Anxiety Disorders Affect Work, Family and Relationships

Anxiety Disorder: How It Affects Your Work, Family and Social Relationships

Anxiety disorder is an illness that many people do not realize is quite common.  There are approximately 4 million Americans who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder alone and the effects on their lives can sometimes be damaging.  Anxiety disorders prevent an individual from functioning normally in the society he lives in and inhibit his potential for both personal and professional growth.

Here is how it affects lives, families, work and relationships:

Physical symptoms can cause discomfort and more anxiety.

All forms of anxiety disorder manifest through physical symptoms including sweating, trembling, nausea, dizziness, and fainting and muscular tension.  These symptoms are the body’s way to protect itself from what a person perceives as a threat to him.

While anxiety disorder attacks don’t have any actual threats of physical harm, when symptoms appear, they can cause temporary (and sometimes prolonged) periods of agitation and stress that usually lead to feelings of frustration.  People with anxiety disorder are also easily provoked and irritated.  This affects their relationships with their family, friends and colleagues in a negative way.  Episodes of frequent irritability can also cause arguments and misunderstandings, giving way to larger rifts in emotional relationships.

Symptoms may last for days, causing a person to miss school, work and other important events.

Many forms of anxiety disorder have symptoms that can last for a period of time, sometimes several days.  Symptoms may also appear many times over a period of months.  Many persons who suffer from this disorder cannot cope.  As a result, they can’t go to school, drive the car to work or even go to family gatherings.

People with anxiety disorder may evade responsibility.

Many people who suffer from anxiety disorder are aware of their illness.  If they choose to give in to its pressures, they may withdraw within themselves and avoid taking responsibility for their lives and for the lives of those who depend on them.

As a result, many anxiety disorder patients no longer perform normal tasks and duties expected of them.  A parent with anxiety disorder, for example, may be too depressed to take care of the needs of his or her spouse and that of their children.

A person with anxiety disorder will not be able to perform well at work.

He will be too busy worrying about a perceived threat or about another anxiety or panic attack episode to be able to handle his responsibilities at work effectively.  Furthermore, it can cast doubt on his competence either as a member of an organization and may be grounds to deny him of career advancement and promotion.

Normal everyday objects and activities can induce feelings of fear.

Agoraphobics cannot stand enclosed spaces while post-traumatic stress disorder patients will associate harmless objects with their traumatic experience.  Normal things such as elevator and subway rides, doors closing, petty arguments, small misunderstandings can be amplified and perceived as bigger than they truly are.

Anxiety disorder tends to run in families

Studies have shown that children in households where at least one parent suffers from a form of anxiety disorder is at risk of developing a disorder of his own, whether during childhood or later on in his adult life.  This does not mean children of anxiety disorder sufferers are genetically pre-disposed, though.  It just proves that early exposure may have an effect on young children and teens.

Anxiety disorder can cause a loss of self-esteem.

If allowed to go untreated, anxiety disorder has devastating effects on the person’s self-perception.  Often, he or she will feel useless and incapable of success.  He will often be asking himself, “What’s wrong with me?” and not be able to come up with a convincing answer.  He will find small, simple tasks difficult to perform, adding to his feelings of inadequacy.  Already in a sad state of mind, a person with anxiety disorder may slip further into depression unless he seeks treatment.

Anxiety disorder attacks can result in a vicious cycle.

Anxiety begets anxiety.  When an episode of panic attack occurs, for example, the feeling will be so vicious and so unpleasant that a person will dread the next occurrence.  Even if it doesn’t occur, he will live in fear of it ever happening again.  As a result, he will be agitated, angry, sad, and irritable and yes, anxious.

As yet, there is no magic pill that can cure anxiety disorder and rid a person of its symptoms once and for all.  It might require therapy, medication or a combination of both to help a person manage his illness and get his life back to normal once again.  It will take time, patience and strong will but it can be overcome.

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