Every individual yearns to be healthy. Having a good health determines a lot in one’s life since his/her daily activities are affected by the status one is in. Therefore, every person wishes that he/she wakes up each day feeling healthy. However, this is not the case since, at some point in life, one may fall sick. It is a reality to humans that illnesses and disorders are part of their lives (Akinsola & Nwajei, 2013) . Dues to this, whenever a person gets sick or has a particular disorder, medical attention ought to be regarded. A psychological disorder is a mental disturbance characterized by patterned behavioural symptoms that impact on the individual’s normal mental abilities. Classification and diagnosis is the most important mechanism in dealing with psychological disorders. However, there are different classification mechanisms and diagnosis for this illness ( Baer, 2015) . Anxiety is an example of a psychological disorder. It is characterized by excessive fear, worry and behavioral symptoms of mental distress.
An anxiety disorder takes different forms which are very important for health officers to identify and provide a treatment mechanism. Generalized anxiety disorder is a form of psychological illness associated with excessive worry on every day events ( Lader, 2015) . A patient suffering from this form of anxiety will always be distressed by each and every life event. Excessive generalized worry has a big impact on a person’s behavior and normal well-being.
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Agoraphobia is another type of anxiety disorder. This disorder instills excessive fear on an individual’s attitude towards public events where security is of concern. Individuals suffering from this kind of anxiety will always panic in public events. People suffering from this illness are likely to avoid public events where an attack is perceived to occur (Akinsola & Nwajei, 2013) . Excessive agoraphobia symptoms can make the patient not to be able to leave his or her house on the basis of fear ( Baer, 2015). Therefore, it is important to diagnose this illness at an early stage before it reaches its adverse levels.
Social anxiety disorder is a form of anxiety where the patient exhibits fear of being watched or being judged. This kind of anxiety can have a negative impact on an individual’s social life (Lader, 2015) . Excessive social anxiety can affect the patient from his or her daily life events especially at work, school and other social places. It is always difficult to diagnose this form of anxiety at an early stage. Therefore, it takes a personal initiative to reach out for medical examination before the symptoms escalate to dangerous levels.
Specific phobia is a form of anxiety where the patient exhibits fear towards an object, event or an animal like a spider ( Baer, 2015) . This is a very common form of anxiety that can have adverse effects if the symptoms reach an advanced stage. It takes four forms based on medical procedures, natural events like thunder, animals and situational events. Specific phobia anxiety is characterized by trembling, fear of death and a rapid heartbeat.
Panic disorder is associated with the fear of visiting places that once experienced attacks. Patients will always be preoccupied with thoughts of experiencing another attack out of nowhere. At advanced stages of this illness, the patient will find it difficult to carry out normal life routines like going to school. It is important to identify these psychological behavioral changes at an early stage for proper treatment.
Separation anxiety disorder is associated with fear of being separated from a certain attachment. This form of anxiety is common among children. However, adults can also experience these symptoms. Children will always fear being separated from their parents and other caretaker figures (Lader, 2015) . Unlike children, adults exhibiting these symptoms need proper treatment procedures at early stage to prevent a total mental distress. People suffering from this disorder will always find difficulties in moving away from their attachment figures. This can have adverse effects on their daily routines like going to school or getting married. Separation anxiety is difficult to diagnose at an early stage because many people exhibit such traits in their normal lives ( Baer, 2015).
Anxiety will always be there in a normal life of a human being. However, it is important to take treatment measures to avoid its implications on the daily life routines. There are various treatment options like, self-treatment, counseling and medical. Self-treatment involves taking a personal initiative in identifying the cause of anxiety. Stress management can help in reducing anxiety at a personal level ( Akinsola & Nwajei, 2013) . The person needs to create a relaxation technique to combat anxiety. Deep breathing exercises and yoga can help in reducing the risks of experiencing anxiety. Physical exercises can also help in releasing excessive chemicals thus relieving an individual’s mental burden. It also takes a personal initiative to seek support from close friends and family members.
Counseling is an important treatment mechanism of dealing with anxiety. Counseling is very effective if it is combined with psychotherapy and behavioral therapy. In behavioral therapy, the factors causing anxiety are identified and patterned responses are recorded. Behavioral therapy aims at changing the way people react to certain events by impacting a positive feeling in their daily lives ( Baer, 2015) . This therapy encourages the patients to face their fears. This will help in reducing the sensitivities associated with situations that trigger fear. Behavioral therapy has proved to be effective in combating anxiety at its early stages. Psychotherapy is another counseling technique that involves a deep interaction with a trained professional or a psychiatrist. The counselor is able to identify the patterned causes of anxiety then propose the possible treatment course of action. Successive sessions with a trained professional can be effective in reducing anxiety. The effectiveness of this technique depends on the personal will to fight anxiety.
Medical treatment is very effective in cases where anxiety is associated with biological brain imbalances. However, this process needs a proper diagnosis mechanism to identify a specific biological cause of anxiety. Antidepressants and benzodiazepines are examples of drugs that can help in reducing the mental impulses towards anxiety. However, these drugs have negative side effects like nausea, sexual related problems and drowsiness. Tricyclics have effectively been used in treating anxiety disorder for a long period of time. However, their effectiveness is limited by the side effects associated with their use. Dizziness, dry mouth and weight are examples of the side effects associated with tricyclics ( Akinsola & Nwajei, 2013) . It is therefore important to consider a medical approach in the event that all the counseling and personal treatment options have failed to give proper yields. The use of drugs in reducing anxiety should be considered at the adverse stages of the disorder.
In conclusion, anxiety is a common psychological disorder that needs systematic approach in its treatment. A patterned behavioral change should be identified at an early stage to prevent its implications on the personal life routines. Anxiety can be difficult to treat at an advanced stage where the patient exhibits a total mental disorientation. Treatment of anxiety is effective if it begins at a personal level before the introduction of a counseling therapy and thereafter drugs. The personal will to fight anxiety is an integral element in the prevention of fear.
References
Akinsola, E. F., & Nwajei, A. D. (2013). Test anxiety, depression and academic performance: assessment and management using relaxation and cognitive restructuring techniques. Psychology , 4 (06), 18.
Lader, M. (2015). Generalized anxiety disorder. In Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology (pp. 699-702). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Baer, R. A. (Ed.). (2015). Mindfulness-based treatment approaches: Clinician's guide to evidence base and applications . Elsevier.
