Anxiety

anxiety

What Is Relationship Anxiety? 

Relationships between partners and friends are typically a source of pleasure and comfort. However, some people may experience persistent anxiety when in a relationship. Doctors call this relationship anxiety, or relationship-based anxiety. This article will explore the signs and causes of relationship anxiety, as well as some treatment and management options for couples. Relationship anxiety involves feelings of intense worry about a romantic or friendly relationship. Although health professionals are aware of this type of anxiety, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) does not include it. Unlike other forms of anxiety, such as generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder, doctors do not have specific guidelines to diagnose or treat relationship anxiety. Relationship anxiety encompasses some features of social anxiety disorder. More specifically, both conditions can cause a person to experience significant discomfort about rejection. Although many people may worry about acceptance and reciprocal feelings in a relationship, anxiety tends to develop when a person experiences excessive fear or worry. For example, anxiety can lead a person to worry about the future of a relationship. People with relationship anxiety may end their relationships out of fear, or they may endure the relationship but with great anxiety. The effects of this anxiety may hinder a person’s ability to function in the relationship. Researchers describe three common symptoms of relationship anxiety: excessive reassurance-seeking self-silencing partner accommodation The sections below will discuss each of these in more detail. Excessive reassurance-seeking Excessive reassurance-seeking is also common in social anxiety disorder and depression. Some researchers suggest that excessive reassurance-seeking is related to interpersonal dependency. Interpersonal dependency refers to a person’s reliance on others for constant evaluation and acceptance. People who exhibit excessive reassurance-seeking behavior may fear receiving a poor evaluation or not being accepted. Self-silencing Self-silencing is another symptom shared across many mental health conditions. One study published in the Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology showed that women who are sensitive to rejection may be likely to engage in self-silencing to please their partner. People who self-silence may not express their tastes, opinions, or feelings to their partner — especially when these thoughts are different to those of their partner. People tend to engage in self-silencing behavior to appear similar to those whose acceptance they seek, and in an attempt to prevent rejection. Over time, a person may silence themselves and make sacrifices to preserve the relationship. However, this has the potential to lower relationship satisfaction. Partner accommodation Partner accommodation is a response from the other partner toward the anxious partner. This is a common effect observed in relationships where one or more people have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Some experts suggest couples therapy, such as couples-based psychoeducational sessions, to help treat and manage relationship anxiety. In a study published in the journal Family Process, researchers tested the effectiveness of a single psychoeducational session. The session focused on addressing the patterns of behavior associated with relationship anxiety, including self-silencing, partner accommodation, and excessive reassurance-seeking. The researchers found that after one session, partners with relationship anxiety had decreased levels of reassurance-seeking and self-silencing. The non-anxious partner also demonstrated lower levels of accommodation for the partner with anxiety. Different types of couples therapy include: behavioral couples therapy cognitive behavioral conjoint therapy cognitive existential couples therapy psychodynamic psychotherapy Since relationship anxiety shares similar symptoms with other anxiety disorders, some doctors may suggest working only with the partner with anxiety. Others might recommend treatments that are effective for anxiety disorder, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness. Some studies have demonstrated a wide range of results following individual CBT. Researchers suggest that this response range may be associated with the level of hostility and criticism observed during some couple interactions before treatment. Doctors may still ask the non-anxious partner to be part of the treatment plan. The role of the partner is typically co-therapist. Some people may require medication. Drugs for anxiety include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors. Doctors do not yet have guidelines for treating relationship anxiety. Further investigations into this type of anxiety are necessary to better diagnose and treat it. Relationship anxiety is a form of anxiety that health professionals may find challenging to diagnose and treat. However, many of the symptoms reported by people with relationship anxiety are common in other forms of anxiety. Symptoms of relationship anxiety may include self-silencing and excessive reassurance-seeking. People with relationship anxiety may also crave acceptance from their partner and fear rejection. These symptoms can negatively impact the relationship over time. Couples therapy and psychoeducation are different strategies that doctors may offer to people with relationship anxiety. In severe situations, some doctors may need to prescribe medication.

What Causes Anxiety Twitching And How To Treat It 

When you get anxious, your heart may start to race, worst case scenarios may run through your mind, and you can find yourself unable to sleep or sleeping too much. These are some of the more commonly known symptoms of anxiety. But you may also find yourself with muscle twitches. These may occur anywhere on your body — from your eyes to your feet. Learn why anxiety may cause your muscles to twitch and how to treat and prevent it. Anxiety twitching is a potential symptom of anxiety. Not everyone who has anxiety experiences anxiety twitching as a symptom. Twitching is when a muscle, or group of muscles, moves without you trying to move it. This could be a small movement or a larger, jerking motion. Anxiety twitching can affect any muscles in the body and any number of muscles at a time. It may last for a few seconds or much longer. In some people, anxiety twitching can happen off and on indefinitely. Eye muscles are commonly affected by anxiety twitching. Anxiety twitching often gets worse when you’re trying to go to sleep, but usually stops while you’re sleeping. It also often gets worse as your anxiety gets worse. However, it may take some time for anxiety twitching to go away after you get less anxious. Anxiety causes your nervous system to release neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that your body uses to send messages between neurons, or between neurons and muscles. Some types of neurotransmitters will “tell” your muscles to move. When you have anxiety, neurotransmitters may be released even when there’s no clear reason for them to be released. This is what can cause anxiety twitching. Another reason anxiety can cause muscle twitching is because it can cause you to hyperventilate. Muscle twitching is one symptom of hyperventilation. If your twitching happens long-term or interferes with your daily life, your doctor may be able to help. To diagnose your condition, they’ll first take a medical history, which will include: questions about your symptoms when symptoms started details about the twitching If you’re also experiencing anxiety with the twitching, be sure to tell your doctor. That might be enough for them to diagnose you with twitching related to anxiety. However, they might still do tests to rule out other conditions. These tests may include: If you have anxiety and other potential causes of twitching can be ruled out, your doctor will likely be able to diagnose you with anxiety twitching. Treating anxiety is the best way to treat anxiety twitching. If a doctor thinks your twitching is caused by anxiety, they may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist. They can do a more in-depth diagnosis of your anxiety and help you find the best treatment option. Treatments for anxiety may include: In most cases, the twitching itself doesn’t need treatment. However, home remedies and preventive measures may be able to help. One way you can help prevent anxiety twitching is to help prevent anxiety in the first place. Other preventive measures prevent the twitching itself, while some measures help prevent both anxiety and twitching more generally. To help stop anxiety twitching: Eat a healthy diet. Having the right amount of salt and micronutrients makes your muscles less likely to twitch. A healthy diet can also help reduce anxiety. Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Avoid energy drinks or caffeine. They can make both twitching and anxiety worse. Get regular exercise. It helps reduce anxiety and tones your muscles, which makes them less likely to twitch. Drink water. Dehydration can lead to mild anxiety and make muscles twitch. Reduce stress as much as possible. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Try relaxation methods like progressive muscle relaxation. To do this, tense, then relax your muscles one group at a time, making your way from your toes to your head (or vice versa). Ignore the twitching. This can be hard, but worrying about it can lead to more anxiety. That can then make the twitching worse. Muscle twitching caused by anxiety can be worrisome, but it’s usually a harmless symptom. In fact, trying to ignore the twitching is one way to reduce your anxiety, which can reduce the twitching. Anxiety twitching usually gets worse as your anxiety increases, but may take some time to subside once you reduce your anxiety. If either the anxiety or the twitching interferes with your daily life, talk to a doctor about treatment options.

This Is What Postpartum Anxiety Feels Like 

But there’s a difference between vulnerability to the everyday stressors of new motherhood and diagnosable, clinical anxiety. Dr. Widra, who developed the postpartum screening program for Georgetown Medical Center’s Ob-Gyn Department, described anxiety as a spectrum: While some anxiety can be motivating and keep us vigilant, too much of it can be impairing. By the time my son was 3 months old, I was impaired. I couldn’t escape from the sensation that I was being suffocated. My anxiety ballooned into near-daily panic attacks and obsessive worries about my own health and the baby’s safety. The sound of my son’s howls left me in a state of nearly unbearable physical agitation. On one visit to the pediatrician’s office, I had a panic attack so severe that my husband had to Uber over from work and take us home. To manage clinical postpartum anxiety, Dr. Widra recommended talk therapy and, in severe cases, anti-anxiety medication. “Cognitive-behavioral therapy is very effective in treating anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum, and the only risks are time or money. When someone isn’t going to go to therapy or their anxiety is so severe they can’t go to therapy, we might recommend an anti-anxiety medication.” There is some evidence that using anti-anxiety medications while pregnant or breastfeeding can pose risks to babies but, according to Widra, untreated anxiety can be equally detrimental. Stress is known to negatively affect milk production, which can perpetuate the cycle of anxiety for new moms, and untreated anxiety can have long-term effects on families. “We sometimes see families where a mom has had anxiety since her child was a baby, and now that child isn’t allowed to go outside,” she said. While this is an extreme example, according to Widra, “anxiety can create a contagious environment.” When I reached the point where I could hardly leave my house, I found a therapist who specialized in parental anxiety. Expressing my anxious thoughts took the edge off the panic but, most days, I still felt like I was drowning in my son’s needs. “There’s no shame in what you’re experiencing, but this doesn’t have to be normal,” my therapist assured me. We agreed that increasing the dose of the anti-anxiety medication I was already taking would be a good first step. I talked with my Ob-Gyn and, after only a few weeks on the new dosage, I began to emerge from the fog. The worries didn’t entirely disappear, but I no longer felt trapped under their weight.