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Suffering From Anxiety. How To Get Relief From This Problem?
Question: Hi Doc,
I am facing a problem of anxiety. Most of the times, esp when I am at a competitive front I get too anxious which declines my performance. Consider a situation where I am about to address some XXXXXXX officials of my office and I am having some great idea within myself. I feel so much confident and is so much eager to represent myself but my anxiety levels gets so high that when I deliver my idea I often miss out important things, I sometimes stagger and could not perform the way I thought.
Kindly help me with this.
Thanks.
I am facing a problem of anxiety. Most of the times, esp when I am at a competitive front I get too anxious which declines my performance. Consider a situation where I am about to address some XXXXXXX officials of my office and I am having some great idea within myself. I feel so much confident and is so much eager to represent myself but my anxiety levels gets so high that when I deliver my idea I often miss out important things, I sometimes stagger and could not perform the way I thought.
Kindly help me with this.
Thanks.
Hello,
Thanks for your query.
I appreciate your efforts for medical consultation in so much distress.
From your description I strongly suspect presence of anxiety disorder specially in social situations.
Severity of anxiety may vary time to time, in your case it is associated with exacerbation in presence of seniors and on stage.
Other symptoms of anxiety which may or may not be present in your case: nervousness, restlessness, mild irritability, excessive worry regarding own health, tremor, muscle spasm, heaviness in body, easy fatigability, headache, sleep disturbance, palpitation and dry mouth.
Anxiety occur due to neurotransmitters imbalance in brain most commonly involving serotonin neurotransmitter. You may need treatment with psychiatrist to treat your anxiety. It is not clear if you received any treatment in past, but believe me people life changes after treatment.
In drug treatment two types of medicine used. For immediate relief of anxiety benzodiazepines group of medicines are used and for long term relief most commonly SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are used. SSRI takes around 3-4 weeks to show its effect. Some medicine like propranolol also help in performance anxiety if taken before meeting or performance, but it should be taken after prescription.
Apart from above advice following simple measures will help you:
-Decrease worrying about symptoms as they will cure after treatment.
-Non drug treatment like cognitive behaviour therapy (form of psychotherapy) and systematic desensitization: from trained psychotherapist.
-Practice speaking in front of mirror and visualizing seniors or lots of person in-front of you.
-Healthy diet: Milk and fruits in diet.
-Daily morning walk and breathing exercise.
I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. In case of any doubt, I will be available for follow ups.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Thanks for your query.
I appreciate your efforts for medical consultation in so much distress.
From your description I strongly suspect presence of anxiety disorder specially in social situations.
Severity of anxiety may vary time to time, in your case it is associated with exacerbation in presence of seniors and on stage.
Other symptoms of anxiety which may or may not be present in your case: nervousness, restlessness, mild irritability, excessive worry regarding own health, tremor, muscle spasm, heaviness in body, easy fatigability, headache, sleep disturbance, palpitation and dry mouth.
Anxiety occur due to neurotransmitters imbalance in brain most commonly involving serotonin neurotransmitter. You may need treatment with psychiatrist to treat your anxiety. It is not clear if you received any treatment in past, but believe me people life changes after treatment.
In drug treatment two types of medicine used. For immediate relief of anxiety benzodiazepines group of medicines are used and for long term relief most commonly SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are used. SSRI takes around 3-4 weeks to show its effect. Some medicine like propranolol also help in performance anxiety if taken before meeting or performance, but it should be taken after prescription.
Apart from above advice following simple measures will help you:
-Decrease worrying about symptoms as they will cure after treatment.
-Non drug treatment like cognitive behaviour therapy (form of psychotherapy) and systematic desensitization: from trained psychotherapist.
-Practice speaking in front of mirror and visualizing seniors or lots of person in-front of you.
-Healthy diet: Milk and fruits in diet.
-Daily morning walk and breathing exercise.
I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. In case of any doubt, I will be available for follow ups.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks for the consultation XXXXXXX Just to add, I don't see any of the symptoms which you have mentioned above.
I have one very common situation, could you brief me some reasons for it -- I am in the habit of always seeing a virtual significant other who is constantly watching my performance even when I am completely alone. Like when I am out playing a cricket match but specifically at competition stage, I perceive in my mind that there is someone who is constantly monitoring my performance. I know that there is no such person but I just can't control ironically Even sometimes I like that I am being monitored by someone who I know and has powerful social stature (but actually there is no one, its completely virtual and is created inside my mind).
Also, if there is a significant personality nearby I try to be extra careful as I think that I am specifically being watched by that personality (and this even leads to errors).
Thanks.
I have one very common situation, could you brief me some reasons for it -- I am in the habit of always seeing a virtual significant other who is constantly watching my performance even when I am completely alone. Like when I am out playing a cricket match but specifically at competition stage, I perceive in my mind that there is someone who is constantly monitoring my performance. I know that there is no such person but I just can't control ironically Even sometimes I like that I am being monitored by someone who I know and has powerful social stature (but actually there is no one, its completely virtual and is created inside my mind).
Also, if there is a significant personality nearby I try to be extra careful as I think that I am specifically being watched by that personality (and this even leads to errors).
Thanks.
Hello again,
Thanks for follow up.
From further information it appear that you have social anxiety.
It is really interesting about nature of your problem but theme is very classical which occur with social anxiety. In that person usually feel being observed by others in different situations, fear of doing mistake or poor act and feel inferior to others.
So steps as advised above will help you greatly.
Please accept my answer in case there are no further queries and recommend our services to your friends too if you have found it helpful.
Wish you good health.
Regards.
Thanks for follow up.
From further information it appear that you have social anxiety.
It is really interesting about nature of your problem but theme is very classical which occur with social anxiety. In that person usually feel being observed by others in different situations, fear of doing mistake or poor act and feel inferior to others.
So steps as advised above will help you greatly.
Please accept my answer in case there are no further queries and recommend our services to your friends too if you have found it helpful.
Wish you good health.
Regards.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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