations in genetic makeup.
Environmental factors
Different environmental factors can affect the mental stability of a person. In addition, personal issues, professional work-related stress, and financial crises can be the major reason for your anxiety.
How anxiety affects the brain
Prolonged stress or anxiety can destroy your brain cells. It can not only alter your brain physiology but also affect the associated body functions. Moreover, anxiety causes an increase in the size of the amygdala, the main response center of the brain. Furthermore, anxiety causes the shrinkage of the hippocampus, which generates long-term memories. However, chronic stress can destroy the prefrontal cortex of the brain. As a result, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and various other cognitive disorders can be developed.
How does anxiety affect your daily life?
Anxiety can affect your daily life in several ways. It not only affects your mental stability but also disrupts the balance of your daily life activities.
Reduced Self Esteem
Persons suffering from anxiety usually have a lack of confidence. They normally avoid engaging in social activities and prefer to stay in isolation. Moreover, they consider themselves worthless. Due to reduced self-esteem, they face difficulty in handling life complications. Their susceptibility towards tough situations can increased by anxiety.
Difficulty in speech
Anxiety makes it difficult for the brain to coordinate with different body parts. Anxiety can halt the physical speaking process. Furthermore, an anxious situation causes the stiffening of the jaw and face muscles, and the person faces difficulty in speaking. Mostly, anxiety causes slurred speech. However, most of the people start speaking faster or extremely slower.
Affects the quality of life
Stressed persons do not participate in productive activities due to their intense emotions and fear. They always avoid taking new risks in their personal life. They remain demotivated and distracted all the time. Instead of focusing on their career, they remain preoccupied with negative thoughts. They never do those things that can improve their quality of life.
Ruin the Relationships
It’s also very significant to know that how does anxiety affect you emotionally. Anxiety is not only harmful to your body, but it can lead to negative anxiety symptoms in relationships. Anxiety can affect you emotionally. Moreover, stressed people always argue and hide their emotions. Anger is one of the most common relationship anxiety symptoms. They don’t trust and listen to their partners. Due to their short-tempered condition, they destroy their relationships with their loved ones. People suffering from social anxiety disorder do not get support from their partners. Increased rates of anxiety become the reason for breaking up with their loved ones.
How does anxiety affect your sleep?
Although anxiety can disturb your sleep, if you are facing anxiety for a longer period, you can have scary nightmares. Stressed minds never relax, even during sleep. So, anxiety is the major factor that can trigger nightmares. Daily life problems, past traumas, or the fear of the future can direct the brain to develop horrifying nightmares.
How can anxiety affect you physically?
Chronic anxiety can affect the physical functions of the body. Moreover, different body systems get affected and become unable to perform their normal functions.
Negative Effects on the Immune System
The main significant system that protects the body is called the immune system. However, if the immune system is affected, the probability of different infections increases.
Effects on the Digestive System
Anxiety can result in various digestive issues, such as indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and various other stomach issues. Moreover, different hormones are released in case of stress conditions that affect the digestive system. These hormones can negatively affect the function of bacteria present in the gut. Effective digestion is achieved by the different bacteria that are present in the gut. However, abnormal functioning of the gut bacteria also disturbs the digestive system.
Effect on Urinary System
Different body muscles get tightened in response to stressful situations. Mostly, people face difficulty in bowel movements due to stiffening abdominal muscles. Increased stress can also exert a negative influence on the bladder. This, in turn, causes an increase in the urge to urinate. If the anxiety persists for a longer period, then it can cause severe symptoms such as:
- Bedwetting
- Sudden start of urination or defecation
- Release of urine in smaller quantities throughout the day
- Severe pain in the bladder
- Stomach cramps
Effects on the Cardiovascular System
Anxiety can also alter the function of your digestive system. Blood pressure is increased in case of anxiousness. High blood pressure can cause the narrowing of blood vessels. Under this effect, different cardiovascular disorders can result due to blockage of blood vessels.
Breathing Issues
Breathing ability is also affected during severe anxiety conditions. Lungs have to work harder to take in the normal quantity of oxygen. This condition is also called hyperventilation. The following symptoms are exhibited in the body in case of severity, which includes:
- Weakness
- Tiredness
- Dizziness
Effects on Skin
Under stress conditions, different skin problems also occur. Stress hormones cause the rapid activation of oil glands present in the skin. Overactivation of oil glands results in greater oil production that causes acne and other skin issues. Some common skin disorders which occur due to stress are as follows:
- Alopecia Areata
- Vitiligo
- Eczema
- Hives
- Rosacea
- Skin rashes
Worsen other body symptoms.
Different disease symptoms can also be elevated by anxiety or depression. If you are suffering from OCD, diabetes, cardiac issues, depression, PTSD, and adjustment disorders, then additional anxiety can pose a major health threat.
Body Ache
Anxiety can also affect you physically. Mental stress not only affects your brain but also makes your body tired. Furthermore, a person feels sudden aches in different body parts. Both physical and mental tension go side by side. Anxiety causes the stiffening of body muscles, which can induce pain in any body part.
Anxiety and Control issues
There is also a strong correlation between anxiety and control issues. People suffering from control issues remain overly focused on their life situations. Anxiety is the major cause of developing control issues. However, depression, OCD, schizophrenia, and various other medical disorders can generate control issues. Micromanagement as a bridge between anxiety and control issues. Nowadays, a large number of people are suffering from generalized anxiety disorder and control issues.
Learn more: Can drugs cause schizophrenia?
Treatment of Anxiety
Managing anger and anxiety is quite easy. You just have to follow a few basic principles to cope with anxiety symptoms.
Better Sleep
Taking six to seven hours of sleep is essential for improved health. Anxiety can badly affect your sleep. If the person isn’t getting adequate sleep, then there is a greater likelihood of suffering from anxiety or different mental health issues. Firstly, manage your bedtime habits and get the best sleep at night. Avoid using digital devices at the time of sleep. Drink milk before bedtime as it releases the serotonin in your body. Serotonin delivers a sense of pleasure and calmness. Keep your room dark to release the sleeping hormone melatonin. Make sure to think about the good experiences to relax your mind and controlling anger and anxiety.
Balanced Diet
The diet also plays an important role in improved brain efficiency. If you are taking a healthy diet, you will stay away from depression or anxiety. Avoid foods containing high saturated fatty acids. Different artificial flavours, preservatives, and high-calorie dairy products can also raise anxiety levels. Make sure that your body remains hydrated. If your body is water deficient, it can alter different body organs’ normal functioning. Poor health can easily direct you toward stress.
Meditation
Different meditation exercises have useful health benefits. Moreover, a person who performs the meditation exercise daily always remains calm. Some experts believe that meditation is extremely helpful in preventing and treating anxiety disorders.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
In this therapy, persons interact with professional experts and share their disturbing thoughts. However, by sharing their mental issues, they get the finest solutions to treat their mental disorders and anxiety.
Medications
Medicines are also effective in treating anxiety symptoms. Different physicians also suggest the intake of various antidepressants and stress-relieving drugs. Moreover, each antidepressant works differently and treats anxiety. Some medications that can suppress this anxiety involve benzodiazepines, which include:
- Xanax
- Ativan
- Valium
Similarly, some other best medicines to treat anxiety or depression involve serotonergic agents, buspirone, paroxetine, and beta blockers.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy involves the use of the aroma of essential oils or certain fragrances to relieve anxiety. Primarily, various health professionals suggest the use of aromatherapy to get rid of anxiety symptoms. Aromatherapy functions significantly by stimulating the sense of smell. Strong smells cause the activation of receptors in the nose. Then receptors send signals to the brain’s amygdala to release stress-relieving hormones, including dopamine and serotonin. In addition, essential oils or fragrances not only treat your anxiety but also provide a soothing effect to your body.
Microcurrent Electrical Therapy
One of the best therapies to treat pain and anxiety symptoms is microcurrent electrical therapy. Moreover, the body’s natural healing process is activated by the low-frequency electrical current. This therapy can be applied to different body parts for a few seconds. Furthermore, this therapy causes the production of alpha waves in the brain. Ultimately, the body moves to a relaxed condition by decreasing the symptoms of an anxious brain.
Last thoughts
Anxiety or stress involves the body’s response to any distressing situation. Different environmental, genetic, and medications can trigger anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, anxiety can affect daily life, and a person faces complications in doing core activities. However, anxiety can be treated with different therapies and medications. Moreover, by adopting healthy lifestyle channels, affected persons can easily recover from how does anxiety affect your daily life. Renewed Mental Health Group offers the best treatment for anxiety and depression. Schedule a meeting with our experts and initiate your journey towards a healthy and prosperous life.
