I get anxious about everything, I like a friend of mine and when she sometimes spends more time with her friends, I feel anxious. I have no clue why and every time we fight over something, I feel like I can't do anything for a while. Not only with that person but in general, with anyone, I get angry easily. I feel guilty for nothing. I'm not depressed or anything. I get scared at times also thinking about my future, parents, friends, everything. I just don't want to feel like. How I am right now. I've read something about claustrophobia and that's exactly how I feel at times. Do you think I have claustrophobia? And sir, can you suggest anything that I can do to not feel the way I feel, the irony there. Thank you

Dr. Sajeev KumarGeneral Physician34yrs exp

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Anxiety is a very normal emotion, which gives rise to feelings of nervousness every now and then. An anxiety disorder is a serious medical condition in which people experience a high degree of distress and mental trauma, which hinders a normal life. People suffering from this medical condition experience high levels of anxiety and nervousness almost all the time. Here are the cardinal symptoms that indicate you're suffering from an anxiety disorder. 1. Troublesome & excess worry - this condition prevails if you worry about the day to day activities too much on a regular basis. It is identified when you start taking too much stress about very common and routine things, related to life or work which tends to affect you in an adverse way. A noticeable sign of excessive worry can be too much fatigue. 2. Lack of sleep/irregular disturbed sleep - problems in falling asleep at the right time and problems in maintaining an uninterrupted sleep are two signs that indicate you have an anxiety disorder. 3. Baseless / irrational fears - this symptom is not generalized; instead, it is specific and subjective in relation to a particular thing or situation. The fears that are experienced under this category are sudden and unexpected in nature and there is no fixed rationale behind these fears. One may ear of death or accident or fall from a plane and so on. 4. Muscle pain - muscle discomfort and pain are one of the leading physiological causes of an anxiety disorder. The pain felt is chronic and pervasive, and is very common among people facing situations of anxiety. If you are exposed to constant periods of anxiety, you will experience fatigue, muscle pains and lethargy or unwillingness to work. 5. Unexplained indigestion - problems related to the digestive system are also a sign of anxiety disorder. In this case, you may face constant digestive problems accompanied by a common disorder called ibs (irritable bowel syndrome). Ibs refers to an anxiety situation in the digestive tract, which is characterized by a sudden urge to defecate on eating, stomach aches, cramping, bloating, gas, constipation, and/or diarrhoea. Apart from the above-mentioned symptoms, other symptoms of an anxiety disorder include stage fright, self- consciousness, panic attacks, memory flashbacks, perfectionism, compulsive behaviours, self- doubt, and such others. 5. Say an encouraging statement. Positive, accurate statements can help to put things into perspective. See these examples: ?anxiety is just a feeling, like any other feeling.? and ?this feels bad, but I can use some strategies to cope with it.? 6. Stay connected to others. Social support is vital to managing stress, today, call a loved one, scheduled to go to lunch with a close friend. Talking with others can do a world of good. Another option is to get together and engage in an activity that improves your anxiety, such as taking a walk, sitting on the beach or going to a yoga class. 7. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Managing anxiety is as much about what you do as what you don?t do. And there are some substances that exacerbate anxiety. Caffeine/alcohol is one of those substances. The last thing people with anxiety need is a substance that makes them feel more turned on, which is exactly what caffeine/alcohol does. 8. Avoid mood changing drugs. ?while drugs and alcohol might help to reduce anxiety in the short term, they often do just the opposite in the long term,? even the short-term effect can be harmful. Experts have treated countless clients whose first panic attack occurred while they were taking drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy or lsd. ?panic attacks are bad enough if you are straight and sober, so imagine how bad they are if you are high, and can?t get untied until the drug wears off.? 9. Do something you enjoy. Engaging in enjoyable activities helps to soothe your anxiety. For instance, today, you might take a walk, listen to music or read a book, 10. Take a break. It?s also helpful to build breaks into your day. As it is said, this might be a ?simple change of pace or scenery, enjoying a hobby, or switching ?to-do? tasks.? ?breaking from concerted effort can be refreshing.? 11. Solve problem it is suggested considering how you can address the stressors that are causing your anxiety. Today, make a list of these stressors and next to each one, jot down one or two solutions. 12. Read a book. There are many valuable resources on anxiety, which teach you effective coping skills. Some recommended are dying of embarrassment for people with social anxiety; the bdd workbook for body dysmorphic disorder; the imp of the mind and the ocd workbook for obsessive-compulsive disorder. And it is suggested, "stop obsessing" for adults with ocd (and up and down the worry hill for kids with ocd). For people with panic attacks, it is suggested don?t panic: taking control of anxiety attacks. For a general overview of cognitive-behavioural therapy for anxiety, 13. Engage in calming practices. ?meditation, yoga, or other calming practices can help minimize anxiety in both the short and long term.? sign up for a yoga class or watch a yoga video online. Meditate right now for just three minutes and do for yoga 14. Consult a therapist. Sometimes anxiety can be difficult to manage without professional help, many organizations include databases of providers who specialize in anxiety (along with helpful information). 15. Accept your anxiety. If you really want to effectively manage your anxiety, the key is to accept it, ?this might sound strange. But anxiety, ?in and of itself,? isn?t the real problem. Instead, it?s our attempts at controlling and eliminating it, not accepting these unwanted inner experiences is the actual source of self-induced suffering.? accepting anxiety doesn?t mean ?resigning" ourselves to a life of anxious misery. It simply means that we are better off recognizing and fully accepting the existence of anxiety and other uncomfortable emotional states that are inevitable, but transitory. So if you experience anxiety today, simply observe it. ?think of it like a wave of the ocean; allow it to come in, experience it, and ride it out.? anxiety can feel overwhelming. It can feel like chains around your feet, weighing you down. But by taking small steps ? like the ones above ? you can minimize your anxiety and cope effectively. Have a peaceful life ahead.  

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