Fear manifests itself in response to a defined external threat (eg: an aggressor, the car that loses control), while anxiety can be defined as an apprehensive expectation, anticipatory of an unknown or in any case more vague threat.
Both, however, are normal responses to situations we perceive as dangerous.
When our security is threatened, even potentially, automatic changes occur in our organism that produce a general state of activation preparing us for an intense physical effort to defend ourselves or escape from danger, the so-called fight or flight response. ).
Each individual can experience anxiety in conjunction with a stressful event (before a surgery or an important event in family or work life). This anxiety is functional, it helps us to better prepare for the event and / or to be more prudent. A person with anxiety disorder experiences anxiety that is disproportionate to the real threat or for a longer than reasonable time and this can interfere with social, emotional, cognitive and occupational functioning thus becoming a pathological condition and which, as such, goes curated.
Anxiety disorders affect about 7.3% of the world population,
represent one of the top 10 causes of disability globally, affect women and young adults most frequently and are the first of all forms of psychopathology in terms of age of onset.
Anxiety disorders often occur concomitantly
or as a symptom of other psychiatric disorders, in fact about 60% of patients with major depression and 47% of those with ADHD will have anxiety as a connected disorder. In addition, more than half of patients with generalized anxiety disorder experience multiple anxiety disorders.
Anxiety is often experienced with profound disorientation and misunderstanding by both the patient and his loved ones,
and the severity of the disease can still be stigmatized and underestimated today. It is important to emphasize that Asian disorders are a group of diseases that, as such, can be cured and must not be accepted as a fact that must only be adapted. Phrases such as “do not be anxious”, “calm down”, “you must force yourself to fight against this situation” reflect a profound misunderstanding of the disease and can contribute to worsening the patient’s stress.
Summary
The first step to take is definitely a visit to the doctor. After an accurate diagnosis, the prescribed interventions can alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.
The causes of anxiety disorders are not fully known, however it is thought that they are due to complex interactions between predisposing genetic factors, environmental factors and disorders of brain biochemistry. Anxiety can also be caused by the intake of certain substances or drugs and the presence of multiple concomitant diseases.