Everyone knows anxiety is a normal response to danger. We all have felt anxious about something at some point in our lives. Most people consider anxiety to be a normal state of emotion, but there are times when being anxious can turn our lives into a nightmare. This occurs when normal anxiety becomes an anxiety disorder. Palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath are all considered to be causes of anxiety. Here, there are a number of things that can trigger off such a reaction although the causes of anxiety are as of yet not fully understood or defined.
People who have anxiety disorders sometimes are afraid to get treatment for their anxiety as they seem to feel ashamed of having a mental illness. However, anxiety treatments are valid medical remedies for a complaint that can affect your life. There is, therefore, nothing to be ashamed of having anxiety disorders or being treated for them.
Many doctors, therapists, and psychiatrists have different theories regarding what the causes of anxiety may be. Some believe that genetics may be the key to understanding anxiety disorders. Others state that it arises from circumstances thus making it a learned behavior. Still, others have no real idea as to why anxiety is caused in the first place. Identified categories of anxiety include, Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, Phobic disorders and Stress Disorder
However, we may identify some of the more common causes of anxiety as being brought about by a mental perception, perhaps a physical condition or state. The misuse of drugs, as well as the effects of certain types of prescribed medications, can also cause anxiety. There is also the possibility that a combination of the above causes may lead to an anxiety disorder.
Foods and beverages are known in some persons to cause anxiety attacks, including coffee and caffeine based beverages; so too overactive thyroid, abnormal heart rhythms and other types of heart arrhythmia. Apart from these causes of anxiety, you may experience anxiety because of medication that you might be taking. These medications may be prescription drugs to treat other illnesses or they may even be illegal drugs like cocaine. Another consideration to take into account is that the side effects of certain drugs may also be part of the causes of anxiety as well.
Stress from a number of different situations will also cause anxiety. Common causes include, work, school personal relationships, marriage, trauma, such as the death of a loved one. Then stress from a serious illness and financial stress can also be contributory causes of anxiety.
Treatment Options for Anxiety
There are many types of anxiety treatments that you can try. Before you embark on such a step it’s a good idea to talk with a doctor or a psychiatrist who specializes in anxiety and panic disorders. As the treatments can be varied you will need to let your doctor know that you suspect that you are suffering from anxiety disorders so that your specific complaint can be identified. Once your anxiety is diagnosed then treatment may begin.
you might want to ask your doctor what the normal anxiety treatments are and their side effects and you should also find out what their effect will be on your lifestyle as well. The alternative remedies may not be completely proven by medical science as anxiety treatments, but a number of people state that these alternative treatments do work at providing relief from anxiety symptoms.
The traditional anxiety treatments are prescription drugs like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Buspirone, antidepressant medications and others. These drugs work to lower the chemicals that cause anxiety to the surface. While many people have found relief from their anxiety symptoms, these tablets alone may not completely cure your anxiety disorders.
Alternate anxiety treatments include the age old methods of Acupuncture and Ayurveda. Both of these eastern anxiety treatments bring the symptoms of anxiety back into control by rebalancing your body’s internal energies. These treatments use a number of essential oils, poultices, herbal remedies and sterilized acupuncture needles to achieve that effect. These alternative anxiety treatments not only control the effects of anxiety in your body they also have the ability to completely cure your anxiety disorder symptoms.
Other anxiety treatments include Tai Chi, yoga, dance therapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy and many others.
How Anxiety Affects your Work Ability
Although anxiety disorders are not physical maladies, they can affect your ability to perform physical work. Those who have panic attacks, shaking or other common effects of anxiety disorders may find it difficult to perform tasks which require fine motor skills. On top of that, many jobs which involve physical labor (especially heavy physical labor) are dangerous for those who have anxiety attacks. Many who suffer from anxiety disorders also have muscle tension, which can cause some forms of physical work to be much more difficult.
Anxiety disorders have a much larger impact on your mental and emotional capacity for work. Whether you suffer from panic attacks, phobias, generalized anxiety, or some combination, anxiety disorders can make it very difficult to concentrate on any task. The behaviors which often accompany feelings of fear and terror (decompression) can make it difficult to interact with coworkers or supervisors. This, in turn, makes it difficult to maintain employment, even if you are able to find something which you can do.
Many persons who have anxiety disorders also deal with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which can cause additional problems at the workplace. Others deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which may limit which types of work environments they can handle.
Occupationally Impairing Anxiety.
Most people with anxiety disorders. But not all. If you are occupationall impaired due to anxiety disorders, you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits or coverage under your indivual disability insurance or your employer’s long-term-disability plan. It’s important to realize that not all cases of anxiety disorder are severe enough to meet the Social Security Administration’s stringent guidelines. If you are unsure whether you qualify, consider speaking with a Social Security lawyer. Not only will your chance of having your claim approved improve, but you will have less stress in dealing with the SSA through a lawyer.
Generally speaking, in order to have your claim approved based on anxiety disorders, your condition must be medically documented and must be shown to severely affect your ability to perform any meaningful work. you will need to show how your daily life is impacted by your disorder, giving details of how it affects your daily life, your social functioning, and your ability to concentrate on tasks.
In order to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits based on anxiety disorder, you will need to show (and have medically confirmed) that your anxiety causes symptoms such as lack of vigilance, hyperactivity, extreme apprehension, frequent panic attacks, compulsions which cause safety issues, or intrusive memories which cause medically observable distress.
Additionally, these conditions must make it impossible for you to function in a work environment. While you are entitled to present your claim by yourself, you should consider allowing a Social Security Disability attorney to represent you when making a Social Security Disability claim based on anxiety disorders as your ability to represent yourself may call into question your inability to handle other work related situations due to your anxiety disorder.
Social Security Act Definition of Disability
Under Social Security law, an individual is considered disabled if he or she is:
- unable to do any substantial gainful work activity because of a medical
condition (or conditions), that has lasted, or can be expected to last, for
at least 12 months, or that is expected to result in death; - or, in the case of an individual under the age of 18, if he or she suffers
from any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that
results in marked and severe functional limitations.
Generally, meeting the eligibility requirements under your individual disability insurance policy or employer provided long-term-disability plan is more forgiving compared with meeting the requirements of the Social Security Act.
