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Anxiety remains an ever-prevalent concern when it comes to mental health in Australia, affecting millions across the nation. Its profundity sees it impact individuals regardless of age, background, or socioeconomic status.

From an increasingly pressured modern lifestyle and societal expectations to a lack of access to support services and economic uncertainties, a greater number of Australians are suffering from anxiety disorders as time goes on. Long-standing stigma around mental health often continues to bring about harmful silences and unnecessary suffering, deterring people from seeking help when they most need it.

Despite all efforts to raise awareness and make such services more available, effectively tending to the complicated nature of anxiety in Australia is still not easy. While the country continues its journey to do so, it remains necessary that we create a culture that not only grasps and speaks openly about the affliction but provides methods to effectively manage and remedy it.

 

Anxiety is a usual function of life. Most of us are concerned about essential aspects of life like health, family issues, and sustenance. Unlike the natural anxiety bound with the human condition, anxiety disorders comprise more than a brief fear or concern. For individuals suffering from an anxiety disorder, the anxiety can be waived off and damaged over time. The symptoms can disturb daily activities like schoolwork, job performance, and relationships.

Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions that need proper monitoring, therapy, and care. Having an anxiety disorder, you may retort to certain conditions with fear and dismay. You may also feel physical signs of anxiety, like sweating and a pounding heart [1].

In summary, an anxiety disorder doesn’t just include the edginess and fear you may feel from time to time. An anxiety disorder happens when:

  • Anxiety restricts your capacity to work and function in normal day-to-day life.
  • You regularly overreact when something elicits your emotions.
  • You don’t have control over your reactions to circumstances.

Anxiety disorders can make it hard to get through the day. Luckily, there are numerous effective treatments for anxiety disorders.

Who Is At Risk For Anxiety Disorders?

A combination of environmental and genetic factors can increase a person’s chance of developing anxiety disorders. You may be at greater risk if you have or had:

  • Specific personality attributes, like behavioral inhibition or shyness or— being uncomfortable with, and evading, unacquainted people, circumstances, or environments.
  • Traumatic or stressful events in childhood or early adulthood.
  • Family background of anxiety or other mental health disorders.
  • Specific physical conditions include heart arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm) and thyroid problems [1].

Anxiety disorders are diagnosed more frequently in women. Scientists are still learning why that happens. It may come from the genetic make-up and hormones of women, especially those that vary all through the month. The testosterone hormone may have a role, too — men have more of this hormone, and it might help ease anxiety. It’s also likely that women don’t seek treatment as often as men do, so the anxiety worsens.

The causes of anxiety disorder are complex and multifaceted. At most times, it is difficult to identify a singular cause. Some causes of anxiety disorders include [2]:

Genetics: Anxiety disorders can run in families.

Brain chemistry: Some research points to connections between anxiety disorders and the brain’s circuits that control threats and how we handle them.

Environmental stress: This means stressful events you’ve seen or lived through. Life events linked to anxiety disorders include childhood abuse and neglect, the death of a loved one, or being attacked or seeing violence.

Drug withdrawal or misuse: Some drugs can cause anxiety, or people may use them to hide or decrease their anxiety. Anxiety disorder and substance abuse are often linked.

Medical conditions: Some heart, lung, and thyroid conditions can cause symptoms similar to anxiety disorders or make anxiety symptoms worse. It’s especially important to get checked for other conditions if they run in your family and as you get older.

Almost one-third of the Australian population will have an anxiety disorder in their lifespan. In the 2021 financial year, about 28.8% (5.7 million) people in Australia aged 16 to 85 years have experienced an anxiety disorder [3].

Anxiety is largely categorized into various types of mental disorders. Their prevalence varies. Here we take a look at the 2021 survey on the occurrence of various anxiety disorders in the 12 months before the survey in Australia [4].

  • Any Anxiety Disorder: 28.8%
  • Social Phobia: 13.8%
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: 10.7%
  • Agoraphobia: 9.1%
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder: 8.2%
  • Panic Disorder: 6.3%
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: 3.6%

Through all measured age groups, women living in Australia were more likely than men to have a 12-month anxiety disorder in the 2021 financial year. The peak rates of anxiety disorders in both men and women were faced by young people aged 16-24 years (41.3% in women and 21.4% in men) [5].

Let’s take a look at the prevalent types of anxiety disorders in Australia.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) comprises a continual and unnecessary excessive worry that inhibits or impedes daily functioning.

This persistent worry and stress may be associated with physical symptoms, like being easily fatigued, feeling on edge, restlessness, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, or problems sleeping.

Often the angst and apprehensions focus on everyday things like job concerns, family health, or minor matters like car repairs, chores, or appointments.

Panic Disorder

The central symptom of panic disorder is recurrent panic attacks, a devastating combination of physical and psychological anguish. Let’s now have a look at the several symptoms that occur during an attack:

  • Rapid heart rate or pounding heart
  • Trembling or shaking
  • Sweating
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Chest congestion or feeling pain in the chest
  • Feeling light-headed or dizzy
  • Feeling of choking
  • Tingling or numbness
  • Fear of losing control
  • Hot flashes or chills
  • Feeling sick or having abdominal discomfort
  • Feeling disconnected, separated, or detached
  • Fear of dying

Since the symptoms can be quite serious, some individuals who suffer a panic attack may think they are having a heart attack or some other life-threatening disorder. They might go to a hospital emergency department.

Panic attacks may be predictable, like a response to a feared object, or unanticipated, seemingly occurring for no reason. The mean age for onset of panic disorder is 20-24 years. Panic attacks may occur with other mental disorders like PTSD or depression.

Phobias, Specific Phobia

A specific phobia is an extreme and continued fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that is usually not harmful. Patients know their fear is unnecessary and disproportionate, but they can't conquer it.

These fears cause such anguish that some individuals go to risky lengths to evade what they fear. The specific phobias include fear of flying, public speaking, or fear of spiders.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is the fear of being in places where escape may be embarrassing or difficult, or help might not be accessible in the occurrence of panic symptoms. The fear is out of proportion to the actual setting and generally lasts six months or more and causes problems in day-to-day work. An individual with agoraphobia suffers this fear in two or more of the following circumstances:

  • Using community transport
  • Being in open places
  • Being in closed spaces
  • Being in a crowd or waiting in line
  • Being away from home alone
  • The person actively tries to escape the situation, needs a companion, or undergoes intense anxiety or fear.

Unmanaged agoraphobia can get so serious that the person may feel incapable of leaving the house. An individual can only be diagnosed with agoraphobia if the anxiety is strongly distressing, or if it considerably inhibits usual daily activities.

Social Anxiety Disorder

An individual with social anxiety disorder has considerable anxiety and distress about being humiliated, embarrassed, overruled, or looked down on in social relations. Individuals with this disorder will try to evade the situation or bear it with pronounced anxiety.

Conventional examples are tremendous fear of public speaking, drinking/eating in public, or meeting new people. The anxiety or fear causes problems with daily performance and persists for at least six months.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

An individual with a separation anxiety disorder is disproportionately anxious or fearful about separation from people to whom he or she is attached. The sentiment is beyond what is apposite for the person's age, persists (at least six months in adults and four weeks in children), and causes difficulties in functioning.

A person with a separation anxiety disorder may be continually worried about losing the person closest to him or her, may be hesitant or reject going out or sleep without that person or away from home, or may have nightmares about separation. Physical symptoms of anguish often arise in childhood, but symptoms can carry through adulthood.

Selective Mutism

Adolescents and kids with selective mutism do not speak in some social places or situations where they look ahead to speak, including school, even though they speak in other situations. They will speak in their home with close family members, but often will not speak even in front of others, like close friends or grandparents.

The lack of speech may delay or inhibit social communication, although children with this disorder sometimes use nonverbal or non-spoken means (for example, pointing, grunting, and writing). The lack of speech can also have noteworthy effects in school, leading to academic difficulties and social separation. Most kids with selective mutism also experience extreme shyness, fear of social discomfiture, and high social anxiety. Though, they naturally have normal language skills.

Selective mutism usually arises before age 5, but it may not be properly identified until the child enters school. Many children will outgrow selective mutism. For children with co-occurring social anxiety disorder, selective mutism may vanish, but signs of social anxiety disorder may remain.

Anxiety disorders can be revealed in different ways, affecting people both physically and mentally. It's vital to identify the signs and symptoms to seek the right treatment and support.

Let's explore the fundamental pointers of anxiety disorders:

Psychological Symptoms

Excessive Worry: Uncontrollable and persistent worry about everyday things, ranging from job responsibilities to family matters, is a common sign of GAD.

Irrational Fears: An individual with GAD may be disproportionately concerned about or afraid of something, such as an illness or a natural disaster, even when there is no logical reason for such concern.

Concentration Problems: Persistent, uncontrollable worry often diminishes an individual’s ability to concentrate and make decisions. About 20% of individuals with GAD experience memory problems [2].

Restlessness: Feelings of being on edge or restlessness are common with GAD.

Physical Symptoms:

Muscle Tension: Anxiety often shows up physically as muscle tension, tightness, or stiffness—most frequently in the neck, shoulders, and jaw.

Fatigue: Chronic anxiety can too take a toll on energy levels, leaving you feeling worn out and exhausted regardless of how much rest you get.

Rapid Heartbeat: An increased heart rate (or palpitations), combined with symptoms like sweating and trembling, are physical symptoms of anxiety.

Gastrointestinal Issues: Anxiety can also wreak havoc on the digestive system, causing such symptoms as stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) [1].

Behavioral Symptoms

Avoidance Behaviors: Individuals with anxiety disorders may go to great lengths to avoid triggers or situations that provoke anxiety, which can interfere with daily functioning.

Compulsive Behaviors: Some people develop compulsive rituals or behaviors (e.g., hand washing, checking) as a way to cope with anxiety and reduce distress.

Social Withdrawal: Anxiety can lead to social withdrawal or isolation, as individuals may fear judgment, embarrassment, or scrutiny from others.

Substance Abuse: Some individuals may turn to alcohol, drugs, or other substances as a way to self-medicate and alleviate feelings of anxiety temporarily.

Cognitive Symptoms

Intrusive Thoughts: Persistent and distressing thoughts or images that intrude upon the mind are common in anxiety disorders, leading to heightened distress and discomfort.

Negative Self-Talk: Individuals with anxiety disorders may engage in negative self-talk, criticizing themselves excessively or doubting their abilities [1].

Catastrophic Thinking: Anxiety often involves catastrophizing or imagining the worst-case scenarios, even in relatively benign situations.

Emotional Symptoms

Excessive Fear: Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive and irrational fear or apprehension, which can be debilitating and overwhelming.

Panic Attacks: Sudden and intense episodes of fear or panic, accompanied by physical symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness, are characteristic of panic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder.

Irritability: Chronic anxiety can lead to heightened irritability or agitation, causing individuals to snap or lash out in response to minor stressors.

Anxiety disorders are generally treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. There are many ways to treat anxiety and people should work with their doctor to choose the treatment that is best for them.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy or “talk therapy” can help people with anxiety disorders. To be effective, psychotherapy must be directed at the person’s specific anxieties and tailored to his or her needs.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be quite effective for people with anxiety disorders. One of the reasons that CBT is so effective is because it teaches different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to anxiety-producing and fearful situations. It is the most effective form of psychotherapy [2].

Exposure therapy is used for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. The person is asked to imagine the thing they fear. This can be done gradually and with the most feared items saved until the end. If training is needed on how to do this I have a training I can point you to on how to use exposure therapy. This is a very well-established treatment for phobias, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.

2. Acceptance And Commitment Therapy

A different form of CBT is exposure therapy. This therapy is helpful for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias.

Another treatment, called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), is a newer form of therapy. It is based on CBT and uses a combination of mindfulness and commitment to behavior change. This treatment uses strategies such as acceptance and mindfulness to address the negative thoughts that lead to anxiety. This is a newer treatment so there isn’t a great amount of evidence about its long-term effectiveness [2].

Medication

Medication will not cure an anxiety disorder, but it can keep the symptoms under control, and for that reason, you might be considerably more capable of controlling your life. Healthcare providers may prescribe medication for anxiety disorders. They cannot prescribe medication specifically for a phobia. Some states also allow psychologists who have received specialized training to prescribe psychiatric medications.

The most common categories of medications used to combat an anxiety disorder include:

1. Antidepressants

Antidepressants are used to treat depression, and they can also help treat anxiety disorders. They may help improve how your brain uses certain chemicals that control mood or stress. You may have to try several different antidepressant medicines before finding the one that improves your symptoms and has manageable side effects.

It may take some time to figure out exactly the right dose of an antidepressant. Your provider should also check to make sure the medicine is working as it should. If you are taking an antidepressant, do not stop taking it without talking to your provider. Some of these medicines must be stopped gradually. Stopping them abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms.

Children, teenagers, and young adults may have an increase in suicidal thoughts or behavior when taking antidepressants, especially in the first few weeks after starting or when the dose is changed. Because of this, people of all ages taking antidepressants should be watched closely, especially during the first few weeks of treatment.

2. Anti-Anxiety Medications

Anti-anxiety medications help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, or extreme fear and worry. The most common anti-anxiety medications are called benzodiazepines. Even though they are a type of tranquilizer, benzodiazepines are also prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder [2].

Benzodiazepines have both benefits and drawbacks. Benzodiazepine medications are effective in relieving anxiety. They take effect more quickly than the antidepressants. The different types of benzodiazepines work a bit differently, but they result in a calming effect. They also have some muscle relaxant properties. However, people also build up a tolerance to them over time and need higher and higher doses to get the same effect. Some people become dependent on them. To avoid these problems, doctors usually prescribe benzodiazepines for short periods.

If people suddenly stop taking benzodiazepines, they can have withdrawal symptoms or their anxiety may return. Therefore, benzodiazepines should be tapered off slowly. Your provider can help you decide when and how to taper a medication.

Support Groups

Some people with anxiety disorders might benefit from joining a self-help or support group and sharing their problems and achievements with others.

Internet chat rooms also might be useful, but any advice received over the internet should be used with caution, as internet acquaintances have usually never seen each other, and false identities are common.

Talking with a trusted friend or member of the clergy can also provide support, but it is not a substitute for care from a mental health professional.

Stress Management Techniques

Stress management techniques and meditation can help people with anxiety disorders calm themselves and may enhance the effects of therapy. Research suggests that aerobic exercise can help some people manage their anxiety; however, exercise should not take the place of standard care and more research is needed.

In the world of mental health treatment, luxury anxiety treatments have become a voice of completeness and personalized support as these elite facilities offer a premium experience for individuals seeking sanctuary from anxiety disorders. This is why luxury anxiety treatments do it better, and what sets them apart from traditional approaches.

Therapeutic Approaches Customized For You

At our luxury residential anxiety treatment center, therapy isn’t a common answer to anxiety. Instead, a team of mental health professionals hand-picks the perfect therapy components to create a custom treatment plan based on a blueprint of an individual’s anxiety triggers and symptoms. Whether it’s cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, or holistic treatments to reduce anxiety, each component of luxury anxiety treatments is tailored to meet the needs of the individual.

Pristine, Secluded Environment

Our luxury treatment center is a world away from chaos, one full of lavish accommodations, elaborate gardens, and sweeping views.

Here, our clients can relax and collect their thoughts. A peaceful environment sets the stage for change, allowing the unnecessary fluff of life to float away until all that’s left is time to breathe and space to reflect.

From spa-like treatments and yoga classes to gourmet meals and nature excursions, our luxury anxiety treatment center goes above and beyond to provide a comprehensive wellness environment that rejuvenates the mind, body, and spirit. Participating in these activities offers immediate relief from stress, while also helping to instill new, healthy habits that align with long-term recovery.

Exemplary Medical And Therapeutic Staff

Enhancing the serene atmosphere of our luxury care center is a staff of truly exceptional professionals. These men and women are board-certified psychiatrists and psychologists, experienced counselors, and wellness experts. While their resumes might be impressive, it is their warmth, expertise, and compassion that makes all the difference. Clients receive round-the-clock care and support — an essential factor in developing the trust and sense of safety necessary for healing.

Integrated Aftercare Planning

In our treatment center rooted in the principles of luxury, our clients do not leave with a copy of the serenity prayer and a hug. Instead, they’re able to leave secure in the knowledge that their progress will continue long after their stay has concluded.

Our holistic wellness treatment center places the utmost emphasis on the continuity of care, ably demonstrated through their comprehensive aftercare planning. From ongoing support from the clinical staff to direction toward essential resources and the smoothest possible transition back into daily life, these facilities truly understand that wellness is an ongoing and necessary component of daily recovery.

1. Medical News Today. What to know about anxiety. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323454

2. Cleveland Clinic. Anxiety Disorders. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9536-anxiety-disorders

3. Beyond Blue. Australia Mental Health Statistics. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/media/statistics

4. Statistica. Share of the Australian population with an anxiety disorder by type. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1391185/australia-share-of-population-who-had-experienced-a-lifetime-anxiety-disorder-by-type/

5. Statistica. Share of Australian population with anxiety disorder by age and sex. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1321981/australia-share-of-population-with-an-anxiety-disorder-by-age-and-sex/

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