Feelings of anxiety and fear for no reason are anxiety neurosis. Constant feeling of anxiety: what to do? Recommendations from a psychologist.

Worry for no reason is a problem that people face, regardless of their gender, age, health status, or position in society. Many of us believe that the reason for this inexplicably arising fear lies in environmental factors, and few have the courage to admit to themselves that the problem lies within ourselves. Or rather, not even in us, but in how we perceive the events of our lives, how we react to the natural needs and demands of the psyche.

It often happens that a person lives with similar problems for years, which accumulate over time, causing much more serious difficulties and disorders. Having realized as a result that he is not able to cope with the deep-rooted disorder on his own, the patient turns to a psychotherapist, who makes a diagnosis of “generalized anxiety disorder.” Read below about what this disease is, what causes it, and whether it can be overcome.

The first symptoms of causeless excitement

A person's reaction to danger (real or imagined) always includes both a mental and physiological response. That is why there are a number of bodily symptoms that accompany a vague feeling of fear. Signs of anxiety for no reason can be different, here are the most common ones:

• , rhythm disturbances, “fading” of the heart;
• convulsions, trembling of hands and feet, feeling of weak knees;
• increased sweating;
• chills, fever, trembling;
• lump in throat, dry mouth;
• pain and discomfort in the solar plexus area;
• dyspnea;
• nausea, vomiting, intestinal upset;
• promotion/demotion blood pressure.

The list of symptoms of causeless anxiety can be continued indefinitely.

Generalized anxiety disorder and “ordinary” anxiety: differences

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that there is a normal state of anxiety that is inherent in every person, and the so-called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which in no case should be confused. Unlike anxiety, which occurs from time to time, obsessive symptoms of GAD can accompany a person with enviable consistency.

Unlike “ordinary” anxiety, which does not interfere with your everyday life, work, communication with loved ones, GAD can interfere with your personal life, rebuilding and radically changing habits and the entire rhythm of everyday life. Also, generalized anxiety disorder differs from simple anxiety in that you are not able to control it, anxiety greatly depletes your emotional and even physical strength, anxiety does not leave you day after day (minimum period is six months).

Symptoms of an anxiety disorder include:

• constant feeling of concern;
• inability to subordinate experiences to control;
• an obsessive desire to know how the situation will develop in the future, that is, to subordinate everything to personal control;
• increased fear and anxiety;
• obsessive thoughts that you or your loved ones will certainly get into trouble;
• inability to relax (especially when alone);
• absent-minded attention;
• mild excitability;
• irritability;
• a feeling of weakness or, conversely, excessive tension throughout the body;
• , feeling groggy in the morning, difficulty falling asleep and restless sleep.

If you observe at least a few of specified symptoms, who do not give up their positions for a long time, it is quite possible that you have an anxiety disorder.

Personal and social causes of anxiety disorder

The emotion of fear always has a source, while an incomprehensible feeling of anxiety overtakes a person as if for no reason. It is very difficult to identify its underlying cause without qualified help. An obsessive expectation of a catastrophe or failure, a feeling that soon something bad will happen to the person himself, his child or one of the family members - all this becomes familiar to a patient suffering from unreasonable anxiety.

It is interesting that personal and social upheavals often affect a person’s state of mind not at the very moment of their occurrence, but after some time. In other words, when life returns to normal, the subconscious presents us with a problem that has already been experienced, but not processed, resulting in neurosis.

If we were wild animals who have to fight for survival every second, perhaps everything would be simpler - after all, animals are devoid of neurotic disorders. But due to the fact that we have no use for the instinct of self-preservation in everyday routine, the guidelines shift, and we begin to transfer it to any minor trouble, inflating it to the size of a universal catastrophe.

Biological and genetic aspects of the problem

Interestingly, the nature of the mechanism of causeless anxiety is not fully known. However, recent research in this area proves that in addition to personal and social upheavals that can influence the appearance of obsessive anxiety, there are biological and genetic factors. For example, there is a possibility that a parent suffering from GAD will have a child who is also prone to this disorder.

Interesting information has been obtained from the latest research in this area: it has been proven that excessive stress may be the reason that changes occur in the brain. So, with severe fear, certain areas in the cerebral cortex are activated. When the feeling of fear passes, the activated neural networks return to normal functioning.

But it happens that a settlement never occurs. In this case, excessive stress causes the medial prefrontal cortex to “grow” new neural fibers that grow towards the amygdala. They contain an inhibitory GABA peptide, the negative feature of which is increased anxiety.

Such a mechanism can be considered proof that the human body is trying to independently cope with an unresolved problem, to “process” the stress that has settled deep in it. The fact that there is a change in the functioning of neural networks proves that the brain is struggling with distress. It is unknown whether he will be able to cope with the problem on his own, since usually fear is firmly “stuck” in the head and flares up at the slightest reminder of a stressful situation.

What's going on in your head?

In the subconscious of every person live his personal fears, which have happened to others, and therefore, in his opinion, can happen to him or his loved ones. It is from here that the legs of our panic attacks and unreasonable anxieties “grow.” The problem is that in case of real danger, a person will most likely find a way out, but we don’t know how to deal with internal disturbing “cockroaches”.

As a result, we are faced not with the cause of anxiety, but with its replacement - a picture of this or that event chewed and digested by our perception and the instinct of self-preservation thirsting for activity. Moreover, this picture is deliberately dramatized to the limit - otherwise we are simply not interested.

Brain biochemistry also plays an important role in this process. During the development of the mechanisms of generalized anxiety disorder, changes in the level of neurotransmitters in the brain are observed. The main function of neurotransmitters (mediators) is to ensure “delivery” chemicals from one nerve cell to another. If there is an imbalance in the functioning of the mediators, delivery cannot occur properly. As a result, the brain begins to react to ordinary problems more vulnerable, which leads to the development of unreasonable anxieties.

Breaking Bad…

In order to somehow cope with an unreasonable feeling of anxiety, a person usually chooses one of the most accessible ways:

• someone “copes” with anxiety with the help of drugs, alcohol or nicotine;
• others take the path of workaholics;
• Some people suffering from causeless anxiety focus on their social position;
• someone devotes their entire life to some scientific or religious idea;
• some “muffle” anxiety with an overly busy and often promiscuous sex life.

It is easy to guess that each of these paths obviously leads to failure. Therefore, instead of ruining the lives of yourself and those around you, it is better to follow much more promising scenarios.

How is generalized anxiety disorder diagnosed?

If symptoms of an anxiety disorder persist over a long period of time, the doctor will often recommend a full evaluation of the patient. Since there are no tests that could help diagnose GAD, tests are usually used for this purpose - they help determine whether there is a particular physical ailment that could cause these symptoms.

The patient's stories and examination results, the timing and intensity of symptoms become the basis for making a diagnosis of GAD. As for the last two points, the signs of an anxiety disorder must be regular for six months and so strong that the patient’s usual rhythm of life is disrupted (even to the point of forcing him to miss work or school).

Searching for a way out

Usually at the root of the problem lies a complex lump of so-called dominants and stereotypes with which our subconscious is teeming. Of course, the easiest way is to attribute your own anxious reactions to certain life difficulties, to your personal failure, to your temperament, or even worse, to heredity.

However, as the experience of psychotherapy shows, a person is able to control the work of his consciousness, subconscious and entire mental apparatus in such a way as to cope with generalized anxiety disorder. How can he do this?

We present three options for the development of events. However, if the tips below do not help you, you should not bear the burden of unreasonable anxiety on your own: in this case, you should seek the help of qualified specialists.

Scenario No. 1: ignoring provocation

An inexplicable feeling of anxiety is often associated with irritation due to the fact that we cannot find the cause of fear. Thus, it turns out that this or that situation that causes us anxiety is a priori irritable. And in this case, the principle of refusing the provocation that your own subconscious gives you is effective: you need to try to redirect the irritation in another direction.

Scenario #2: Controlling Muscle Tension

Since emotions and muscles act interconnectedly, you can deal with causeless anxiety this way: as soon as you feel increasing signs of approaching fear (rapid heartbeat, sweating, and so on), you need to give yourself a mental order not to let them get out of control. Try to recognize them as the inevitable accompanying “baggage” of anxiety, but do not let muscle tension completely take over you. You will see: negative bodily sensations in this case will not develop into something more serious.

Scenario #3: Negative emotions do not need to be justified

In a moment of causeless anxiety, you should not look for a logical justification for your negative psychological reaction. Of course, there is a justification for your fears, but in seconds emotional stress you most likely will not be able to soberly evaluate them. As a result, the subconscious will present you on a silver platter with something that is not at all what it should be.

Let's summarize and draw conclusions

So, anxiety for no reason is most often the result of our unreasonably inflated reaction to an event that, in fact, should have caused a much smaller flurry of emotions. As a result, a person's response to anxiety becomes irritability, apathy, or...

To cope with these negative aspects, it is advisable to contact an experienced psychotherapist who uses and will give practical advice. Doing your best work on this problem on your own will also not be superfluous: in order to combat negative emotions and experience less anxiety, try to implement the scenarios described above into life.

Modern people are increasingly living their lives in tension, they are focused on the negative, they are overcome by a feeling of worry and anxiety. Many unsolved problems, fatigue, stress - all these factors have become an integral part of life. If internal tension appears occasionally, it does not pose a health hazard. Otherwise, a constant feeling of anxiety can significantly affect your overall well-being, deprive you of the joy of life and lead to sad consequences. Why do feelings that take us out of balance suddenly appear from somewhere? In what cases does this condition require medical care? How to cope with mental discomfort?

What is anxiety?

Anxiety, an anxious state, is an emotion that has a negative connotation. This is a tedious and exhausting expectation of unpleasant events, danger, fear of the unknown. A person can feel strong anxiety almost physically, experiencing discomfort in the solar plexus area. Some people experience a feeling of a lump in their throat, others describe it as if they rib cage squeezed. Anxiety and restlessness can also manifest themselves in the form of shortness of breath, rapid breathing and be accompanied by sweating, nausea and hand tremors. Anxiety is different from fear, although it has some similarities. Fear is a reaction to a specific incident, a threat, and anxiety is fear of an unknown event that has not yet occurred. But why should we be afraid of something that has not happened and may never happen? Why does anxiety still overtake us, and with it anxiety?

Causes of anxiety and also restlessness

Excitement, internal tension and anxiety arise for a number of reasons. “Popular about health” will list them:

1. The approach of a significant event, for example, exams, job interviews. A person worries about the outcome, worries that he will not be able to express himself properly.

2. Feelings of guilt. Often a heavy burden on the soul lies with the memory of the past - a crime, a bad deed. Guilt gnaws at a person, causing internal anxiety.

3. Negative feelings towards another person can upset your mental balance. If you feel strong hatred, anger, resentment towards someone, you will constantly feel heaviness in your chest, excitement and anxiety.

4. Disorders in the endocrine and nervous system. In most cases, people experience anxiety due to illnesses; for example, one of the symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia is panic attacks. With neuroses, patients complain of a constant and irresistible feeling of inner restlessness.

5. Mental disorders are a common cause of anxiety.

6. Daily problems. People tend to think ahead about their plans and affairs. Often we worry about our children, parents or friends. This is a normal situation, the main thing is to be able to control your feelings and not allow them to completely take over us.

Why you need to get rid of anxiety?

Constant worry, tension and anxiety greatly impair a person’s quality of life. Experiencing psychological discomfort, we are unable to enjoy the present moment, but are focused on pain and fear. In such a state, it is difficult to set goals and achieve them, it is impossible to take care of relatives, give them joy, and it is impossible to achieve success. In addition, excessive anxiety can lead to the development of illness - depression, mental disorders and neurosis. How to get rid of internal discomfort?

What to do if you are overcome by anxiety?

If you feel tense, nervous, and anxious, know that there is always a reason. To help yourself, you need to figure them out. Analyze your thoughts, maybe you are haunted by resentment or anger, maybe you have a lot of unfinished business. Try to complete them as much as possible. If you feel guilty or resentful, forgive yourself or the other person. This will help you find peace.

Sometimes anxiety is caused by nervous disorders or disorders of the endocrine or nervous system that you may not be aware of. If there are no visible reasons for concern, but there is a heavy burden on your soul, consult a doctor and get examined. If the condition is running and you are periodically exposed to panic attacks, the help of a specialist is extremely important.

Sports will help relieve tension, which often develops into anxiety. Start leading active image life and focus on the present. Your life is the most valuable thing; you cannot spend all the precious time given to us on fear and worry, worrying about what may not happen. Negative thoughts that haunt you influence subsequent events. If all undertakings are accompanied by fear and anxiety, then they will not be successful. You can cope with anxiety on your own if you communicate more, take walks, devote time to self-care, and find an interesting hobby. If you can't find peace, visit a psychologist. Perhaps, somewhere in the subconscious, something is preventing you from getting rid of difficult memories or fears.

Anxiety and worry are something that cannot be ignored and left to chance. These feelings arise if a person is stressed, gets little rest, harbors resentment or negativity towards other people, and also if not everything is in order with his health. Try to find out your reason for this condition and help yourself before the problem develops into something more serious.

Anxiety is a person’s tendency to experience a state of anxiety. Most often, a person’s anxiety is associated with the expectation of social consequences of his success or failure. Anxiety and anxiety are closely related to stress. On the one hand, anxious emotions are symptoms of stress. On the other hand, the initial level of anxiety determines individual sensitivity to stress.

Anxiety- groundless, vague anxiety, a premonition of danger, impending catastrophe with a feeling of internal tension, fearful expectation; may be perceived as pointless anxiety.

Increased anxiety

Increased anxiety as a personal characteristic often develops in people whose parents often forbade something and frightened them with the consequences; such a person could be in a state of internal conflict for long periods of time. For example, a child is excitedly anticipating an adventure, and the parent tells him: “this is impossible,” “this must be done this way,” “this is dangerous.” And then the joy from the upcoming camping trip is drowned out by the prohibitions and restrictions ringing in our heads, and at the end we end up with an anxious state.

A person carries this pattern into adulthood, and here it is – increased anxiety. The habit of worrying about everything can be inherited; a person repeats the behavioral patterns of a restless mother or grandmother who worries about everything and “inherits” a corresponding picture of the world. In it, he appears as a loser, on whose head all possible bricks must certainly fall, and it cannot be otherwise. Such thoughts are always associated with strong self-doubt, which began to form in the parental family.

Such a child was most likely fenced off from activities, a lot was done for him and he was not allowed to gain any experience, especially negative ones. As a result, infantilism is formed, and the fear of making a mistake is constantly present.

In adult life people are rarely aware of this model, but it continues to work and influence their lives - fear of error, disbelief in their strengths and abilities, distrust of the world give rise to a constant feeling of anxiety. Such a person will strive to control everything in his life and the lives of his loved ones, because he was raised in an atmosphere of distrust of the world.

Such attitudes as: “the world is unsafe”, “you always have to wait for a trick from anywhere and from anyone” - were decisive in his parental family. This may be due to family history, when parents received similar messages from their parents who experienced, for example, war, betrayal, and many hardships. And it seems that now everything is fine, and the memory of difficult events remains for several generations.

In relation to others, an anxious person does not believe in their ability to do something well on their own precisely because he himself has been beaten on the wrist all his life and convinced that he himself cannot do anything. The learned helplessness formed in childhood is projected onto others. “No matter how hard you try, it’s still to no avail.” And then - “and a brick, of course, will fall on me, and my loved one will not escape this.”

A person brought up in such a picture of the world is constantly within the framework of what he should be - he was once taught what he should be and what to do, what other people should be, otherwise his life will not be safe if everything goes wrong. as it should." A person drives himself into a trap: after all, real life everything cannot (and should not!) correspond to the ideas once acquired, it is impossible to keep everything under control, and a person, feeling that he “cannot cope,” produces more and more anxious thoughts.

Also, the formation of a personality prone to anxiety is directly influenced by stress, psychological trauma, and the situation of insecurity in which the person was for a long time, for example, physical punishment, lack of emotional contact with loved ones. All this creates a distrust of the world, a desire to control everything, worry about everything and think negatively.

Increased anxiety prevents one from living here and now; a person constantly avoids the present, being in regrets, fears, worries about the past and future. What can you do for yourself, besides working with a psychologist, how to cope with anxiety yourself, at least to a first approximation?

Causes of anxiety and worry

Like stress in general, the state of anxiety cannot be called unequivocally bad or good. Anxiety and worry are integral components of normal life. Sometimes anxiety is natural, adequate, and useful. Everyone feels anxious, restless or stressed in certain situations, especially if they have to do something unusual or prepare for it. For example, giving a speech in front of an audience or passing an exam. A person may feel anxious when walking down an unlit street at night or when lost in a strange city. This type of anxiety is normal and even useful, as it prompts you to prepare a speech, study the material before an exam, and think about whether you really need to go out at night all alone.

In other cases, anxiety is unnatural, pathological, inadequate, harmful. It becomes chronic, constant and begins to appear not only in stressful situations, but also for no apparent reason. Then anxiety not only does not help the person, but, on the contrary, begins to interfere with him in his daily activities. Anxiety has two effects. Firstly, it affects the mental state, making us worry, reduces the ability to concentrate, and sometimes causes sleep disturbances. Secondly, it also has an effect on the general physical condition, causing such physiological disorders as rapid pulse, dizziness, trembling, digestive disorders, sweating, hyperventilation, etc. Anxiety becomes a disease when the strength of the anxiety experienced does not correspond to the situation. This increased anxiety stands out as a separate group of diseases known as pathological anxiety conditions. At least 10% of people suffer from such diseases in one form or another at least once in their lives.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among war veterans, but anyone who has experienced events outside of normal life can suffer from it. Often in dreams such events are experienced again. Generalized anxiety disorders: In this case, the person feels a constant feeling of anxiety. This often causes mysterious physical symptoms. Sometimes doctors cannot figure out the causes of a particular disease for a long time; they prescribe many tests to detect heart disease, nervous and digestive systems, although in fact the reason lies in mental disorders. Adaptation disorder. A state of subjective distress and emotional disturbance that interferes with normal functioning and occurs during adaptation to a significant life change or stressful event.

Types of Anxiety and Worry

Panic

Panic is sudden, recurring attacks of intense fear and anxiety, often completely without cause. This can be combined with agoraphobia, when the patient avoids open spaces and people, fearing to panic.

Phobias

Phobias are illogical fears. This group of disorders includes social phobias, in which the patient avoids appearing in public, talking with people, eating in restaurants, and simple phobias, when a person is afraid of snakes, spiders, heights, etc.

Obsessive manic disorder

Obsessive manic disorder is a condition when a person periodically has the same type of ideas, thoughts and desires. For example, he constantly washes his hands, checks whether the electricity is turned off, whether the doors are locked, etc.

Disorders associated with post-traumatic stress

Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among war veterans, but anyone who has experienced events outside of normal life can suffer from it. Often in dreams such events are experienced again.

Generalized anxiety disorders

In this case, the person feels a constant feeling of anxiety. This often causes mysterious physical symptoms. Sometimes doctors cannot figure out the causes of a particular disease for a long time; they prescribe many tests to detect diseases of the heart, nervous and digestive systems, although in fact the cause lies in mental disorders.

Symptoms of Anxiety and Restlessness

People with anxiety disorders have a variety of physical symptoms, in addition to the nonphysical symptoms that characterize this type of disorder: excessive, abnormal anxiety. Many of these symptoms are similar to those present in people suffering from diseases such as myocardial infarction or stroke, and this leads to a further increase in anxiety. The following is a list of physical symptoms associated with anxiety and worry:

• shiver;
• indigestion;
• nausea;
• diarrhea;
• headache;
• back pain;
• rapid heartbeat;
• numbness or pins and needles in the arms, hands, or legs;
• sweating;
• hyperemia;
• anxiety;
• slight fatigue;
• difficulty concentrating;
• irritability;
• muscle tension;
• frequent urination;
• difficulty falling or staying asleep;
• easy onset fear.

Treating Anxiety and Restlessness

Anxiety disorders can be effectively treated with rational persuasion, medication, or both. Supportive psychotherapy can help a person understand the psychological factors that provoke anxiety disorders, and also teach them to gradually cope with them. Anxiety symptoms are sometimes reduced through relaxation, biofeedback and meditation. There are several types of medications available that can help some patients relieve distressing symptoms such as excessive fussiness, muscle tension, or inability to sleep. Taking these medications is safe and effective as long as you follow your doctor's directions. At the same time, drinking alcohol, caffeine, as well as smoking cigarettes, which can increase anxiety, should be avoided. If you are taking medication for an anxiety disorder, consult your doctor first before you start using alcoholic drinks or take any other medications.

Not all methods and treatment regimens are equally suitable for all patients. You and your doctor should decide together which combination of treatments is best for you. When deciding on the need for treatment, it should be borne in mind that in most cases, anxiety disorder does not go away on its own, but transforms into chronic diseases internal organs, depression or takes a severe generalized form. Peptic ulcer stomach, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome and many other diseases are often the result of advanced anxiety disorder. The basis of treatment for anxiety disorders is psychotherapy. It allows you to identify the true cause of the development of an anxiety disorder, teach a person ways to relax and control his own condition.

Special techniques can reduce sensitivity to provoking factors. The effectiveness of treatment largely depends on the patient’s desire to correct the situation and the time elapsed from the onset of symptoms to the start of therapy. Drug treatment anxiety disorders includes the use of antidepressants, tranquilizers, and adrenergic blockers. Beta blockers are used to relieve vegetative symptoms (palpitations, increased blood pressure). Tranquilizers reduce the severity of anxiety, fear, help normalize sleep, relieve muscle tension. The disadvantage of tranquilizers is their ability to cause addiction, dependence and withdrawal syndrome, so they are prescribed only for strict indications and for a short course. It is unacceptable to drink alcohol during treatment with tranquilizers - respiratory arrest may occur.

Tranquilizers should be taken with caution when working in jobs that require increased attention and concentration: drivers, dispatchers, etc. In most cases, in the treatment of anxiety disorders, preference is given to antidepressants, which can be prescribed over a long course, since they do not cause addiction or dependence. A feature of the drugs is the gradual development of the effect (over several days and even weeks), associated with their mechanism of action. An important outcome in treatment is the reduction of anxiety. In addition, antidepressants increase the threshold of pain sensitivity (used for chronic pain syndromes) and help relieve autonomic disorders.

Questions and answers on the topic "Anxiety and worry"

Anxiety states (disorders) are a common phenomenon in our difficult times. Manifested by increased excitability of the nervous system. Characterized by the presence of fears and anxiety, often unfounded.

Each of us has felt something similar during certain events in life - stress, an exam, a difficult, unpleasant conversation, etc. The feeling of anxiety and fear usually does not last long and soon passes.

However, for some people, the feeling of anxiety becomes almost the norm and interferes with life. full life. In addition, it can lead to neurosis and increases the risk of developing serious mental illnesses.

How can adults get rid of anxiety? What pharmacies and folk remedies can it be used to eliminate it? Let's talk about this on this page "Popular about health" today:

Signs

Only at first glance, such sensations are without reason. Constant anxiety, nervous tension, fears can be early signs development of pathologies of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, various brain lesions.

But most often this phenomenon is closely related to stress. Therefore, the symptoms are expressed in signs characteristic of stress:

Frequent headaches, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, lack of or worsening appetite;

Insomnia and sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep, shallow sleep, night awakenings, etc.);

Startling from unexpected sounds, loud voices;

Trembling fingers, frequent urge to urinate;

If the state of anxiety “for no reason” persists for a long time, depression, sadness arises, and negative thoughts are constantly present.

The person feels hopeless and helpless. His self-esteem decreases, he loses interest in his favorite activities, considers himself worthless, and often shows aggression towards loved ones.

If you observe such sensations, what to do with them, you ask... So the best way out of this situation is to visit a specialist. First, contact your general practitioner, who will order an examination. Based on its results, he will issue a referral to a specialist who will prescribe treatment individually. Or immediately make an appointment with a neurologist.

If you do this as early as possible, you may not need treatment with serious medications and you can get by with herbal preparations and folk remedies.

How is treatment carried out in adults??

Treatment of this disorder is always carried out comprehensively: medicines, psychological assistance, lifestyle changes.

If necessary, the patient is prescribed tranquilizers and antidepressants. However psychotropic drugs They only reduce symptoms and help alleviate the condition. They do not eliminate the problem itself. In addition, they have serious side effects and contraindications.
Therefore, if during the diagnostic process the patient is not found to have a serious illness in which anxiety is one of the symptoms, methods of cognitive psychotherapy are used and behavioral treatment is carried out.

Using these techniques, the patient is helped to understand his condition and learn to cope with feelings of anxiety and fear for no reason.

In addition, patients are recommended to take herbal preparations, which can be freely purchased at the pharmacy. Compared to synthesized drugs, they are effective, safe and have much fewer contraindications and side effects.

Pharmacy products

There is a large number herbal preparations, which are used in the treatment of anxiety without cause. Let's list some:

Novopassit. Effective for anxiety, nervousness, nervous tension, various sleep disorders, insomnia.

Nervogran. Used in the complex treatment of neuroses, anxiety, as well as insomnia and headaches.

Persen. An effective sedative. Eliminates anxiety, fears, improves sleep quality.

Sanason. Positively affects the central, autonomic nervous system, relaxes, calms, restores mental balance.

How folk remedies relieve anxiety, what to do for this?

Prepare a herbal tincture: pour 2 tablespoons of dried lemon balm and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped angelica root into a liter jar. Add the zest of one lemon, 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg, a pinch of ground coriander seeds and two cloves. Top up with vodka.

Close the jar and leave it where it is darker and cooler for 2 weeks. Then strain and add the product to tea: 1 tsp per cup.

An infusion of adonis (Adonis) will help calm the nerves and increase the tone of the body: 1 tbsp of dry plant per cup of boiling water. Insulate with a towel, wait for it to cool, strain. Take a sip throughout the day.

Change your lifestyle!

For treatment to be beneficial, you will have to change your current lifestyle:

First of all, you should give up alcohol and smoking, and also minimize the consumption of invigorating drinks that excite the nervous system: strong coffee, strong tea, various tonics.

Do something that interests you, find a hobby, go to gym, attend sporting events, sections, etc. This will help you break out of the routine of everyday life, increase your interest in life, and lead to new acquaintances.

However, remember that being in a constant state of anxiety causeless fear is a prerequisite for the development of serious nervous disorders And mental illness. Therefore, if you cannot cope on your own, do not wait for it to “go away on its own” and contact a specialist.

A passenger before boarding a plane, a student who is about to give a presentation, a housewife who listens to the news every day, which always contains stories about emergency incidents...

I would like all these people to know how to deal with anxiety, although each of them has an unpleasant feeling caused by different reasons and is also expressed differently. Or maybe there are no reasons at all, or, at least, they are all very vague and far-fetched.

What if traffic jams prevent you from arriving to work on time? There is so much planned for the day, how can you manage to do it? Your best friend has definitely been a stranger lately, what if the relationship has long since exhausted itself? What to do if anxiety does not go away for a long time, occurs more and more often and becomes a serious obstacle to a normal life? How to get rid of fear and anxiety in this case?

The whole range of feelings

Everyone can explain what anxiety is. Although, of course, in psychology there is precise definition this phenomenon. This is the name of the emotional state (usually described as excitement, anxiety) that a person experiences in the face of an uncertain danger.

But does this brief interpretation convey all the sensations that arise when anxiety settles in the soul? Tension, uncertainty, anticipation of threat, fear...

Stop. Strictly speaking, anxiety and fear are different feelings. It is believed that only causeless anxiety exists, and if we're talking about about the reaction to a very specific danger, then it is more correct to talk about fear.

In addition, some researchers distinguish between feelings of anxiety and fear based on the parameter of the source of fear. Thus, thoughts about how to get rid of anxiety more often appear in anticipation of potentially dangerous social situations, but people have to cope with fear in cases where there is a danger to life.

To avoid terminological confusion, one more point needs to be clarified. How are anxiety and anxiety related? In the psychological literature there are cases when these concepts are used as synonyms, but most often researchers still draw a line between them.

By anxiety we mean, as we have already said, a state that appears and disappears, but anxiety is a relatively unchangeable property that is always inherent in a person. As some authors note, prolonged or even constant feelings of anxiety can turn into a personality trait and become anxiety.

But this is all theory. In practice, we are unlikely to analyze what we are feeling right now and why; the main question will be different: how to remove these unpleasant sensations, preferably as quickly as possible. By the way, what exactly are these sensations? What are the main “symptoms” of anxiety?

• Breathing becomes faster.
• Blood pressure rises.
• Heart rate increases.
• The sensitivity threshold decreases.

This is just an approximate list of the most common manifestations; some may experience nausea, dizziness, stomach cramps and other painful reactions - it all depends on how much power anxiety and worry have over a person.

Sometimes this power becomes pathological. If a feeling of anxiety for no reason or reason settles inside you and does not want to go away, perhaps this is a reason to consult a doctor. After all, if we are dealing with an anxious personality disorder, then only a specialist can tell you how to get rid of constant anxiety once and for all.

Anxious personality

The risk of developing an anxiety disorder is greatest in people who are initially prone to it, the so-called anxious-hypochondriac individuals (also called psychasthenics). In the personality structure of such people, anxiety becomes the dominant quality.

A psychasthenic grows up as a timid and shy child, physically not as dexterous and strong as his peers. Likes to think and surprises adults with serious and not childishly balanced judgments. In adolescence, psychasthenic traits appear especially clearly: indecision, painful hesitation when it is necessary to make a choice, constant doubts and fears. At the same time, teenagers, as a rule, are not prone to anxiety.

In adulthood, a person is extremely careful, carefully weighs every step, strives to keep everything under control and never takes risks. All his efforts, on the contrary, are aimed at insuring himself as much as possible, protecting himself and his loved ones from a potential threat.

And he sees her everywhere! And of all the possible explanations for any more or less non-standard situation, he, of course, comes to mind the worst. A friend is late and gets into trouble. Call management and they will reprimand you. The wife wants to talk - she has fallen out of love.

Of course, we all sometimes think about possible troubles; we all know either vague, unconscious or pronounced anxiety close to panic. The key word here is “sometimes,” but if such thoughts constantly torment a person, he is probably that anxious type.

Anxiety as a character trait should not be perceived solely from a negative side. Anxiety and the desire to “spread the straw” can be to your advantage. A psychasthenic will take into account all potential risks and come up with ways to cope with them, work out a plan to the smallest detail - nothing will take him by surprise.

It's another matter if the state of anxiety becomes a hindrance. You should be wary if it is often accompanied by pronounced somatic (bodily) manifestations. Flushing to the face, feeling of a lump in the throat, sweating, shortness of breath, muscle tension... To relieve these symptoms, you will have to seek the help of specialists.

What to do and what not to do

How to communicate with an anxious person? How to get rid of anxiety yourself?

Christophe Andre, a French psychologist who studies fears and anxiety, shares recommendations that will help build the right relationships with anxious individuals.

• Don't make their worries a joke or deliberately act against their warnings.
• You need to create a reputation for yourself as a reliable person. It’s not so difficult: don’t be late for meetings, show foresight, carefully prepare for events.
• Pranks and surprises are not best idea. An anxious person should know what awaits him, and surprises (even pleasant ones) will unsettle him and upset him.
• You should not feed his anxiety: talk about your own fears and problems, share stories that will only increase the anxiety of the psychasthenic.
• But on the contrary, it is possible and necessary to calm and distract from worries. It is better to switch the energy that is consumed by anxiety and worry to useful and necessary actions. For example, if a psychasthenic person is worried about being late, you can ask him to warn him about the delay, choose a different route to avoid traffic jams, and so on.

You won’t have to get rid of anxiety if you take steps to prevent this condition. There are two proven ways: physical activity and relaxation. These measures may seem trivial, but this does not negate their effectiveness. Feelings of anxiety and restlessness are much more common among those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Regularity is important: intense but infrequent workouts will be less beneficial than, for example, a daily evening walk after work. Relaxation must also be correct. Meditation or meditative activities will help best: embroidery, drawing, modeling - anything that requires concentration on the process and therefore drives away unnecessary thoughts.

How to get rid of the feeling of anxiety if it does appear? You can try several psychological techniques that are used in psychotherapy sessions. One of them is to write down everything that is really bothering you.

It is important to be extremely sincere with yourself, focus on the content, without paying attention to style, spelling or punctuation. This is a kind of replacement for a confidential conversation with a psychotherapist.

Music helps. It sounds too simple, but listening to your favorite songs really improves your mental state. It is quite difficult without the help of a specialist, but it is possible to learn to truly experience positive emotions.

Instead of imagining what could go wrong, you need to find what did work (even if it’s something small) and fully enjoy the success. It’s also good to find a role model. Let a strong, self-confident person inspire you, and the more similar he is to you (in age, gender, appearance), the stronger the effect will be.