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Integrative Approaches to Anxiety: Easing the Fear
What is anxiety?
Like other emotions, fear is a normal part of being human. It is a reaction to danger or something we believe to be either physically or emotionally threatening. It increases our awareness of the environment. It reminds us to protect ourselves. However, when fear is out of balance, it shifts towards anxiety and should be treated if it is:
- Intense (you feel it more than most people)
- Chronic (you feel it many times during the day or most days of the week)
- Limiting (it makes it hard to connect with others or do daily tasks).
Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in the world.1 One in every 25 people are currently experiencing an anxiety disorder, and the percentage of people who have it has increased since before the COVID-19 pandemic;1,2 about 1 in 3 people will have it at some time in their lives.3 Treating anxiety can be challenging because the fear may affect a person’s ability to trust others and to try new treatments. Living with a constant sense of being in danger is exhausting.
Anxiety and health problems
People with anxiety go to medical visits three to five times more than the average.4 Sixty percent of those with anxiety will have other problems that are linked to it, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)5, depression6, substance use7, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)8, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)9, or obesity.10
Symptoms of anxiety include2:
- Tiring easily
- Restlessness
- Poor concentration
- Sweats
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Muscle tension
- Trembling
- Sleep problems
- Fast heartbeat
- Poor memory
A person with anxiety usually sees several medical providers before the right diagnosis is made. At first, they usually do not know their symptoms are caused by anxiety. Only 1 in 4 people with an anxiety disorder get treatment for it, even though there are many treatments that have been shown to help.