12 Myths About Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Pain medication

Overview

Anxiety is a mental health issue that affects more than 40 million people in the United States alone. Though this condition is so widespread, there are many misunderstandings regarding the impact of anxiety on a person’s life.

There is plenty of information and misinformation available on the internet about anxiety disorders and panic attack, that is becoming difficult to discern facts from the myths.

While big-name celebrities are talking about these issues, there are still a lot of misconceptions about this condition. Here are some of the most common myths that people believe about anxiety disorder.

Myth

Anxiety always has physical symptoms.

Fact

Anxiety can manifest in many ways, and sometimes there are no physical symptoms. People having anxiety don’t always report to experience any physical symptoms; they only state that it felt like constant intrusive worrying thoughts.

Myth

Anxiety will go away with time.

Fact

People having Anxiety and control issues need support and medical attention, as it is not a condition that fades away gradually. If not treated in time, an anxiety disorder can become severe, and attacks become more frequent. Over time people learn to live with the condition and find a way to manage the symptoms, but it is not advisable to suppress the feelings. People should seek out medical support.

Myth

A bad experience is the cause of an anxiety disorder.

Fact

Ther is no single cause of anxiety. It is a complex condition that can be a result of several factors, and sometimes there might not even be a reason behind someone having an anxiety attack. People often feel overwhelmed by thinking about the prospect of uncertainty in their future, which can lead them to have an anxiety attack.

Myth

Anxiety attacks make a person faint.

Fact

While people experiencing an anxiety attack might feel dizzy, it is highly unlikely that they could faint. As a person suffers an anxiety attack, they start to hyperventilate, which increases the oxygen intake and eliminate carbon dioxide, which can often cause a feeling of dizziness, and make them think that they might pass out. The truth is, people usually pass out due to a decrease in blood pressure, while during an anxiety attack, there is an increase in blood pressure.

Myth

Anxiety is only a women’s illness.

Fact

Men and women feel the symptoms of anxiety differently, leading some to believe that it affects women more frequently than men. Many factors can contribute to this outlook, primarily social and cultural norms. Men often exhibit outward anger in response to anxiety, and women usually internalize their feelings. It is typical to call men’s anxiety symptoms anger, which can give an appearance of more women having this condition than men.

Myth

There is nothing one can do to help an anxious person.

Fact

Watching a loved one going through an anxiety attack can be painful and makes one feel powerless. People with anxiety often feel that they are alone, and a simple act of reaching out and talking to them might help them greatly.

Myth

People with anxiety should avoid stress.

Fact

On the contrary, confronting fears can lead to the dissipation of anxious feelings. Each person manages anxiety differently, but most of them find it helpful to face their fears to decrease the stress or phobias. Exposure to such situations also allows them to learn how to deal with similar situations in the future.

Myth

Anxiety can have an impact on every aspect of a person’s daily life.

Fact

It can be valid to some extent, but not everyone who has anxiety had their lives devastated. It is not uncommon for people to have an anxiety disorder and lead a somewhat healthy life. Many functioning adults experience anxiety but have learned to manage their symptoms.

Myth

People can recover from an anxiety disorder.

Fact

People who have anxiety can live a better life with proper treatment, but it does not go away completely. In a way, people can recover from an anxiety disorder, but the level of recovery varies for each person.

Myth

Anxiety can cause damage to the body.

Fact

Though there are some physical symptoms of anxiety, these usually disappear without a trace. The hyperventilation and increased heart rate during an anxiety attack are what perpetuating this myth.

Myth

Taking anti-anxiety medications is a sign of weakness.

Fact

Anxiety, just like any other health issue, is a real problem that people might have. Taking medicines to help fight the symptoms of illness is in no way a sign of weakness; instead, it is a healthy thing to do. People who avoid using medications despite experiencing severe symptoms put themselves on the risk of significant health issues.

Myth

ic attacks are nothing but drama.

Fact

Panic attacks are not overreactions. These attacks are hormonal and physiological responses of the body to what it sees as a potentially scary, threatening, or stressful situation. These attacks can be terrifying, so people should learn some coping mechanisms to help themselves more prepared to face them.