If you’ve ever experienced anxiety, then you understand how overwhelming it can be. Anxiety can be described as an intense feeling of dread, fear, and uneasiness, which usually occurs when we’re faced with situations like a difficult problem at work or taking an important test. Many people who frequently experience this feeling often wonder, “Does anxiety go away?”
While anxiety usually goes away once a perceived threat passes, if you have an anxiety disorder, anxiety can linger well beyond a triggering event and can even become chronic or severe enough to affect your day-to-day life. Although the chronic condition can’t be banished altogether, there are ways to manage it.
Anxiety vs. Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety is a normal reaction to different kinds of situations and events in life. Anxiety is the body’s response to stress, threats, and fears. A manageable amount of anxiety from time to time can be helpful, as it can alert you to a specific danger or motivate you to get something important done, such as studying for a final exam.
Even happy events like moving to a new place or celebrating a milestone can bring up some anxiety about the future—it’s normal. However, anxiety is a problem when it’s overwhelming, debilitating, and chronic.
The main difference between anxiety and anxiety disorder lies in the source and frequency of anxiety and duration of symptoms. Common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
- Increased heart rate
- Sense of impending danger, panic, or doom
- Excessive sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Feeling weak or tired
- Trouble sleeping
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the problem
- Gastrointestinal problems (GI)
- Urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
Normal anxiety is usually related to a specific problem, lasts only as long as the problem persists, is proportionate to the situation, and is a realistic and appropriate response to the problem or concern.
On the other hand, the anxiety that someone with an anxiety disorder experiences usually occurs unexpectedly is a stronger response than appropriate for the situation, persists even after the problem has been resolved, and may cause the person to avoid situations that may trigger the feeling.
Anxiety disorder is a mental illness characterized by intense feelings of worry, fear, and dread severe enough to impact your daily life. There are different kinds of anxiety disorders in which specific things may trigger people. For instance, one type of anxiety disorder is social anxiety, which can be based on fears about your social skills, appearance, personality, or even the anxiety symptoms you experience. A person with a social anxiety disorder may experience an intense and persistent fear of being watched or judged by others, which can become intense enough to keep them from socializing, going to work or school, and completing other day-to-day activities.
Can Anxiety Go Away?
Many people who struggle with it often ask, “Does anxiety ever go away on its own?” Usually, anxiety does go away once the situation or problem has been resolved. This refers to that intense sense of fear brought on by a specific event. For instance, a person who may feel anxious about flying in a plane may feel better once they’ve landed.
Normal anxiety will continue to occur on occasion throughout your life. Sometimes, the occasional sense of anxiety keeps you safe or motivates you to prepare for the event or situation you’re anxious about.
On the other hand, anxiety disorders do not just go away. People with anxiety disorders may frequently experience these intense feelings of dread and fear out of the blue for no apparent reason.
When they do come across a situation that’s anxiety-worthy, the feeling they experience may be so much more intense than what the situation calls for. However, a major defining factor of this condition is when symptoms keep people from doing things that they love or completing responsibilities like going to work and caring for themselves or their families.
This brings us to another common question: how long does anxiety last? For the most part, the answer depends on the person and the type of anxiety they suffer from. An anxiety disorder can last anywhere from a few months to several years, with symptoms fluctuating in intensity. While anxiety does go away for some people, it may be a lifelong condition for others.
Help for Anxiety
Anxiety becomes a disorder when it begins to interfere with your ability to function daily. If your anxiety about riding trains has become so intense that you won’t get on a train even if your job is in jeopardy, you probably have an anxiety disorder. There’s also a condition referred to as high-functioning anxiety, in which a person may be able to function for a while but then is eventually overwhelmed by the intensity and frequency of their symptoms. Risk factors for developing an anxiety disorder include exposure to significant and stressful situations, family history of anxiety or other mental disorders, and health conditions like thyroid problems or heart arrhythmia.
Fortunately, while anxiety disorders don’t just go away, they can be treated and managed, allowing the person to live a fulfilling and happy life. If you suspect that you or a loved one has an anxiety disorder, our Palm Beach rehab offers outpatient and inpatient anxiety treatment in which patients work with our therapists to understand the source of their condition and learn how to manage their symptoms.
With the help of our team, patients will learn how to identify possible triggers, manage anxiety-inducing situations, and control their symptoms to prevent their condition from affecting their ability to function daily.
By utilizing modalities like animal-assisted therapy and holistic treatment, we provide our clients with evidence-based treatment options to aid them in their recovery.
For more information about our mental health or addiction treatment in Palm Beach, call Seaside Palm Beach today at 561-677-9374.
Effective Management of Employees with Anxiety
Every job is stressful in some way or another, and for an employee with anxiety disorder, this daily routine of deadlines, learning new techniques, dealing with conflict, and trying for promotions creates a daily struggle. While anxiety has become a more common topic, there are still many people – possibly some of your employees – who suffer in silence because of stigma, as well as those who have high-functioning anxiety and can hide their symptoms.
From the simplest of tasks to the most stressful situations, anxiety can have a huge impact on your employees and the company, in general. Whether you know someone on your team who struggles with this, or if you aren’t sure if anyone in your office has anxiety, here are some tips on managing employees with anxiety that can help you create a more peaceful and productive work environment.
When Anxiety Affects Work
According to a survey conducted by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, many individuals with anxiety disorders struggle to manage tasks and responsibilities at the office.1
Having an anxiety disorder can make even the smallest tasks at work difficult to complete. This can also impact a person’s chances of receiving a promotion and raise and can put a lot of pressure on the individual to perform at a certain level and continually improve.
Anxiety in the workplace can have many effects. Common effects and signs of anxiety in employees include:
- Sleep problems
- Poor eating habits
- Missed deadlines
- Decreased ability to focus and concentration
- Making more mistakes than usual
- Difficulty managing teammates
- High blood pressure
- Heart problems
- Decreased job satisfaction
- Inability to form or maintain working relationships
- Risk of physical danger in cases where heavy machinery is involved
- Emotional outbursts and general irritability
- Unhappy work environment
- Problems with coworkers
Over time, the individual’s anxiety can impact the culture of the workplace, as well as affect how other coworkers feel in the office and possibly their performance. Although the goal of managing an employee with anxiety is to help the individual with mental illness feel comfortable at work, there’s also the bonus of creating an overall productive and peaceful work environment.
How to Manage Employees With Anxiety
Common causes of anxiety at work include unrealistic expectations, long hours or odd schedules, conflict with coworkers, poor communication, and lack of job security. Below are some tips for managing employees with anxiety that can help you lead your team properly and create a work environment where everyone in the office feels comfortable.
Do Your Research
If you suspect that someone on your team has anxiety, do your research. Learn about common symptoms and the different types of anxiety. Research how it makes someone feel and how they might cope. Also, take a look at how severe the person’s anxiety is. Is there a particular factor at work that seems to be causing this person anxiety? How could you ease this burden or help them better understand this aspect of their job? By taking the time to observe your team and understand that they handle things differently, you can help them gauge their limits, play to their strengths, improve their morale, destigmatize mental illness, and help them succeed at work and personally.
For more information about our mental health or addiction treatment in Palm Beach, call Seaside Palm Beach today at 561-677-9374.
Source:
- ADAA – Anxiety and Stress in the Workplace
Related Reading:
Managing Employees With Anxiety: Tips That Can Help
How to Explain Anxiety to Loved Ones
Does Anxiety Go Away?
