Would it surprise any of you to know that the number one fear among adults is public speaking? It’s true! To know just how great a fear this is, consider that people rank this fear above fear of maiming or even death.
The above is one example of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is actually a blanket term to describe many types of anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (example above), obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety and panic disorder.
With anxiety disorder, the sufferer experiences anxiety – the negative emotional state related to a perceived threat or uncontrollable situation and fear – the physiological and/or emotional response said threat.
One in ten people suffer from anxiety disorder with phobias – irrational fears or real or perceived threats being the most common.
For many, this condition is present in childhood, however for some, it is triggered in adulthood. The cause can be congenital (from birth) or environmental (emotional or physical trauma). This disorder is often worse during times of stress.
Symptoms include heart palpitations, sweating, difficulty breathing, nausea, diarrhea, trembling, persistent worry, headache, muscle tension, nervousness, restlessness, fatigue, exhaustion and over time, hypertension (high blood pressure). Many of these symptoms incorporate panic attacks which many think are heart attacks because of the similarity to heart attack symptoms.
Additionally, over sixty percent of anxiety disorder sufferers also suffer from depression. This is generally a combo effect. Persistent fear and anxiety can lead to a depressed state.
Many find their sleep patterns interrupted by anxiety – trouble sleeping due to constant worry or fear or more often, waking in the wee hours and being unable to return to sleep due to anxiety.
For many, the fear can be debilitating, interrupting day to day living. Many become shut-ins, trying desperately to control some aspect of his/her life.
Many often make it worse by not seeking help because they fear being labeled “crazy,” when in fact, these symptoms – no matter how unhealthy – are a way for the body/mind to attempt to deal with the anxiety and fear.
Many fear medications which are overwhelmingly prescribed by doctors as a quick fix. While these medications do work for some, they have side effects – many of them dangerous.
Over time, anxiety disorder is more than just troublesome to one’s mental state – it can also lead to health issues like high blood pressure, which can in turn, lead to heart disease, stroke and other health disorder.
Additionally, erectile dysfunction or ED is highly reported by men as a side effect of anxiety disorder for a couple of reasons. Some fear having a panic attack during sex. For others, the fear of achieving and/or maintaining an erection can cause panic.
These are only a couple of examples of conditions caused by anxiety. I would go so far as to say pretty much all diseases I’ve dealt with are partly caused by anxiety and part of the solution is to relax and gain inner peace.
If anxiety is affecting your blood pressure or causing ED, I highly recommend both my High Blood Pressure program and my Erectile Dysfunction program, respectively. They consist of easy to do breathing and relaxation exercises which have shown amazing results!
EL331002
