There is talk of chronic anxiety, or generalized anxiety disorder, when there is a constant anxious state, a perennial feeling of excessive concern for something: health problems, work problems, economic problems and so on.
The symptoms of chronic anxiety
The main symptom is the state of permanent alarm ; the constant feeling of being on the verge of facing a threat.
This is associated with somatic symptoms typically associated with anxiety, for example: excessive sweating, a feeling of having a lump in the throat, flushing, headache, diarrhea, nausea, meteorism, hypertension, skin rashes.
Other symptoms that are often associated with chronic anxiety are irritability, agitation, difficulty concentrating, sleep disorders and depressed mood.
Chronic anxiety can have serious repercussions on social and work life and should not be underestimated.
How does generalized anxiety disorder manifest?
The causes of chronic anxiety
A person's anxious temperament depends on a multitude of factors ; there are people who are more prone to anxiety and others who are less so.
Of course, trauma and individual experiences play an important role; severe trauma often triggers an anxious state that can be resolved relatively quickly or become chronic.
Another factor that contributes to chronic anxiety is cultural and family learning ; for example, being raised with overly fearful and overprotective parents can transmit a sort of "anxiety education", it is as if from an early age they had been used to living situations with a good load of anxiety.
Anxiety can become a self-perpetuating vicious circle, because the more anxious I feel, the more I tend to be.
How to fight chronic anxiety
A passing anxious state is normal, it can happen in particularly stressful situations and in specific moments of one's life; when, for example, you have to face an important exam, during pregnancy, in case of health problems of your own or loved ones, for the end of a love, when you are faced with an important change, for example a move.
However, when anxiety becomes chronic and adversely affects the quality of life, it is important to face it directly, asking for the help of an expert. Fighting anxiety does not mean eliminating it but learning to manage it, to transform it from a limit to a resource. No one is free from anxiety but there are people who know how to manage it better and others who are more difficult.
To "cure" anxiety it may be useful to undertake a psychotherapeutic journey that provides the appropriate tools to recognize and overcome it. There are techniques that teach how to effectively manage anxiety states; cognitive-behavioral psychology can give a big hand in this sense.
It may also be useful to use relaxation techniques, such as autogenic training, which help to restore the balance between body and mind.
Of course, in addition to those of synthesis, there are also natural products to be taken to keep anxiety under control; the work on the same, however, is always essential to obtain more concrete and lasting results.
