Relieve internal anxiety. Feelings of constant anxiety and fear: causes and treatment. Causes and symptoms

A condition characterized by anxiety in the soul worries many people at different times. A person seems to have everything in order in life, but his soul is restless, he is tormented by strange feelings: a mixture of fear and anxiety. A person who is restless in his soul is often consumed by fear of tomorrow and is disturbed by the premonition of terrible events.

Why is your soul restless?

First you need to calm down and understand that short-term anxiety without apparent reason common to all people. As a rule, a state when the soul is restless, anxiety and fear arises, worries a short period of time. However, for some, anxiety can develop into chronic well-being.

Where does anxiety and fear come from? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand what anxiety is and what the reasons for its occurrence are.

Anxiety is a brightly colored negative emotion that represents a systematic premonition of negative events and danger; Unlike fear, anxiety does not have a clear reason; a person has a restless soul.

However, the emergence of anxiety is preceded by certain factors; this emotion does not arise out of nowhere, without reason.

Unrest in the soul, fear and anxiety come from the following circumstances:

• changes in the usual way of life;
• unresolved difficult situation;
• health problems;
• exposure to addictions: alcohol, drugs, gambling addiction.

What does feeling anxious mean?

The feeling of unrest in the soul most often implies obsessive fear and anxiety, when a person seems to be “programmed” expecting that something very bad will happen very soon. A person in such a situation is unable to control and justify his actions, and constantly experiences anxiety for no reason. At the slightest feeling of "danger" anxious person an inadequate reaction to irritating factors occurs.

Anxiety and fear bring with them physical ailments such as: throbbing headache, nausea, indigestion (loss of appetite or overeating). When a person is uneasy in his soul, fear and anxiety appear, it becomes difficult to maintain communication with people, to do anything, to realize his aspirations.

The constant experience of anxiety and fear can develop into chronic illness when making an important decision will cause another panic attack. In this case, you need to contact a psychologist. His competence includes making a diagnosis and helping on the path to recovery when the soul is restless and fear and anxiety arise.

A restless state of mind, fear and anxiety do not exist without a reason. As a rule, the consequence of such well-being is hidden deep in the subconscious and escapes attention. You can't let the situation take its course. Exacerbation of uncontrollable anxiety and fear entails disruption of the normal functioning of various organs, insomnia, chronic lack of sleep, neurosis, alcohol and even drug addiction.

Causes of anxiety and fear

Mental illnesses always have “roots” from which any disease progresses.

Psychotherapy, studying a person’s condition, will help to find the true causes of fear and anxiety, which may include:

1. Well-founded fears, such as anxiety before a significant event (wedding, exams, interview), loss of a loved one, fear of punishment;
2. Unsolved problem. People often put off making decisions unpleasant problems until better times, wanting to postpone the annoying moment. “Better times” still don’t come, so the person decides to simply “forget” about the issue. This helps for a short time, but after some time, incomprehensible alarming impulses begin to come from the subconscious, indicating that something is happening wrong, the soul becomes restless, fear and anxiety appear;
3. Misdeeds from the past. The soul is sometimes restless because of shameful offenses committed even in the distant past. If punishment does not overtake the guilty person, after a while conscience takes its toll and begins to give signals of alarm and fear;
4. Experienced emotional shock. Sometimes, during times of misfortune, people begin to dull their emotions and deny the deplorability of the situation. There is a dissonance between consciousness and the unconscious - a person is convinced that everything is in order, but his internal dulled experiences and emotions indicate the opposite. The soul becomes restless, fear and anxiety appear;
5. Low-intensity conflict. A conflict that begins but never ends often becomes the cause of unstable mental unrest, anxiety and fear. A person will worry about possible unexpected attacks from an opponent, expect danger from everywhere, will be restless in his soul, fear and constant anxiety will appear;
6. Alcohol addiction. As you know, alcohol disrupts the production of happiness hormones - endorphins. Single use of alcohol leads to several days anxiety state, fear. When binge drinking, people often fall into depression, from which it is very difficult to get out;
7. Endocrine disorders. Frustration at work endocrine system causes a fan of various emotional outbursts, including fear and anxiety.

Symptoms of the condition

It is usually not difficult to detect signs of anxious behavior, but to understand the situation it is still necessary to voice them:

• depressed mood, restless soul;
• loss of interest in a favorite activity;
• migraine;
• insomnia;
• rapid heartbeat;
• trembling, fear;
• sudden physical activity;
• excessive sweating.

The result of inaction in such a situation is sometimes prolonged depression, deterioration in appearance (bags under the eyes, anorexia, hair loss).

We must not forget that anxiety and fear may be part of a more serious disease, which can only be identified through a full examination in a medical facility.

If you feel your soul becoming more and more restless day by day, you must immediately begin to take action. It's best to go through first full examination work organisms in order to exclude the possibility of a restless state due to disease. If no abnormalities in health are found, it is worth moving on to looking for the causes of fears that are on a subconscious level.

Help from a psychologist for anxiety

When people are uneasy in their souls, they turn to a psychologist (not to be confused with a psychiatrist). A psychologist is not a doctor; he does not write prescriptions or make diagnoses. The field of activity of professional psychologists is stressful situations, constant fears, panic attacks, anxiety, communication problems. A specialist is able to provide not only verbal support, but also real help.

A specialist will help identify those thoughts that automatically fly through a person’s brain that cause such a feeling as “restless in the soul.” This provides a person with the opportunity to look at a problem that has tormented him all the time from a different angle, analyze its meaning, and change his opinion about it. This procedure will relieve anxiety and fear.

At the first psychotherapy session, a psychological diagnosis is performed. As a result, it should be: the true causes of anxiety and fear are found and a plan for treating the disorder is drawn up. During the treatment process, the specialist uses not only verbal methods of persuasion, but also pre-designed exercises. After completing the exercises, a person should acquire new, more adequate reactions to various kinds irritants.

To get rid of anxiety and fear, it is enough to make 6-20 visits to a psychologist. The number of required sessions is selected based on the stage of psychological disorder, individual characteristics person.

Note! It has been proven that the first signs of improvement appear after 2-3 sessions.

Drug treatment

Antidepressants, tranquilizers and antipsychotics can eliminate the symptoms, but not the cause of a restless state of mind. The drugs relieve all symptoms of anxiety and fear and restore normal sleep patterns. However, these drugs are not as harmless as they seem: they are persistently addictive, entail many unpleasant side effects, and weight gain.

The effectiveness of using traditional medicine will also not be able to eliminate the true motives of hidden fears and anxiety. Folk remedies are not as effective as the above-mentioned medications, but they are safer in terms of harmful consequences and relieve a restless state of mind.

Important! Before using any medications, you should consult a specialist.

Normalization of lifestyle

Psychological problems are directly related to the work of our body, all its systems as a whole. If any system fails, this fact is reflected in our mental state.

To successfully recover from a mental disorder, you need to follow a few simple rules:

1. Get enough sleep. It's no secret that healthy sleep for a person it is 8 hours a day. During sleep, a person rests both mentally and physically. Problems, fear and anxiety that tormented you during the day can be unexpectedly resolved in a dream - a rested brain provides answers to questions that hovered during the day. A person’s mood, appearance, health, tone directly depend on sleep;
2. Eat right. Vitamin deficiency, that is, insufficient consumption of seasonal vitamins, negatively affects health, both physical and psychological. For problems associated with anxiety in the soul, special attention should be paid to foods that promote the production of the hormone serotonin;
3. Be physically active. Regularly performing simple physical exercises will improve the metabolic process in the body, which is closely related to the mental component of human health;
4. Breathe fresh air, take walks for at least an hour a day;
5. Limit or completely avoid the use of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and other substances that cause unhealthy mental activity. As mentioned earlier, the substances they contain have a depressing effect on the psyche, causing anxiety and fear.

The following tips will help you find peace in your soul and relieve fear and anxiety:

1. Treat other people with love and care. Try to displace accumulated fears, bitterness and resentment from your heart. Notice the positive qualities in people and treat them kindly. When you are able to establish relationships with people, unjustified fears of ridicule, envy, disrespect will disappear from your consciousness, and the restless state of mind will pass;
2. Treat problems not as overwhelming difficulties, but as opportunities Once again show yourself in a positive way;
3. Don’t hold a grudge against people, be able to forgive the mistakes they have made. Peace of mind can be achieved by forgiving not only the people around you, but also yourself - you don’t need to reproach yourself for years for mistakes you’ve made or a missed opportunity.
4. You can read a prayer when your soul is uneasy, turn to God;
5. Enjoy small pleasant things. Minor things noticed can maintain your mood and state of mind at the proper level, forget about anxiety and fear;
6. Set goals using the phrase “I want” rather than “I have to”. Debt always causes unpleasant associations, since it is obligatory. “I want” is a goal, as a result of which you can achieve the desired reward.

Do fear and anxiety happen without a reason? Yes, and in this case you need to contact a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, because with a high degree of probability the person suffers from causeless fear and anxiety because he has anxiety neurosis. This is a mental disorder that occurs after severe short-term stress or prolonged emotional overstrain. There are two main signs: constant severe anxiety and vegetative disorders of the body - palpitations, a feeling of shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, upset stool. A provoking or background factor can be attractions and desires that in real life are not fully realized and not realized: homosexual or sadistic tendencies, suppressed aggression, adrenaline needs. Over time, the cause of the initial fear is forgotten or repressed, and fear and anxiety acquire independent meaning.

Neurosis differs from psychosis in that neurosis always has a real cause, it is the response of an unbalanced psyche to a traumatic event. Psychosis proceeds according to its own endogenous laws, real life has little effect on the course of the disease. Another important difference is criticism. Neurosis is always recognized by a person, causing painful painful experiences and the desire to free himself from it. Psychosis changes a person’s personality so much that reality becomes unimportant for him, his whole life takes place in a world of painful experiences.

Success in treating mental illness and borderline disorders is often a matter of time. The result is always better if treatment is started earlier.

In order for anxiety neurosis to develop, in which feelings of fear and anxiety arise for no apparent reason, two factors must converge at one point:

• traumatic emotional event;
• insufficient psychological defense mechanism.

Psychological defense suffers if a person has a deep conflict, there is no way to get what he wants. Anxiety neurosis most often affects women between 18 and 40 years old, and this is understandable. A woman is always vulnerable because she is too dependent on society’s assessment. The most successful woman will always have weakness, for which ill-wishers may “bite” her. Problem children, free leisure, insufficient career, divorces and new novels, appearance - everything can serve as an impetus for development anxiety neurosis.

The rapid development of society, distortions and flaws in the moral side of life lead to the fact that the postulates perceived in childhood lose their relevance, and many people lose their moral core, without which a happy life is impossible.

IN last years the importance of biological factors has been proven. It became known that after severe stress the brain produces new neurons from the prefrontal cortex to the amygdala. Histological examination revealed that the new neurons contained a peptide that enhances anxiety. New neurons restructure the work of all neural networks, and human behavior will change. Added to this is a change in the level of neurotransmitters or chemicals that carry nerve impulse.

The discovery of the morphological substrate of emotions partly explains the fact that the reaction to stress is delayed in time - the formation of stable anxiety and fear requires some period.

In men, the background factor in the development of anxiety neurosis is considered to be a functional deficiency of neurotransmitters or an insufficient quantity or poor quality of substances transporting nerve impulses. Endocrine disorders can play a bad role when the functioning of the adrenal glands, pituitary gland and hypothalamus - the main suppliers of hormones - is disrupted. human body. Failure in the functioning of these systems also leads to feelings of fear, anxiety, and decreased mood.

The international classifier does not have a category describing anxiety neurosis; instead, the section “designated as F41.1” is used. This section may be supplemented by F40.0 (Agoraphobia or fear of open spaces) and F43.22 (Mixed anxiety and depressive reaction due to adjustment disorder).

Symptoms

The first and main sign is anxiety, which is constantly present, exhausting, and changes the entire habitual way of life. Such anxiety must be constantly monitored, and this is not always possible. You need to think about illness if deep anxiety lasts for at least six months.

Anxiety consists of the following components:

To assess the level of anxiety, you can use the Zang scale, which is intended for self-diagnosis.

The severity of anxiety is sometimes so strong that the phenomena of derealization and depersonalization are added. These are conditions in which the environment loses its colors and seems unreal, and one’s actions cannot be controlled. Fortunately, they are short-lived and pass quickly.

Autonomic somatic manifestations are as follows:

In all cases of initial treatment, a clinical examination is carried out to distinguish neurotic or reversible disorders from somatic or bodily diseases. In a properly equipped hospital this may take 2-3 days. This is necessary because some serious chronic diseases can begin under the guise of neurosis.

Drug treatment

It is not always used; if necessary, it is used in a short course, only at the peak of experiences. Medications can temporarily relieve anxiety and normalize sleep, but the leading role in this process belongs to psychotherapy.

Treatment begins with herbal preparations of complex action, to which it is impossible to become accustomed. The preferred drugs are those that simultaneously improve sleep, reduce irritability and alleviate anxiety. These are Persen-forte, Novopassit and Nervoflux, they have balanced composition and completely harmless. They contain herbal sedatives in different proportions: valerian, passionflower, motherwort, lemon balm, mint, lavender, hops, bitter orange.

A psychiatrist can prescribe medications from the following groups:

The doctor always prescribes these psychotropic drugs for neurosis with caution. Benzodiazepines are given in a short course, and they quickly become addictive. A pronounced effect from antidepressants should be expected no earlier than 4 weeks, and the duration of the entire course of drug correction usually does not exceed 3 months. Further drug treatment is not advisable, good improvement it won't give anymore.

If the condition does not improve significantly during drug treatment, this indicates that the person has a mental disorder deeper than neurosis.

In case of malfunction internal organs Medicines that affect the heart rate (beta blockers) and the digestive system (antispasmodics) may be prescribed.

Physiotherapy

It is always useful, especially techniques aimed at removing the muscle “shell”. Improving the condition of the muscles, getting rid of muscle tension improves the state of mind through the biofeedback mechanism. Physiotherapeutic methods are good for eliminating vegetative manifestations.

Massage, all water procedures, electrosleep, darsonval, electrophoresis, low-frequency pulsed currents, sulfide baths, paraffin baths are useful.

Psychotherapy

The leading method of treating anxiety neurosis, in which personal problems are consistently worked through, which ultimately contributes to the acquisition of new experience and a revision of a person’s entire value system.

Good results are obtained from the use of cognitive behavioral therapy, which uses confrontation and desensitization techniques. In collaboration with a psychotherapist, the patient voices his deepest fears, dismantles them “piece by piece,” while being completely safe. In the process of training, destructive patterns of thinking and beliefs that are devoid of logic fade away.

Traditional hypnosis or its modern modifications are often used. In a state of controlled relaxation, a person gets the opportunity to fully reveal his fears, immerse himself in them and overcome them.

In large medical institutions They use a variant of group psychotherapy called sociotherapy. This method is more about communication based on interests, obtaining joint impressions. The patient council can organize visits to concerts and exhibitions, excursions, during which personal fears and concerns are worked out.

Group psychotherapy allows you to communicate with people who have similar problems. During the discussion, patients reveal more than during direct communication with the doctor.

Methods that combine communication with a specialist and working with the body are successfully used. This is rebirthing or connected breathing, when there is no pause between inhalation and exhalation. Special breathing allows you to “bring to the surface” suppressed experiences.

The Hakomi Method reveals to the patient the meaning of his favorite poses and movements. Using strong emotions and appealing to the spontaneity that every person has, the specialist guides the patient to awareness of the problems.

The normal treatment period for anxiety neurosis is at least six months, during which time you can completely get rid of it.

In the 21st century, people are exposed to many constant stress factors. Attack by negative media news, interpersonal problems, global military conflicts easily throw people out of balance. Poor nutrition, ecology, adding to psychological difficulties, can cause a state of depression, causeless feeling fear, severe anxiety.

Anxiety is accompanied by symptoms:

• A sudden feeling of anxiety and panic, as if something is going to happen.
• A constant state of discomfort, diffuse pain throughout the body, mild nausea.
• An attack of unreasonable fear of death, of increasing danger without a visible source of threat.
• Anxiety that intensifies in the evening. Depressed Bad mood. Mental turmoil, persistent melancholy.
• Obsessive fears, bad thoughts about the sudden possibility of dying.
• Worsening of the condition in the morning after drinking coffee - increased tremor, anxiety. It becomes difficult to breathe, nausea, and inexplicable anxiety and panic arise.

Psychology and psychiatry describe the increasingly frequent phenomenon of panic attacks. An unconscious defensive reaction is provoked by prolonged stressful situations, an oppressive feeling of being under control, and defenselessness in society. Psychotherapist Walter Cannon described a specific state of the body: “fight or flight” in 1932.

The term implies the inclusion of protective mechanisms that have been present in genes since the appearance of the species Homo sapiens. An explainable phenomenon shows that panic attacks occur for no reason, without real threats, and provoke flight and a defensive attack.

Symptoms of unreasonable fear, panic attack:

1. The sudden attack was not provoked by anything. A feeling of increasing anxiety and panic appears.
2. Unpleasant “excitement” in the chest and stomach.
3. Impaired breathing function: rapid, superficial can lead to HVS syndrome (pulmonary hyperventilation). The result is dizziness, lightheadedness.
4. Nausea, “trembling”, trembling throughout the body.

The feeling of panic is caused by constant overexcitation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is controlled by spinal cord. The peripheral system is responsible for the physiology of the body, which is not controlled by the human will.

An anxious state causes acute signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia:

• Paleness skin, coldness of the extremities, weakness, feeling of a “lump” squeezing the throat.
• Tremor, internal trembling that cannot be calmed on your own.
• Hyperhidrosis – increased sweating feet, palms, or the whole body.
• Cardioneurosis - causeless excitement provokes irregular heartbeat, tachycardia, pulse rate up to 150 beats per minute.
• A common cause of panic is an irrational, obsessive fear of death, numbness of the body, tingling in the hands and feet.

The condition is caused by constantly growing negative experiences, severe stressful situations of a physical and neuro-emotional nature. On an unconscious level human brain begins to perceive the body as a source of danger, and is constantly in the mode of waiting for a threat.

At this stage of the reactionary struggle, there is an increased production of the hormone adrenaline, cortisol, by the adrenal glands. They provoke unmotivated aggression, auto-aggression, nervousness, rudeness. The period does not last long, followed by a depressed state of boredom, indifference, and lethargy.

Regular attacks of causeless panic provoke:

• Insomnia, insomnia, due to unreasonable fear. Nightmarish dreams associated with constant anxiety, fear of falling asleep, frequent awakenings.
• Constant lack of appetite, emotional apathy, anorexia, frequent irritation. Drowsiness, increased tearfulness, causeless mood swings.
• Psychogenic pain in the heart area, which causes fear of sudden death. Headaches, dizziness.
• Obsessive phobias, vague mystical fears, increased nervous excitability.
• Derealization is a sudden state of clouded perception of reality. A sign of prolonged mental stress.
• Sudden panic attacks are the cause of psychosomatic diseases. Anxiety triggered by bad thoughts increases blood pressure.

The causes of panic attacks are diverse, often present in a complex, rarely represented by a single factor. Prerequisites possible disorder nervous system can be observed already from childhood 7-8 years, become more noticeable by age 18.

A person who begins to perceive himself as an individual falls under a complex of unfavorable influences that traumatize the psyche. In young people and older people, symptoms and panic attacks are similar.

The underlying causes of fear attacks, inexplicable anxiety

1. Emotional deprivation: insufficiently fulfilled psycho-emotional needs and feelings. Seen in single men and women of different ages, young children from disadvantaged families. Manifested by a lack of support and acceptance. Panic syndrome is triggered by constant emotional, tactile hunger, lack of energy exchange with parents and loved ones.
2. Long-term hidden or untreated depression, diseases of internal organs. Problems with the endocrine system have a particular impact on the emotional state. An imbalance of hormones secreted by the thyroid gland and adrenal glands is one of the causes of attacks of incomprehensible anxiety, which creates feelings of panic.
3. Toxic, harmful interpersonal relationships according to scenarios: accusations, increased demands, manipulation. Elimination of the opportunity to talk and restore justice. The loss of a loved one is a common factor in long-term neurosis.
4. Hormonal changes in the body during adolescence menopause. Pregnancy, early postpartum period. Seasonal shortage sunny day, autumn blues.
5. Intentionally created conditions where a person constantly feels powerless in the face of a situation, for example - school program, emotional tyranny in the family, persecution. Long stay near the source provokes attacks of panic and inexplicable anxiety.

A feeling of sudden fear may arise against the background of relative emotional health, during the period when the stressor ceased to act. Feelings of anxiety appear unexpectedly and tend to intensify negative symptoms in the human body and consciousness.

How to overcome chronic anxiety - what to do at the very beginning?

• Seek advice from a psychotherapist.

Before prescribing therapy, the doctor must exclude the following diseases: diabetes, cervical osteochondrosis, the presence of cancer. Assign a comprehensive biochemical analysis blood, check the balance of microelements and vitamins.

• Do not use medications on your own that relieve symptoms of sudden panic fear, severe anxiety.

It is forbidden to take pills without eliminating the cause. Anxiolytics, antidepressants, tranquilizers will help for a short period of time, constant use will provoke dependence. Often after withdrawal there is an increased feeling of panic, constant anxiety, unjustified fear of death.

• Must pass daily monitoring ECG, undergo an ultrasound of the heart.
• Get rid of diets that cause a lack of useful microelements and vitamins. Long-term veganism, vegetarianism, raw food diet, and exclusion of glucose quickly leads to frequent attacks of panic attacks.

A balanced diet is a primary factor in the treatment of depression and panic attacks. The constant presence in food of the proper combination of proteins, fats, complex carbohydrates can prevent most sudden anxiety states caused by hunger.

• Before treatment, it is necessary to undergo an examination by specialized specialists to exclude morphological and structural diseases of the organs. The last examination is carried out by a psychiatrist. Panic attacks can be only part of another pathological psychocomplex.
• Drug treatment of panic attacks is prescribed after the ineffectiveness of work on emotional state, eliminating the source of stress.

Psychotherapist Evgeniy Batrak regards panic attack syndrome as a borderline condition. At this stage, the disease has not manifested itself in full force, but the symptoms signaling disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system are already clearly pronounced.

How to prevent causeless anxiety attacks in advance?

1. Regular exercise helps prevent panic attacks. fresh air. Running, swimming, any active sport, breathing practices.
2. Self-regulation of emotional background. If you suddenly feel that an attack is coming, you should learn to distract yourself: pinch painfully, stop thinking about the approaching panic attack, interrupt negative thoughts with memorized phrases from auto-training.
3. Physical, emotional overload, all causes of panic attacks should be excluded. Plan your time in advance, perform safe work that does not cause anxiety or fear.
4. Sudden, causeless anxiety often causes short sleep, work without vacation, and emotional overload. You need to sleep at least 8 hours a day; frequent stress causes exhaustion of the nervous system; if possible, take a long vacation.
5. Eliminate constant sources of anxiety, negative experiences, change jobs, or end harmful relationships. Don’t hold back your emotions, find a suitable way to express them: dancing, sports, drawing. Any creative activity distracts from bad obsessive thoughts and anxiety.

The state of an unbalanced nervous system returns to normal quite slowly. It is necessary to treat yourself with patience, to maintain a systematic autogenic calming training and daily routine.

How to overcome a sudden anxiety attack on your own?

1. Provide yourself with access to plenty of space and fresh air. Dispersing attention around helps to overcome sudden panic and anxiety. Recording the cause inner restlessness makes the situation worse.
2. Control the depth and frequency of breathing movements. Make breathing rare, moderately deep, avoid hyperventilation. It will help dull the feeling of anxiety and reduce emotional stress.
3. Ask for help, or feel free to refuse it. Depending on the reasons, it may be easier to cope with attacks of emotional anxiety on your own.
4. In case of a sudden panic attack at night, internal trembling, fear - urgently get up to eat, drink warm weak tea. There is no need to eat sweets. The process is a distraction, will gradually increase the level of glucose in the blood, and reduce the feeling of anxiety.
5. During frequent, constant panic attacks, remove additional irritants - restless music, films, books, TV, limit Internet use as much as possible.

A mistake in helping people experiencing attacks of sudden fear and panic is the immediate use of medications that block emotions. This causes exhaustion of the nervous system, emotional insensitivity, and dependence on the therapy received. Emotional lability and anxiety require the exclusion of a negative irritating factor.

For two months you can exclude viewing all potentially dangerous things, avoid situations that provoke causeless excitement and panic. Maintain a strict work and rest schedule, eat a balanced diet to avoid a lack of microelements necessary for a healthy nervous system.

Anxiety– a person’s tendency to feel intense anxiety and fear, often without reason. It is manifested by psychological anticipation of a threat, discomfort and other negative emotions. Unlike a phobia, with anxiety a person cannot accurately name the cause of fear - it remains vague.

Prevalence of Anxiety. Among children in secondary school, anxiety reaches 90%. Among adults, 70% suffer from increased anxiety at different periods of life.

Psychological symptoms of anxiety may occur periodically or most of the time:

• excessive worries for no reason or for a minor reason;
• premonition of trouble;
• inexplicable fear of any event;
• feeling of insecurity;
• vague fear for life and health (personal or family members);
• perception of ordinary events and situations as dangerous and unfriendly;
• depressed mood;
• weakening of attention, distraction by disturbing thoughts;
• difficulties in study and work due to constant tension;
• increased self-criticism;
• “replaying” your own actions and statements in your head, increased feelings about this;
• pessimism.

• rapid breathing;
• accelerated heartbeat;
• weakness;
• feeling of a lump in the throat;
• increased sweating;
• skin redness;

• clenches his fists;
• snaps fingers;
• fidgets with clothes;
• licks or bites lips;
• bites nails;
• rubs his face.

Increased anxiety counts pathological condition(not a disease, but a deviation from the norm). It is often a reaction to physical or emotional stress.

Norm and pathology. The norm counts moderate anxiety related to disturbing character traits. In this case, a person often develops anxiety and nervous tension over the most insignificant reasons. At the same time, vegetative symptoms (pressure changes, rapid heartbeat) appear very slightly.

Signs mental disorders are severe anxiety attacks, lasting from several minutes to several hours, during which the state of health worsens: weakness, chest pain, feeling of heat, trembling in the body. In this case, anxiety may be a symptom:

• Anxiety disorder;
• Panic disorder with panic attacks;
• Anxious endogenous depression;
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder;
• Hysteria;
• Neurasthenia;
• Post-traumatic stress disorder.

• Leaving into the world of illusions. Often anxiety has no clear subject. For a person, this turns out to be more painful than the fear of something specific. He comes up with a reason for fear, then phobias develop based on anxiety.
• Aggressiveness. It occurs if a person has increased anxiety and low self-esteem. In order to get rid of the oppressive feeling, he humiliates other people. This behavior only brings temporary relief.
• Lack of initiative and apathy, which are a consequence of prolonged anxiety and are associated with depletion of mental strength. A decrease in emotional reactions makes it difficult to discern the cause of anxiety and eliminate it, and also worsens the quality of life.
• Development psychosomatic illness . The physical symptoms of anxiety (palpitations, intestinal spasms) worsen and become a cause of illness. Possible consequences: ulcerative colitis, stomach ulcer, bronchial asthma, neurodermatitis.

Why does anxiety occur?

Causes of anxiety

1. Congenital features of the nervous system. Anxiety is based on a congenital weakness of nervous processes, which is characteristic of people with a melancholic and phlegmatic temperament. Heightened experiences are caused by the peculiarities of the neurochemical processes that occur in the brain. This theory is proven by the fact that increased anxiety is inherited from parents, therefore, it is fixed at the genetic level.
2. Features of education and social environment. The development of anxiety can be triggered by excessive parental care or unfriendly attitude from others. Under their influence, anxious personality traits become noticeable already in childhood or appear in adulthood.
3. Situations involving risks to life and health. These could be serious illnesses, attacks, car accidents, catastrophes and other situations that caused a person strong fear for your life and well-being. Subsequently, this anxiety extends to all circumstances that are associated with this situation. So a person who has experienced car accident, experiences anxiety for himself and loved ones who are traveling in transport or crossing the road.
4. Repetitive and chronic stress. Conflicts, problems in your personal life, mental overload at school or at work deplete the resources of the nervous system. It has been noticed that the more negative experiences a person has, the higher his anxiety.
5. Severe somatic diseases. Diseases accompanied by severe pain, stress, high temperature, intoxication of the body disrupt biochemical processes in nerve cells which can manifest itself as anxiety. Stress caused by a dangerous disease causes a tendency to think negatively, which also increases anxiety.
6. Hormonal disorders. Malfunctions of the endocrine glands lead to changes in hormonal balance, on which the stability of the nervous system depends. Anxiety is often associated with excess hormones thyroid gland and disruption of the ovaries. Periodic anxiety caused by impaired production of sex hormones is observed in women during the premenstrual period, as well as during pregnancy, after childbirth and abortion, and during menopause.
7. Poor nutrition and vitamin deficiency. a lack of nutrients leads to violations metabolic processes in organism. And the brain is especially sensitive to fasting. The production of neurotransmitters is negatively affected by a lack of glucose, B vitamins and magnesium.
8. Lack of physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle and lack of regular exercise disrupts metabolism. Anxiety is the result of this imbalance, manifesting itself in mental level. Conversely, regular exercise activates nervous processes, promotes the release of happiness hormones and eliminates anxious thoughts.
9. Organic brain lesions, in which blood circulation and nutrition of brain tissue are disrupted:

• Severe infections suffered in childhood;
• Injuries received during childbirth;
• Violations cerebral circulation with atherosclerosis, hypertension, age-related changes;
• Changes caused by alcoholism or drug addiction.

• Excessive care on the part of parents who are too protective of the child, are afraid of illnesses, injuries and demonstrate their fear.
• Anxiety and suspiciousness of parents.
• Alcoholism in parents.
• Frequent conflicts in the presence of children.
• Dysfunctional relationship with parents. Lack of emotional contact, detachment. Lack of affection.
• Fear of separation from mother.
• Aggression of parents towards children.
• Excessive criticism and excessive demands on the child from parents and teachers, which result in internal conflicts and low self-esteem.
• Fear of not living up to adults’ expectations: “If I make a mistake, they won’t love me.”
• Inconsistent demands of parents, when the mother allows, but the father forbids, or “It’s generally impossible, but today it’s possible.”
• Family or class rivalry.
• Fear of being rejected by peers.
• Lack of independence of the child. Inability to dress, eat, and go to bed independently at the appropriate age.
• Children's fears associated with scary tales, cartoons, films.

• preparations containing caffeine - citramon, cold medicines;
• preparations containing ephedrine and its derivatives - broncholithin, dietary supplements for weight loss;
• thyroid hormones – L-thyroxine, alostin;
• beta-adrenergic stimulants – clonidine;
• antidepressants – Prozac, fluoxicar;
• psychostimulants – dexamphetamine, methylphenidate;
• hypoglycemic agents – novonorm, diabrex;
• narcotic analgesics (if discontinued) - morphine, codeine.

What types of anxiety are there?

Due to development

• Personality anxiety– a constant tendency to anxiety, which does not depend on the environment and current circumstances. Most events are perceived as dangerous; everything is seen as a threat. Considered to be an overly pronounced personality trait.
• Situational (reactive) anxiety– anxiety arises before significant situations or is associated with new experiences or possible troubles. Such fear is considered a variant of the norm and is present to varying degrees in all people. Makes a person more cautious, stimulates preparation for the upcoming event, which reduces the risk of failure.

• Academic anxiety– related to the learning process;
• Interpersonal– associated with difficulties in communicating with certain people;
• Related to self-image– high level of wishes and low self-esteem;
• Social– arises from the need to interact with people, get acquainted, communicate, undergo an interview;
• Choice Anxiety– discomfort, arising when it is necessary to make a choice.

• Mobilizing anxiety– provokes a person to take actions aimed at reducing risk. Activates the will, improves thought processes and physical activity.
• Relaxing Anxiety– paralyzes a person’s will. Makes it difficult to make decisions and take actions that would help find a way out of the current situation.

• Adequate anxiety– reaction to objectively existing problems (in the family, in the team, at school or at work). May relate to one area of ​​activity (for example, communication with the boss).
• Inappropriate anxiety– is the result of a conflict between a high level of aspirations and low self-esteem. It occurs against the background of external well-being and the absence of problems. It seems to a person that neutral situations pose a threat. Usually it is diffuse and concerns many areas of life (study, interpersonal communication, health). Often found in teenagers.

• Reduced anxiety– even potentially dangerous situations that pose a threat do not cause alarm. As a result, a person underestimates the seriousness of the situation, is too calm, does not prepare for possible difficulties, and is often negligent in his duties.
• Optimal anxiety– anxiety arises in situations that require the mobilization of resources. Anxiety is expressed moderately, so it does not interfere with the performance of functions, but provides an additional resource. It has been observed that people with optimal anxiety control their mental condition.
• Increased anxiety– anxiety manifests itself often, too strongly and for no reason. It interferes with a person’s adequate reaction and blocks his will. Increased anxiety causes distraction and panic at a crucial moment.

Which doctor should I see if I have anxiety?

How is anxiety corrected?

1. Psychotherapy and psychological correction

1. Behavioral psychotherapy

1. Identify the source of anxiety. To do this, you need to answer the question: “What were you thinking about before you felt anxious?” This object or situation is most likely the cause of anxiety.
2. Question the rationality of negative thoughts. “How likely is it that your worst fears will come true?” Usually it is negligible. But even if the worst happens, in the vast majority of cases there is still a way out.
3. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. The patient is asked to replace thoughts with positive and more realistic ones. Then, at the moment of anxiety, repeat them to yourself.

1. Exposure psychotherapy

This direction is based on the systematic reduction of sensitivity to situations that cause anxiety. This approach is used if anxiety is associated with specific situations: fear of heights, fear of public speaking, traveling on public transport. In this case, the person is gradually immersed in the situation, giving the opportunity to face his fear. With each visit to a psychotherapist, the tasks become more complicated.

1. Presentation of the situation. The patient is asked to close his eyes and imagine the situation in full detail. When the feeling of anxiety reaches its highest level, the unpleasant image must be released and returned to reality, and then move on to muscle relaxation and relaxation. At subsequent meetings with a psychologist, they look at pictures or films that demonstrate a frightening situation.
2. Getting to know the situation. A person needs to touch what he is afraid of. Go out onto the balcony of a high-rise building, say hello to those gathered in the audience, stand at the bus stop. At the same time, he experiences anxiety, but is convinced that he is safe and his fears are not confirmed.
3. Getting used to the situation. It is necessary to increase the duration of the exposure - ride a Ferris wheel, go one stop on the transport. Gradually, the tasks become more and more difficult, the time spent in an alarming situation is longer, but at the same time addiction occurs and anxiety decreases significantly.

1. Hypnosuggestive therapy

1. Normalization of processes occurring in the nervous system.
2. Increased self-esteem and self-confidence.
3. Forgetting unpleasant situations that led to the development of anxiety.
4. Suggestion of imaginary positive experiences regarding a frightening situation. For example, “I like flying on airplanes, during the flight I experienced the best moments of my life.”
5. Instilling a sense of calm and security.

1. Psychoanalysis

1. Play therapy

1. Fairy tale therapy

1. Relieving muscle tension

1. Family therapy

1. Medication treatment for anxiety

Self-help for anxiety

• Introspection- This is an attempt to independently understand the internal conflict. First you need to make two lists. The first is “I want”, where all material and immaterial desires are entered. The second is “Should/Must”, where responsibilities and internal restrictions are entered. Then they are compared and contradictions are identified. For example, “I want to go travel,” but “I have to pay off the loan and take care of the children.” Even the first stage will significantly reduce anxiety. Then you should determine what is more valuable and important to you. Is there a possibility of a compromise between “I want” and “I need”. For example, a short trip after paying off a loan. The final stage is drawing up an action plan that will help fulfill your desires.
• Auto-training to increase self-esteem. It combines self-persuasion and muscle relaxation. Often the basis of anxiety is treated by the contradiction between desire and lack of self-confidence - “I want a man to like me, but I’m not good enough.” Self-persuasion is aimed at strengthening self-confidence. To do this, in a relaxed state, it is better to repeat verbal formulas with the necessary statements before falling asleep. “My body is completely relaxed. I am beautifull. I'm confident. I'm charming." The result will improve significantly if you combine auto-training and work on yourself in other areas: sports, intellectual development etc.
• Meditation. This practice includes breathing exercises, muscle relaxation and concentration on a specific object (sound, candle flame, own breathing, point in the area between the eyebrows). In this case, it is necessary to discard all thoughts, but not to drive them away, but to ignore them. Meditation helps to organize thoughts and emotions, to concentrate on the present moment - “here and now”. This reduces anxiety, which is a vague fear of the future.
• Change of life situation - work, marital status, social circle. Often anxiety arises when it is necessary to do something that goes against goals, moral principles, and capabilities. When the cause of the internal conflict is eliminated, anxiety disappears.
• Increased success. If a person feels successful in some area (work, study, family, sports, creativity, communication), then this significantly increases self-esteem and reduces anxiety.
• Communication. The wider the social circle and the closer the social contacts, the lower the level of anxiety.
• Regular spot training. Exercising 3-5 times a week for 30-60 minutes reduces adrenaline levels and increases the production of serotonin. They restore balance in the nervous system and improve mood.
• Rest and sleep mode. A full 7-8 hour sleep restores brain resources and increases its activity.

• Reduce the number of comments. An anxious child suffers greatly from the inflated demands of adults and the inability to meet them.
• Make comments to your child in private. Explain why he is wrong, but do not humiliate his dignity or call him names.
• Be consistent. You cannot allow something that was previously prohibited and vice versa. If a child does not know how you will react to his misbehavior, then the level of stress increases significantly.
• Avoid speed competitions and in general comparisons of the child with others. It is acceptable to compare the child with the same person in the past: “You are coping with this better now than you were last week.”
• Demonstrate confident behavior in the presence of your child. In the future, the actions of parents become a role model in difficult situations.
• Remember the importance of skin-to-skin contact. This could be stroking, hugs, massage, games. Touch shows your love and calms your child at any age.
• Praise the child. Praise must be deserved and sincere. Find something to praise your child for at least 5 times a day.

What is an anxiety scale?

1. Spielberger-Hanin technique

• I get upset easily;
• I am quite happy;
• I am pleased;
• I get the blues.

• I am calm;
• I'm pleased;
• I'm nervous;
• I'm sad.

1. Anxiety scale for children

• general anxiety;
• relationships with peers;
• relationships with parents;
• relationships with teachers;
• check of knowledge;
• assessment of others;
• success in learning;
• self-expression;
• decreased mental activity caused by anxiety;
• autonomic manifestations of anxiety (difficulty breathing, sweating, rapid heartbeat).

• Denial of anxiety - which can be a defensive reaction;
• Normal level anxiety, prompting action;
• Increased level– in certain situations, anxiety disrupts the child’s adaptation;
• High level– correction of anxiety is necessary.

Let us note that although increased anxiety in children and adults is not dangerous to health, it leaves an imprint on a person’s behavior, making him more vulnerable or, on the contrary, aggressive, forcing him to refuse meetings and trips, as situations that pose a threat. This condition influences the decision-making process, forcing you to choose not what will bring success, but what entails less risk. Therefore, correcting anxiety allows you to make life richer and happier.

Every person is periodically in a state of worries And anxiety . If anxiety manifests itself in connection with a clearly defined reason, then this is a normal, everyday occurrence. But if such a condition occurs, at first glance, for no reason, then it may signal health problems.

How does anxiety manifest itself?

Excitement , anxiety , anxiety manifested by an obsessive feeling of anticipation of certain troubles. In this case, the person is in a depressed mood, internal anxiety forces a partial or complete loss of interest in the activity that previously seemed pleasant to him. Anxiety is often accompanied by headaches, problems with sleep and appetite. Sometimes the heart rhythm is disturbed, and attacks of rapid heartbeat occur periodically.

Usually, constant worry in the soul is observed in a person against the backdrop of alarming and uncertain life situations. These could be worries about personal problems, illnesses of loved ones, dissatisfaction with professional success. Fear and anxiety often accompany the waiting process important events or any results that are of paramount importance to a person. He tries to find the answer to the question of how to overcome the feeling of anxiety, but in most cases he cannot get rid of this condition.

A constant feeling of anxiety is accompanied by internal tension, which can be manifested by some external symptoms — trembling , muscle tension . Feelings of anxiety and restlessness bring the body into a state of constant " combat readiness" Fear and anxiety prevent a person from sleeping normally, concentrating on important matters. As a result, so-called social anxiety appears, associated with the need to interact in society.

The constant feeling of inner restlessness may worsen later. Added to this are some specific fears. Sometimes motor restlessness manifests itself - constant involuntary movements.

It is quite clear that such a condition significantly worsens the quality of life, so a person begins to look for an answer to the question of how to get rid of feelings of anxiety. But before taking any sedatives, you should definitely establish the exact causes of anxiety. This is possible subject to a comprehensive examination and consultation with a doctor who will tell you how to get rid of anxiety. If the patient bad dream, and anxiety constantly haunts him, it is important to determine the original cause of this condition. Prolonged stay in this state is fraught with serious depression. By the way, a mother’s anxiety can be transmitted to her baby. Therefore, the child’s anxiety during feeding is often associated with the mother’s anxiety.

The extent to which anxiety and fear are inherent in a person depends to a certain extent on a number of personal qualities of the person. It is important who he is - a pessimist or an optimist, how stable he is psychologically, how high a person’s self-esteem is, etc.

Why does anxiety occur?

Worry and anxiety can be a symptom of serious mental illness. Those people who are constantly in a state of anxiety, in most cases have certain psychological problems and are prone to.

Most mental illnesses are accompanied by a state of anxiety. Anxiety is characteristic of different periods, for the initial stage of neuroses. Severe anxiety is observed in a person dependent on alcohol when withdrawal syndrome . Quite often there is a combination of anxiety with a number of phobias, irritability, etc. In some diseases, anxiety is accompanied by delirium and.

However, in some somatic diseases, anxiety also appears as one of the symptoms. At hypertension people often experience high degree anxiety.

Anxiety may also accompany hyperfunction of the thyroid gland , hormonal disorders during the period in women. Sometimes sharp anxiety fails as a harbinger of a sharp drop in blood sugar levels in patients.

How to get rid of anxiety?

Before pondering the question of how to relieve an anxious state, it is necessary to determine whether the anxiety is natural, or whether the anxiety is so serious that it requires consultation with a specialist.

There are a number of signs that indicate that a person will not be able to cope with anxiety without visiting a doctor. You should definitely consult a specialist if symptoms of anxiety appear constantly, which affects daily life, work, and leisure. At the same time, excitement and anxiety haunt a person for weeks.

Anxious neurotic conditions that recur consistently in the form of attacks should be considered a serious symptom. A person constantly worries that something in his life will go wrong, while his muscles tense, he becomes fussy.

You should definitely consult a doctor if anxiety conditions in children and adults are accompanied by dizziness, heavy sweating, and work disturbances. Gastrointestinal tract, dry mouth. Often, an anxiety-depressive state worsens over time and leads to.

There are a number of medications that are used in the comprehensive treatment of anxiety and anxiety conditions. However, before determining how to get rid of an anxiety state, the doctor needs to establish an accurate diagnosis, determining which disease and why could have provoked this symptom. Conduct an examination and determine how to treat the patient, must psychotherapist . During the examination, it is necessary to assign laboratory research blood, urine, carried out ECG. Sometimes the patient needs consultation with other specialists - an endocrinologist, a neurologist.

Most often, tranquilizers and antidepressants are used in the treatment of diseases that provoke anxiety and restlessness. The attending physician may also prescribe a course of tranquilizers during therapy. However, treatment of anxiety with psychotropic drugs is symptomatic. Consequently, such drugs do not relieve the causes of anxiety. Therefore, relapses of this condition are possible later, and anxiety may appear in an altered form. Sometimes anxiety begins to bother a woman when pregnancy . How to remove this symptom in this case, only a doctor should decide, since taking any medications by the expectant mother can be very dangerous.

Some specialists prefer to use exclusively psychotherapy methods in the treatment of anxiety. Sometimes psychotherapeutic techniques are accompanied by medications. Some additional treatment methods are also practiced, for example, auto-training and breathing exercises.

In folk medicine, there are many recipes that are used to overcome anxiety. A good effect can be obtained by regularly taking herbal teas , which include herbs with sedative effects. This mint, Melissa, valerian, motherwort etc. However, you can feel the effect of using herbal teas only after constantly taking such a remedy for a long time. In addition, folk remedies should be used only as an auxiliary method, since without timely consultation with a doctor, you can miss the onset of very serious diseases.

Another important factor in overcoming anxiety is correct image life . A person should not sacrifice rest for the sake of labor feats. It is important to get enough sleep every day and eat right. Caffeine abuse and smoking can aggravate anxiety.

A relaxing effect can be achieved with a professional massage. Deep massage effectively relieves anxiety. We should not forget how much exercise improves your mood. Daily physical activity will allow you to always be in good shape and prevent the worsening of your anxiety. Sometimes a brisk walk for an hour in the fresh air is enough to improve your mood.

To control his emotions, a person must carefully analyze everything that happens to him. Clearly identifying the cause that caused anxiety helps you focus and switch to positive thinking.