Anxiety disorder and how to deal with it

Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder characterised by feelings of worry or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one's daily activities.

According to WHO(World Health Organization), anxiety disorders are the world's most common mental disorders affecting 301 million people in 2019 and approximately 1 in 4 people with anxiety disorders receive treatment for this condition.

In most cases, more women are affected by anxiety disorders than men and the symptoms often onset during childhood or adolescence.

Psychologist Hope Vanessa provides insights about the disorder, how to deal with it and what causes it.

Vanessa said that signs of anxiety disorder are easily seen as some are portrayed physically they include:

1. Excessive/ uncontrollable worry

2. Poor concentration

3. Muscle tension

4. Increased heart rate

5. Excessive nervousness

6. Being highly irritable

7. Having trouble sleeping

Vanessa added that the disorder  could be  caused by:

Childhood traumas- negative experiences that affect one's life.

Sometimes it may be due to drug abuse, the most common drug that causes anxiety is cannabis sativa.

External pressure from society on fitting in and also isolation may lead to anxiety.

"Mental illness is managed but unfortunately cannot be permanently treated," Vanessa said.

For this disorder, medication is prescribed by a psychiatrist depending on the severity of the condition and the therapy is also used as part of the treatment.

Vanessa also opined that the two go hand in hand, where the medication is used for the biological/physiological part and therapy is used for the psychological part.

These help manage the condition and help individuals with anxiety disorder to learn new ways of handling themselves as different triggers could cause episodes of anxiety.

Many tend to ignore the therapy sessions but they are also equally important as they help a person learn new ways of handling life pressures.

Apart from therapy, exercising and going for walks are highly recommended as a way of dealing with anxiety disorder, Vanessa stated.