Women's Health Articles

Women today are busier than ever with so many aspects in their lives. However, anxiety is never to far away in the complicated society we live in and it can have an impact on our ability to function normally .This can lead to an anxiety disorder in a woman and progress to a mental disorder if not diagnosed.

Anxiety disorders only become a problem when a woman begins to panic over the slightest detail of a situation or event. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from stress and anxiety. Anxiety disorders and escalating symptoms of anxiety are the number one health issue in women in the USA. Anxiety symptoms are the most common form of depressive or mental illness in American citizens in general.

All women experience anxiety and stress at times. In fact, it is perfectly normal to experience some anxiety and not all anxiety is bad. More women than men have anxiety at levels that are unhealthy. Men seem to deal with anxiety differently than women. Men act on their anxieties while women tend to hold them inside.

Many women with anxiety suffer from sleep problems. This is also known as insomnia. Your mind may be over active, wondering about events that may not come to pass. There may be problems getting to sleep or waking in the night. When a woman fails to seek help for chronic anxiety, physical symptoms also become apparent.

A loss of sleep can cause suppressed immune system response. Frequent headaches, irritability, nausea, heart palpitations from panic, and other physical manifestations can make life unbearable.

Of course, women go through periods of anxiety in life that are perfectly normal. It is a matter of some concern if for example panic results from situations that are minor. A complete over reaction is not normal and medical help may be required for your anxiety may be turning into a form of mental disorder.

There are many other examples of anxiety disorders that affect women. These include post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and certain phobias. It is not uncommon for a woman with one anxiety disorder to experience other anxiety disorders in conjunction with the primary problem.

There are effective treatment options for women with anxiety disorders and they are effective. In particular, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (called CBT) has proven to be effective in many cases and involves learning to deal with problems to prevent anxiety.

Anxiety can be a symptom of depressive illness. Depression is often a result of experiencing chronic anxiety. Women often tend to place the rest of the family first so can put themselves at risk if they ignore their own needs.

Therapies not requiring drugs include guided visual imagery, meditation, exercise, stress-reduction techniques including massage therapy etc.

Only a qualified medical practitioner can determine is a woman who is feeling anxiety has an anxiety disorder. However, a woman may be the only one who knows that she is having problems with anxiety.

Managing anxiety can be challenging but it is important, however, to realize that anyone who has an anxiety disorder, whether it is general affective, social anxiety, post-traumatic or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is not crazy. Through cognitive-behavioral therapies, women with anxiety can learn to view their world in a different manner and solve problems.