You’re worried about a health issue, you’re stressed about a new project, or fear prevents you from doing anything where heights are involved. These are all perfectly normal manifestations of stress and anxiety and usually not cause for concern.
Unfortunately, for millions of Americans (40 million 18 and older, to be more precise), anxiety has turned the corner into more problematic territory, casting a long shadow over their happiness and wellness.
If you’re wondering whether your worrying is “normal,” Dr. Neal Taub and the team here at Charlotte Ketamine Center want to present a few points to consider when considering anxiety.
When you face a perceived threat, your body launches a fight-or-flight response. This response is initiated by the release of stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline, as examples) that trigger a few physiological changes, such as muscle tension and a higher heart rate.
Blood is also diverted from other areas of your body and is directed toward your muscles, helping you to fight or flee the danger. This response can be a lifesaver when there’s an actual threat, but it’s only supposed to be temporary.
When you have chronic stress and anxiety, you can get stuck in this stress response, which can wear you down physically and mentally.
Many people with problematic anxiety become prisoners to their excessive worry, leaving little room for happiness. That’s one of the first signs that your anxiety can benefit from treatment.
Anxiety is a catchall term for many disorders that count anxiety, in the form of excessive worry, fear, and dread, as the main characteristic, such as:
There are others, but these are the most common types we see at our practice. Each of these anxiety disorders can impact your life and limit it in significant ways.
Whether you return to your house over and over to make sure the door is locked and the stove is off thanks to OCD or frequent panic attacks bring you to your knees, anxiety can be debilitating and prevent you from functioning “normally.”
Ultimately, only you can determine whether your anxiety has too much control over your life. From our point of view, anytime your anxiety gets in the way of your happiness and prevents you from enjoying your life, it’s time to get help.
And the good news is that there are solutions that can help free you from crippling anxiety, including ketamine treatments that can break the stress cycle.
If you’re feeling like a prisoner to your anxiety and you’d like to explore how ketamine can help, please call our office in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 704-519-6918 to schedule a consultation.
