Anticipatory anxiety is excessive worry about a future event. It could be a planned event, like a new job, or a potential threat, like the loss of a loved one. It manifests itself in many types of anxiety disorders.
While most people tend to wonder or even stress about future events or situations to some extent, extreme levels of anticipatory anxiety can negatively impact daily life and functioning. 'a person.
In this article, we explore anticipatory anxiety, including its symptoms, causes, and what people can try to do to cope.
What is anticipatory anxiety?
Anticipatory anxiety involves feeling a high level of anxiety about an upcoming event or situation.
Although some level of worry about the future is common and acceptable, anticipatory anxiety involves an excessive or debilitating level of worry that tends to focus on negative outcomes.
People with anticipatory anxiety may feel anxious for hours, days, weeks, or months before an event.
Anticipatory anxiety can manifest before:
- work meetings or presentations
- interviews
- musical or sporting shows
- a date or social event
People may also experience anticipatory anxiety about potential future events, such as:
- Natural disasters
- an attack
- the death of a loved one
- the breakdown of a relationship
Anticipatory anxiety is not a disorder, but a symptom of other anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety.
Symptoms of Anticipatory Anxiety
Anticipatory anxiety is a feeling of nervousness, worry or fear about the future. People may spend time mulling over worst-case scenarios for future situations .
People who suffer from anticipatory anxiety usually have other symptoms of anxiety, which can vary from person to person. Each anxiety disorder has its own symptoms, which can vary in intensity and duration.
Symptoms of anxiety include:
- feelings of apprehension or fear
- feeling tense or nervous
- restlessness or irritability
- anticipate the worst
- be alert to danger signs
- racing or rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath
- headaches , fatigue and insomnia
- sweating, trembling and shaking
- stomach pain, frequent urination, or diarrhea
The causes
Anticipatory anxiety is a normal human process and response to stress . Anxiety only becomes a problem when it involves excessive fear or worry that impacts a person's well-being and functioning.
Anticipatory anxiety is a symptom of other anxiety disorders, such as:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Affecting 3.1% of the population in a given year, generalized anxiety disorder causes persistent and excessive anxiety about various activities and events.
- Social anxiety disorder : This disorder, which has affected approximately 7.1% of American adults in the past year, is characterized by anxiety and avoidance of social situations due to embarrassment or embarrassment. self-consciousness.
- Specific phobias : People suffering from phobias experience significant anxiety and fear when they anticipate or are in the presence of a specific object, place or situation. In the past year, an estimated 9.1% of American adults have suffered from a specific phobia.
- Panic disorder : Affecting 2 to 3 percent of Americans in a given year, panic disorder causes repeated attacks of panic and intense anxiety that reach their peak within a matter of minutes.
Experts do not yet fully understand the causes of anxiety disorders. However, they can result from a combination of factors:
- Genetics : Anxiety disorders are often hereditary.
- Life experiences : Traumatic events or high levels of stress, for example, can trigger anxiety in some people.
- Medical Conditions : Certain illnesses, such as heart disease or thyroid disorders, can contribute to anxiety.
- Medications : Anxiety can be a side effect of certain medications or withdrawal from medications or drugs.
Anxiety Treatments
Like other forms of anxiety, anticipatory anxiety is treated with cognitive behavioral therapy and medications such as anxyolitics and antidepressants.
There are also natural treatments against stress and anxiety like HERBAMIG
Thanks to its unique composition of plant active ingredients, coenzyme Q10, and vitamins B2 and B12, Herba Mig helps soothe the nervous system and contributes to the reduction of stress and anxiety.
