Let's Start At The Very Beginning...With What The Hell Do I Have?

Ok so if you're new to the not-so-amusing-amusement-park-roller-coaster that is an Anxiety Disorder then this post is for you.

For months, you or a loved one, have been suffering from constant, nagging, uncontrollable anxious feelings, racing thoughts, muscle pain, fatigue, depression, irritability, mood swings, constant crying, stomachaches, etc etc etc...Stressful situations become unbearable. Suddenly going to the grocery store is like stealing a cup from Smaug the Dragon's lair (if you're not into Tolkien and therefore have no idea what I am referencing, trust me its pretty bad) and no matter what you do you cannot shake the feeling that some impending doom is inching ever closer. If any of this applies to you, then you, or your loved one might be suffering from an Anxiety Disorder.

What is an Anxiety Disorder?

The term "Anxiety Disorder" pertains to a disorder in the brain/mental facilities that is centered around excessive worry or concern that lasts for six months or more. The feeling of anxiousness can be stimulated by day to day activities, but does not necessarily need a stimulus to manifest the feelings of anxiousness or dread.

Basically, if you are experiencing an overwhelming sense of worry and dread and this lasts longer than six months than there is a good chance that you might have an Anxiety Disorder and should probably seek help.


What Causes an Anxiety Disorder?

There are several answers to this and I'm going to focus on two sides of the answer; what happens to the brain to cause anxiety disorders and what can trigger the disorder to manifest.

1. What Happens to The Brain?

As science can tell you, the brain functions by firing off several chemical and electrical signals to different parts of itself and biological systems to stimulate a host of responses to keep the body moving and going. However when some of these signals malfunction or misfire it can lead to serious problems both physically and mentally. Mental Illnesses are cause by a change in the brain's structure, function, or chemistry.

Anxiety Disorders are thought to be created when the brain chemical gamma aminobutyric acid, the chemical is the anti-anxiety chemical, do not properly bind to certain receptors in the limbic system, the portion of the brain that regulates emotions. The result of this failure results in a feeling of anxiety. 

This means that due to a chemical misfire, the chemicals in your brain that curb anxiousness are failing to join with the receptors that complete their task and the brain instead produces anxiousness. 

   2. What Can Trigger The Disorder To Manifest? 

There are a few things that scientist link to triggering the disorder. These risk factors include, but are not limited to:

• Genetics: Anxiety, as do other mental illnesses and disorders tend to run in families
• Personality: People with compulsive, type A personalities are more likely to develop the disorder
• Trauma: People who have suffered some sort of physical or mental trauma are at higher risk for developing such disorders
• Gender: Females are statically more prone to developing GAD
• Medical Conditions: Relationships with other conditions such as depression, chronic pain, etc have been known to spawn Anxiety Disorders 

I think it is also fair to make it known that science hasn't exactly pinpointed down what causes mental illnesses, however new research on the subjects has been giving us more of an insight into the brain and therefore we are better able to make better educated guesses and theories. 

What Am I Experiencing? What Are The Symptoms?

If you have an Anxiety Disorder then there are a wide range of symptoms you might be experiencing. A few are:

• Restlessness
• Constant feeling of worry or dread
• Stomach Pain
• Migraine
• Hot and cold flashes 
• Muscle pian
• Fatigue
• Light Headedness
• Panic Attacks
• Insomnia 
• Bowel Issues
• Loss of Appetite 
• Mood Swings 

There are a very wide range of symptoms and not each case is the same as the next, so your anxiety disorder may not be the same as someone else's. Its's best not to compare your disorder to someone else's because the cases are as different as the people themselves. One person might experience more panic attacks than their friend or one person might have chronic migraines and the other only has issues with their muscles and pins and needles in the extremities. Also, your disorder will grow and change on you. For example, you one of your symptoms might be hot flashes and then one day they disappear only to be exchanged for spontaneous vomiting (don't laugh it happened to me). 

In Conclusion

Anxiety Disorders are horrible things to live with, however they are not the end of your life. They are manageable with the proper care and determination. Treatment varies with each case, as some or more severe than others. Typically medication and counseling is what most people find effective, however, how you choose to seek treatment should be based on what is best for you, though I would urgently suggest seeing a doctor or psychiatrist and talking with them about how to go about doing that. 

If you or a loved one is experiencing severe anxiety, don't wait, get help and on the road to recovery and good mental health. That road will be fraught with difficulty and and some heartache as the world still places a stigma on people with mental disorders and illnesses, but I encourage you to keep your chin up and keep fighting the good fight. 

Until later, gators ;)

-Emz

Works Cited:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/basics/risk-factors/con-20024562

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/index.shtml (oh no! run mrs. brisby!)

http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/anxiety-disorders

http://www.pdrhealth.com/diseases/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad

https://bbrfoundation.org/brain-matters-discoveries/misfiring-brain-signals-in-schizophrenia-distort-view-of-reality

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20369/

Allow me to Introduce Myself...

If you've come to this blog you probably are wondering a few things:

1. What is this blog about?
2. Who is the author?
and 3. Who or what in the world is Crisco the Worry Worm?

Well, in short, I can answer all those questions right now:

1. This blog is an advice/information blog about Anxiety/ Mental Illness/Mental Health
2. I, Emilie, am the author
3. Crisco is a metaphorical gimmick to make the blog look cute (at least I'm honest right?)

Now that I have answered your initial questions, let's go into more detail:


Who Am I?

My name is Emilie (last name is unimportant) and I am a young (age isn't important either) woman just trying to make it in this great big world.  I have a boyfriend whom I adore, am an auntie to 5 precious babies, the youngest of four kids, a theatre major, an avid reader, animation nerd, a die hard Tolkien and Lewis fanatic, closet soprano, aspiring fiction writer, film buff, amateur make-up artist, blogger, Disney-fan, lover of all things ancient and archaic, herbal doctor, Czech/Cherokee/Irish/English/Scottish blooded, cat loving individual.

I am also in a constant battle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

My Story:

I first started experiencing problems with Anxiety when I was fifteen. At first I had no idea what was wrong with me. Before, I was an outgoing, blindly confident, energetic, and carefree teenager. But then I started worrying about things, things I never had before. I became obsessed with the idea of dying in my sleep. It was like someone had flipped a switch in my brain and I was jittery and nervous all of the time. I also became very depressed. I had difficulty sleeping due to the fear that I might never wake up. I would wake up though, in the middle of the night in cold sweats, crying, and unable to breathe with my heart going 100 miles a minute (later I would learn that these were my first panic attacks). I became afraid to go to sleep. Rapidly things progressed to where I couldn't hear people talk about death without getting short of breath or my heart racing. Crowds terrified me. I couldn't be around large groups of people without becoming frantic; even sitting in church or school would trigger me. I was afraid to leave the house for the fear of getting into a car wreck or some freak accident. I would have mini panic episodes whenever I had to cross my threshold to go out. Even after the fixation with death and dying left me, I still was always anxious, experienced panic attacks nearly every day, and was overcome depression. Needless to say, my sophomore year of high school was HELL!!!! Most people told me I was just being silly, or just experiencing a teenage angst phase and I would grow out of it. However, I did not feel that way. I kept trying to tell people that something was wrong. Finally I went to my father and told him what I was really experiencing and what I wanted to do about it. It was then I finally got onto the road to healing.  I was sixteen when my parents took me to see a counselor and she was the first one to suggest that I had severe Anxiety. A year later I was referred to a psychiatrist who officially diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). It's been years later, I am nearly out of college, and I am still battling GAD.

What This Blog Is Truly About: 

My experiences with mental illnesses and of those who I have encountered who are battling similar ailments, have inspired me to write this blog. I believe that by looking at your problems from an outside view, a scientific and analytical standpoint, it can help you better cope and deal with your issues. I also believe that by helping others you can also help yourself. So while I am busy helping those who come here to read what I have to present, I am also helping myself cope with things.
This blog is to help inform people what Anxiety is and how best to deal with it, both as the person afflicted, and as the care giver who is supporting their loved one cope. I am going to be researching the science behind Anxiety as best I can, however, much of what I have to say is based on personal experience I have had dealing with this illness for nearly half of my life, and what others have shared with me from their own lives. With some special appearances from Crisco ;)

Some Things To Bear In Mind/Expect While Reading this Blog: 

1. Even though I enjoy researching the science of the mind and of the brain, I am by no means a professional psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, or neuroscientist. That being said, all of my advice and posts are based on research I have done and personal experiences. I am just simply a friendly voice who has been there and done that and wishing to share my experiences in the hopes it might help someone else. (Basically, don't su my student debt laden butt in the event my advice doesn't work out for you) I am willing to accept questions and give advice on a "friend to friend" basis :) But bear in mind my disclaimer that what you do with this advice is your choice and you are the only one liable.

2. So far I do not have a posting schedule. I am hoping for this to be a regular thing, but I do have a rather busy life, so you'll just have to tune in as you can.

3. I am a Christian and my faith is tied to how I approach things and it will be mentioned on occasion. I understand that not everyone who comes here to read and glean advice practices the same faith that I do, or might not practice a faith at all. I just want to let you know dear reader, that you are welcome here whatever your faith, race, sexual orientation, or nationality. The only thing I ask anyone who reads or makes comments is to please be respectful to other readers and commentators and to myself. Please do not engage in fighting or slander or threats. You will be removed and blocked if you engage in such behavior. This is a blog dedicated to helping all those who seek help, from all walks of life, and I would like to keep this place a quiet and safe haven for those who suffer or who have loved ones who are suffering a mental illness.

An Final Note:

That's it for this post. I hope to have the first official installment up later in the week. Until then, keep it real, keep it sweet, adios!

-Emz