Anxiety can wreak havoc on a relationship, especially if it is not properly identified and treated. In early stages, anxiety can look like simple mood swings, or it may mirror depression. Anxiety disorders can manifest in a myriad of ways, and sometimes our loved ones may not want or be able to clearly communicate what is happening, making it harder for couples to address the problem.
If your spouse has started to display drastic personality changes, it is always cause for concern. If you think that anxiety or panic is causing these changes, it may benefit you to suggest this to your spouse or to suggest the possibility of individual or couples counseling. What follows are a few symptoms that may help make it easier to know if your spouse is developing an anxiety disorder.
- Excessive worry or anxiety symptoms more days than not for a significant period of time
- Sleep disturbances, such as trouble falling or staying asleep or recurrent nightmares
- Distancing from others via excessive criticism or withdrawal from social activities
- Constant fear or worry about developing a serious illness
- Paranoid thinking or excessively worrying that others are judging them
- Difficulty concentrating that interferes with career or family life
- Controlling behaviors
- A fear of being alone or behavior that keeps you from leaving without them or from engaging in social situations with your own friends or family members
- Constant criticism of your parenting skills
- Chronic fatigue, frequent headaches, or irritable bowel syndrome not explained by medical causes
- Withdrawal from other people and a tendency to spend a majority of time at home
- Restlessness and hyperactivity
- Panic attacks
- Obsessive, repetitive thought patterns or compulsive behaviors such as frequent hand washing or constantly checking things
When your spouse is suffering from anxiety, it is common to feel helpless, especially when you cannot offer an immediate solution to their problems. When you spend every day with someone, recognizing that they are suffering from an anxiety problem can actually be more difficult, as symptoms can appear slowly. If your loved one is suffering from anxiety, the best thing that you can do is to be supportive and to suggest that they seek help.
Recognizing Anxiety In the Elderly
Anxiety is surprisingly common in the elderly. In fact, elderly people are actually in the highest risk demographic for depression and suicide. As we get older, concerns about health, life, and finances tend to grow larger. In addition, the older we get, the more likely we are to lose spouses and lifelong friends. All of these things present viable reasons why anxiety develops, and watching out for signs of anxiety in elderly people is very important.
There are a wide number of reasons why older people develop anxiety, but studies show that therapy can still be very effective. Looking for signs and symptoms is very important. What follows are some signs that an older person in your life may be suffering from anxiety.
- Sudden loss of interest in once enjoyed activities
- Restlessness or irritability
- Avoiding social situations, spending more time at home, or suddenly changing their daily routine
- Sudden difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Physical symptoms such as chest pains or shortness of breath that arise or get worse when thinking about certain things
- Excessive worry or concern or a fixation on death or the possibility of sudden illness
Recent studies show that as many as one in five elderly people have anxiety that is significant enough to warrant therapeutic treatment. There are many things that can make recognizing and diagnosing anxiety in the elderly difficult, but it is important that individuals seek treatment for their symptoms.
As we age, the likelihood of physical disability, illness, and death increases. These things can be naturally anxiety provoking. It can also be difficult for doctors to differentiate physical symptoms of anxiety from medical conditions, a problem that can often result in misdiagnosis or a delay in therapeutic treatment. Diagnosis is further complicated by the frequent reluctance of elderly patients to discuss their emotional symptoms.
If you are concerned that your parent or another elderly loved one may be suffering from anxiety, try talking to them about their symptoms. Anxiety can be treated in the elderly with great success. By encouraging these individuals to get help, they can find relief from their symptoms, greatly improving their quality of life. Let your loved one know that anxiety is common with aging, but that this does not mean that it must simply be accepted or dealt with.
Summary
Anxiety can and does happen to people of all ages. Learning to recognize symptoms of anxiety in people close to us can be difficult, especially people that we see every day. By learning how to recognize anxiety in different individuals, however, you increase the chances that you can encourage them to get the help they need and that they will be able to receive prompt treatment to help them resolve their symptoms.