Dr. La Keita D. Carter, owner and CEO of Owings Mills, Maryland-based Institute for HEALing, LLC discussed anxiety and anxiety disorders to raise awareness about them. Anxiety is a feeling of tension, stress, or worry (https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety) according to the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Carter noted that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the U.S. More than 30% of adults experience it at some point during their lifetime.
“To put that in perspective, that’s roughly 78 million U.S. Americans,” the licensed psychologist further stated.
Dr. Carter added that anxiety is still under-recognized, misunderstood, and stigmatized in the Black community, although perception about the topic is improving.
“We often hear others saying, ‘pray it away,’ which we don’t hear when it comes to cancer, diabetes, or asthma.”
Understanding Differences Between Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders
“Anxiety and anxiety disorders are two different things. Everyone has anxiety, but not everyone has an anxiety disorder. If your anxiety exceeds your coping skills and it is causing distress at work, home, school, and socially, then it becomes a mental health disorder,” said Dr. Carter.
Anxiety is a chronic feeling of uneasiness or worry that is present, even when there is no external event or activator.
Signs of anxiety include excessive worry or fear, restlessness or feeling edgy, difficulty concentrating/focusing, irritability, muscle tension, panic attacks and sleep problems.
Dr. Carter added, “The term anxiety disorder is an umbrella term used to refer to the disorders that involve intense, excessive, chronic, and persistent worry about a diversity of concerns.”
She identified generalized anxiety disorder; panic disorder; social anxiety disorder; specific phobia; agoraphobia; selective mutism; and separation anxiety disorder as common types of anxiety disorders. Treatment is often necessary to help patients manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and medication are the most common treatment protocols for anxiety. Research shows that when they are combined, they are more effective.
Do you need help with anxiety?
If anxiety interferes with your daily functioning, be mindful of this observation. It should not get in the way of your work, school, relationships, and social activities. Additionally, if you start avoiding people, places, and things that make you anxious, these are signs that help is needed.
“For example, you may avoid going into work, driving, or being around your mother-in-law,” Dr. Carter added.
If your sleeping and eating is off; you are under- or over-sleeping, or under- or overeating; you are having panic attacks or suicidal thoughts; you experience intense physical symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath, these are more signs that you should seek out the services of a licensed mental health professional. They are equipped to diagnose anxiety disorder and create a treatment plan to help clients feel better.
What triggers anxiety?
Dr. Carter mentioned that anything can activate an anxiety response. It does not have to be a major life event such as marriage, divorce, pregnancy, retirement, job loss or grief. Even health problems; interpersonal conflicts with family members, friends or co-workers; financial difficulties; traumatic experiences; or substance use/abuse can trigger anxiety.
Consuming too much negative news during these political times can trigger anxiety in people who do not necessarily have anxiety disorder and in those who do.
“Constant exposure to destressing news, political polarization, and social unrest can be hard to manage. It can worsen anxiety for people who are already living with an anxiety disorder,” said Dr. Carter.
Engage in mindfulness techniques; limit news consumption; exercise; journal; color; or listen to music to better manage feelings of anxiety. Dr. Carter added that using meditation can be tricky because it can be hard to focus your attention on the present without your mind wandering.
“It’s best if you start out small and only meditate for one minute and then keep increasing the time,” she explained. “There are many meditation apps that are helpful, including Exhale. You can also use guided meditations on YouTube.”
Know the difference between anxiety and stress.
Although anxiety and stress are typically used interchangeably, there is a technical difference.
“Stress is a response to an external event or circumstance. For example, you can feel stressed because you have an exam coming up or because you are awaiting test results from your doctor. Stress is typically short-term and dissipates when the stressor is gone,” Dr. Carter explained.
Visit www.LaKeitaDCarter.com to learn more about Dr. Carter. Follow her on Instagram: @DrLaKeita (IG).