Anxiety is defined as a reaction to stressful, potentially dangerous, or unfamiliar situations. We all suffer a degree of anxiety at one point or another. In fact, experts opine that humans need a level of anxiety to remain alert and focused.
However, the problem comes when the condition degenerates into a disorder. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety is the most prevalent mental disorder in the United States, affecting at least 40 million adults.
Forms of Anxiety Disorders
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the following are the five anxiety disorders and their signature symptoms.
- Generalized anxiety disorder – Persistent feelings of anxiety and tension
- Social Anxiety Disorder – Feelings of anxiety in public places
- Panic Disorder – Sudden feelings of unreasonable fear
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder – Obsessive and ritualistic patterns of behavior
- Post-traumatic stress disorder – Commonly occurs following traumatic events
9 Signs That Your Anxiety Is Getting Worse
There are numerous signs that your anxiety needs immediate medical intervention. Fortunately, there are equally plenty of ways to address your anxiety disorder. Cannabis is one of the natural remedies. Much on that later.
However, it’s important to mention that for cannabis products to treat your anxiety condition, you must ensure you source it from a trusted marijuana dispensary. While you’re at it, inquire from the dispensary how their cannabis products were sourced.
Generally, the best cannabis products are obtained by CO2 extraction, as opposed to other methods like the use of hydrocarbons. Also, ask the seller to show proof of third-party lab test results on their products.
Here are the nine signs that your anxiety is getting worse:
#1. Excessive Worrying
It’s natural to be worried about an impending event. However, when your worries are disproportionately more substantial than the events that trigger them, then you’re likely suffering from an anxiety disorder. Excessive worrying is usually a symptom of panic disorder or social anxiety disorder.
#2. Irrational Fears
While some people can suffer generalized anxiety, others battle specific irrational fears. These fears are known as phobias and form the basis of panic disorders.
Examples of phobias include:
- Acrophobia – Fear of heights.
- Cynophobia – Fear of dogs.
- Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders
- Ophidiophobia – Fear of snakes
- Mysophobia – Fear of germs
#3. Intense Agitation
When you’re anxious, your sympathetic nervous system functions beyond its optimal capacity as your brain prepares your body to respond appropriately to the danger. That triggers a cascade of reactions, including an elevated pulse, sweaty palms, dry mouth, and trembling hands. The cumulative effect of these reactions is intense agitation.
#4. Restlessness
Also known as irritability, restlessness is an anxiety symptom that mostly affects children and teens. A restless person is always on edge and ready to respond to ‘The danger’ that might not be there in the first place. Restlessness also causes a disproportionate response to stimuli. For instance, you can tell that you’re restless if you use maximum force to flick a housefly from your face.
#5. Muscular Tension
When you’re anxious, your body shunts blood supply from your digestive system to your muscles, ostensibly to prepare you to run or fight. As a result, your muscles become tense through responses like balling your fists and clenching your jaws. These reactions should be good news if the threat turns out to be real. However, the sudden blood flow to your muscles causes constant muscle tension, which might eventually lead to cramps.
#6. Chronic Constipation
As we’ve already indicated, anxiety redirects blood flow from your digestive system to your muscles. Powering your muscles at the expense of your digestive tract might leave you with gastrointestinal complications like chronic constipation. If you follow a healthy diet and have no underlying medical condition but still experience this, then anxiety might be the cause.
#7. Stage Fright
Most people experience butterflies in their stomach before addressing a crowd. However, if your fear of being in the spotlight is too strong to handle, you’re likely suffering from a social anxiety disorder known as stage fright. People with stage fright usually develop excessive sweating and body tremors at the mere thought of addressing a gathering. In the worst-case scenario, their minds may suddenly go blank even if they had prepared adequately for the address well ahead of time.
#8. Self-consciousness
Anxious people may occasionally grapple with self-awareness. Self-awareness mostly occurs when a person is in the spotlight. However, it may also be triggered by everyday situations. Usually, the person may blush, tremble, sweat, or experience nausea even when interacting with their friends or family.
#9. Insomnia
Insomnia is almost always a sure indicator of anxiety. It’s mostly a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. Insomnia may manifest itself in three various ways, including:
- Having a longer sleep latency
- Waking up too early, followed by an inability to go back to sleep
- Frequent sleep interruptions
Is There A Cure for Anxiety?
Anxiety can be treated or managed by making certain lifestyle adjustments. Some of these include.
- Quitting alcohol and smoking
- Eating a healthy diet, which contains probiotics and fermented foods
- Working out and exercising more often
- Limiting caffeine intake
In addition to lifestyle changes, you can also treat anxiety by using natural anxiolytic herbs. Examples of these herbs include:
Research shows cannabis as the most effective natural remedy against anxiety. Extracts from the plant, such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), relieve anxiety by interacting with the body’s cell-signaling system known as the endocannabinoid system. Studies conducted on the anxiolytic properties of cannabis have shown its effectiveness against social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Anxiety is part and parcel of everyday life.
However, it has a way of degenerating into unmanageable levels if left untreated.
Always be aware of any of these nine signs to know whether your anxiety condition is getting out of hand. When it comes to treatment, the convention is to insist on natural anti-anxiety herbs like cannabis.