DONT GET IT WRONG ;NOT ONLY MAD PEOPLE VISIT A PSYCHIATRIST

ANXIETY DISORDER

As long as I remembered I was always having sweat hand and feet even as a child. My hand is as soft as that of a baby even at age 35. When I was in the school, I would put my face towel on my books to protect the sweat coming out of my hand from messing up my books. I noticed I do get panicked as a child. I would think about the worst things that could happen to me. I get worried whenever the Mathematic teacher entered the class .I get worried whenever any teacher threw a question out even when I knew the answer; I still get worried. Sweating on both hands and when the worry is intense, sweating on both hand & feet. I get panicked during examination time too. Always anxious to know whether the lecturer asked questions that I read about. My mind was always full of thoughts both good and evil.

As I completed my university I was worried I would not get a job on time. There is this sudden terror that strikes me and it hits me in my chest or inner mind and my heart will start beating fast .The more those thoughts began persistent, the more energetic and aggressive I was in the search of job. I got job in an oil firm and worry did not leave me still even when I was well paid. Will I get a husband? How? Even when I got married, I remembered there was never a day my hand and feet stop sweating. I was always worried about death. I would get worried that I would have an accident while carrying out my official duties or have a road accident and die. The worst of it was flight. I would not breathe until the airplane landed. I knew something was wrong with me. I resigned from my job because I was always worried I would be sacked. I kept doing all soft of things to survive, the more failure I encountered, the more I tried and fought hard to overcome it. I fear so much that my chest has started paining me and it grips me at times as if I will have heart attack. My greatest worry now is that I have murdered sleep. I can go for 3 days without a sleep. Sleeping tabs do not work anymore. I worry because I might not succeed in my present endeavor. I worry because I felt I would die soon without my name not being heard in this whole world. I worry for my children who will become motherless if I died. My heart palpitates, I am always restless, my muscle grips me and I also feel numbness in my hand and feet. My breathing has changed. I constantly remind myself that my breathing is too short and I will consciously breathe deep and sigh out loudly. I feel dizzy this day. Doctor I am sick from the birth. This feeling is dated from as long I could remember. I did an x-ray recently and it was discovered that one of my ventricles is affected. What is the way out of this problem? I have recognized I need help. Doctor please help.

 Doctors Response: Does any of the above mentioned symptoms describe you? If it does, then you are suffering from Anxiety Disorder (AD). It is a mental sickness. People occasionally panic or worry over things, but when such worries become constant and hinder living a normal life then this is the situation we are addressing here. The causes of Anxiety disorder remain unknown but just like any other mental illness, it is not a weakness or a result of poor or good upbringing. Psychiatrists believe that anxiety disorder has to do with issues with brain circuits and its ability to regulate fear and other emotions. It has also be proven that stress contributes to this disorder. From the experience narrated above, anxiety disorders runs in the family which can be partly inherited just like any other illness. According to National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Anxiety disorder affects about 40 million American (a developed country!).  We do not want to imagine too far what percentage of people will be affected by Anxiety Disorder (AD) in Africa. It has always been in existence but majorly overlook and  now is becoming very rampant and affects millions of Africans and sad enough, is not receiving serious attention by individual, corporate entities and government as it is been seen as nothing serious.

 It is important to note that anxiety disorder cannot be prevented from happening to anyone but some steps can be taken to reduce the symptoms such as:

• Living a life free of caffeine intakes
• Ensuring you ask your doctor before you take any drugs. There are some drugs with certain side effects which can trigger on any of the symptoms of anxiety disorder.Let us sum up by quick mentioning of the damages or risks of anxiety disorder to our health. According to Harvard medical school, AD is seen to increase the rate of panic attacks in people with chronic respiratory disease. It may causes a general feeling associated with illness, drugs may be less effective in people with AD. It also affects excretory and digestive system, loss of appetite, lack of interest in sex, back headache, insomnia, increases high blood pressure, high blood sugar and heart disease.

  Advice: Seek the help a specialist; a psychiatrist to evaluate you to know the extent of the disorder .He is in the best position to recommend by the way of medication, cognitive therapy or behavioral therapy. Most times combined treatments work. You can consult on the site to speak with the site psychiatrist.