“Ghabaraahat toh sabko hoti hai, ismein kaunsi badi baat hai?” 

Chinta ya Chinta Vikar, Anxiety or Anxiety Disorders, what does it mean? Anxiety/ ghabaraahat toh hum sabko hoti hai, whether it’s for a big exam, important interview, job stuff, kid stuff or a wedding. But does that mean we all have anxiety disorder?

The difference between anxiety and anxiety disorder is simple. Everyday anxiety sabko hoti hai. These are natural responses to stress, danger or uncertainty. Sometimes these even help us by making us alert, focused or prepared, survival instincts and all that jazz. But the main thing is that it is short-lived. Stressful situations over = anxiety over.

Anxiety disorder on the other hand is just there and most times you won’t even know why. Bina wajah ghabaraahat, feeling stressed, scared, worried, not being able to control it, that’s having anxiety. And yeah it is bina any wajah and tough to understand for people around you, that’s why it’s a disorder, yeh na kisi ki choice hai, na kisi ki galti. It’s not something you can naturally control, that’s the point.

“If a snake passes in the room when we are talking right now, obviously you’d be scared. That is normal.
But when you leave this room go to the kitchen or to your house, if you’re still thinking about the snake, wondering if the snake is still there. If on the way to your house, you’re wondering whether the snake will follow you when you cross the road. If you lose sleep thinking “ab aaya, ab aaya, ab aaya” for months after today, that is anxiety” -Palak Shah

Anxiety disorder impairs daily functioning. It makes everyday life hard to live. It makes small things seem big - crossing the road you do everyday, giving a presentation you’re overly prepared for, feeling secure in your relationships - literally anything. It can affect you individually, it can affect your work, your social life and your close relationships. It can also have many negative physical effects on your body.

Common types of anxiety disorders in India, include:

● Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
● Panic Disorder
● Social Anxiety Disorder
● Specific phobias

India mainly uses ICD-11 from the WHO as a reference for defining symptoms. You can view that guide over here: ICD-11 Criteria for Anxiety Disorders . The DSM-5-TR is the global and western standard for defining mental disorders. If you want to know the symptoms of different anxiety disorders, this is what the DSM-5 says: DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for GAD and other Anxiety Disorders (Page 189 - 234).

Physical symptoms of anxiety can be pointed out easily - sleep mein problems, restlessness, tightness in muscles, sweating, palpitations, chakkar, acidity/gas, etc, but due to many years of ignoring mental health issues we overlook them quite easily, or we confuse them for something else.

Thoughts, worries and internal feelings are more subjective, making them easier to suppress or ignore for individuals. People may choose to put aside their anxiety due to their own or social biases and it can be hard to tell when someone needs help.

Post-COVID, anxiety has increased between 23.7% to 35% in India, with a treatment gap of 82.9%. Sometimes, when left untreated, anxiety can also lead to further disorders like depression. 2 out of 3 patients with GAD, in India, also have depression.

Ab question aata hai - “Do I need help?” “Should I go to a doctor for my anxiety?”

Doctors say that you need help when your anxiety is overwhelming or uncontrollable, sometimes even without any stressors, affects daily things like sleep, concentration, relationships, work, etc, and has been bothering you for many months, generally 6 or more.

You can obviously take an online quiz like the GAD-7 (access it here) or check the DSM-5 criteria to kind-of figure if you have an anxiety disorder, but a clinical examination or a consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist is your best bet to confirm it.

Everyone, somewhere in their life, has experienced being anxious. It's OK to be anxious once in a blue moon. But if it's happening repetitively within a certain period, it's always good to ask for help -Palak Shah

We all have anxious feelings that are probably not a disorder, but anxiety disorders are common. Anxiety disorders are also fortunately, quite manageable, this is not to discount how horrible and truly disturbing they can be, but hopefully it helps to know that a lot of people in our country have them, a lot of people around you probably have them and we are doing better everyday, in treating them.

If you’d like to know more about anxiety disorders - What are anxiety disorders? How to treat anxiety disorders?, etc. here are some good, trustworthy resources:

● National Medical Journal of India (NMJI) : Anxiety Disorders in India
● National Mental Health Survey: Summary
● Indian Psychiatric Society: Anxiety Practice
● National Institute of Mental Health
● World Health Organization: Anxiety Disorders