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Anxiety is a psychological state characterized by excessive worry, nervousness, or fear about everyday situations. It becomes a disorder when it interferes with daily life.

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Anxiety is directly tied to psychology through its effect on:

Cognition (thinking patterns)

Behavior (avoidance, rituals, isolation)

Biological systems (brain chemistry & stress hormones)

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I Feel Anxious: 10 Tips for Dealing with Anxiety

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Feeling tense, restless, or fearful? These tools can help you ease tension, stay present, and manage anxiety.

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Anxiety from Inside Out is portrayed as a character who believes herself to be a protector rather than a villain. This portrayal helps demystify anxiety and frames it as a necessary emotion that has evolved to keep us safe.

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Public Speaking: Sweaty hands, rapid heartbeat, or a knot in your stomach before or during speaking in front of a group.

Taking Exams or Tests: Feeling tense, distracted, or unable to focus because you’re worried about failing.

Meeting New People: Feeling shy, uneasy, or worried about being judged or not fitting in.

Financial Concerns: Worrying about bills, budgeting, or unexpected expenses causing ongoing stress.

Parenting Challenges: Anxiety about the health, safety, or well-being of children, especially during stressful times.

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Anxiety shows itself in many ways. Common physical symptoms include:

Rapid heartbeat (palpitations)

Sweating/chills

Shortness of breath

Dizziness or lightheadedness

Muscle tension or aches

Headaches

Fatigue

Nausea

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A person experiencing a panic attack may feel out of control or fear that they’re dying. They often worry about when the next attack will happen and may avoid places or situations where past attacks occurred. Physical symptoms of panic attacks include:

Racing or pounding heart

Sweating

Trembling or shaking

Shortness of breath or choking feeling

Dizziness or weakness

Chest pain

Numb or tingling hands

Stomach upset or nausea

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Panic disorder is a mental health condition where a person has sudden, repeated panic attacks with intense waves of fear and physical symptoms that occur without an obvious trigger.

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Panic disorder may be caused by a mix of factors, including genetics, brain function, and how the body responds to fear. It’s thought that the brain’s alarm system mistakenly triggers “false alarms,” causing sudden panic attacks even when there’s no real danger. Stress and environmental factors can also play a role.

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Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness that causes clear shifts in a person's mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration.

People with bipolar disorder often experience periods of extremely "up," elated, irritable, or energized behavior and very "down," sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods, which are known as depressive episodes.

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How Bipolar disorders connects to Anxiety  

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How Bipolar disorders connects to Anxiety  

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Most patients who have bipolar disorder have a coexisting anxiety disorder.

These include:

Generalized anxiety disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Panic disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

This connection can manifest in several ways, including anxiety worsening both mania and depression, making diagnosis and treatment more challenging.

Individuals who have a combination with a mood disorder are associated with an increased risk of suicide and psychosocial dysfunction.

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Anxiety and bipolar disorders share some symptoms, but they have distinct diagnostic criteria.

Some symptoms suggest a person may have co-occurring anxiety. They include:

A persistent, intense feeling of nervousness: Includes worry, anxiety, and panic attacks. A person may also avoid taking part in activities.

Sleep and anxiety problems: People may find they have issues sleeping even when they are not in a manic state. They may feel persistently anxious despite receiving treatment.

History of symptoms: Some people may have lived with anxiety and bipolar disorder symptoms from childhood and adolescence.

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How does anxiety affect bipolar disorder? 

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How does anxiety affect bipolar disorder? 

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When a person has both conditions, they may find their anxiety affects the symptoms of bipolar disorder. This could lead to:

more mixed manic and depressive episodes

an increase in the severity of mood episodes

medication resistance

a greater risk of substance use

medication side effects

more psychological distress

poorer quality of life

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If someone has an anxiety disorder in addition to bipolar disorder, a doctor should diagnose and treat the conditions together. In addition, treating one condition and not the other can be potentially harmful.

Medication

These medications treat the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Mood stabilizer

Antipsychotic medication

Medication used to treated for anxiety

Antidepressants

They are effective, but a doctor may prescribe a very low dose to avoid triggering a manic episode.

Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Teaches people to recognize patterns that can affect their behaviors and moods

Family therapy

Family therapy can help both the individual and their family members

reduce stress within a family unit

It is important that people try to alleviate stressors as much as possible

Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy

Teaches people to record their moods and activities so they can plan for and effectively manage disruptions to their routine.

keeping a steady social rhythms

forming habits to help stabilize mood

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Eating disorders are abnormal eating habits that have the potential to be a threat to not only your health but as well as your life.

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What other types of eating disorders are there? 

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What other types of eating disorders are there? 

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There are many types of eating disorders out there. Here are the most common variations and their symptoms.

Anorexia Nervosa

Intense fear of gaining weight

Extremely restricted calorie intake

Distorted body image

Purging, then forcibly vomiting

Excessive exercise

Obsessively hyperfixated on food

Bulimia Nervosa

Bingeing episodes until painfully full

Forced vomiting

Fasting

Use of laxatives, diuretics, and enemas

Gut irritation

Imbalanced levels of electrolytes

Binge Eating Disorder

Eating large amounts of food rapidly in secret.

Bingeing despite not feeling hungry.

Waves of intense feelings of guilt, shame, disgust, and distress after bingeing.

At higher risks of strokes, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Pica

Eating things that are not considered food or have little to no nutritional value.

At higher risk of poisoning, infections, gut injuries, and nutritional deficiencies.

Rumination Disorder

Routinely regurgitates their food about 30 minutes after eating it, rechews it, and either re-swallows it or spits it out.

Adults with this disorder may restrict the amount of food they eat in public.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

Lack of interest in eating due to a distaste for certain smells, tastes, colors, textures, and or temperatures.

Avoidance of foods prevents the sufficient amount of calories or nutrients needed.

weight loss or poor development for age and height.

nutrient deficiencies, or dependence on supplements or tube feeding.

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Why is seeking treatment for eating disorders important?

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Why is seeking treatment for eating disorders important?

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Eating disorders are known to be a silent killer, with most cases going untreated. You may think you're not at risk of any severe effects until it's too late. It's important to seek treatment as soon as you know you have an eating disorder, and start the road towards recovery.

Eating disorders can take a serious toll on your mental health. Eating disorders are often associated or the cause of other mental disorders, such as depression, body dysmorphia, anxiety disorder, substance abuse, etc.

Eating disorders can also have a severe physical effect on the body. For example, problems associated with anorexia include anemia, constipation, osteoporosis, and even damage to the heart and brain. Bulimia can result in a sore throat, worn-away tooth enamel, acid reflux, severe dehydration, and intestinal distress. People with binge eating disorder may develop high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other problems associated with obesity.

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Recovery varies from case to case, but here are some options for treatment.

Psychotherapy: CBT is commonly used to help change harmful thoughts and behaviors. Therapy may be individual, group, or family-based.

Medications: Antidepressants or other medications can treat co-occurring issues like anxiety or depression.

Nutrition Counseling: A registered dietitian helps develop healthy eating habits and meal plans.

Levels of Care

Outpatient: Weekly sessions.

Intensive Outpatient (IOP): Therapy several times a week.

Inpatient/Residential: 24/7 support for severe cases.

Therapy Experience
Therapy can be challenging, but it is essential for healing. It’s normal to feel vulnerable; your care team is there to support you. Even without a diagnosis, seeking help for food-related issues is encouraged.

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), repetitive behavior or excessive behaviors (compulsions), or both. OCD symptoms can begin at any time, but usually start between late childhood and young adulthood.

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Ocd falls under abnormal psychology, the study of unusual behavior, emotion, and thought patterns.

It involves cognitive distortions (like overstimulating danger) and behavioral patterns (like ritualistic habits).

Psychologists study OCD to understand the brain mechanisms behind fear, anxiety, and habit formation - and to develop effective therapies (like CBT and ERP)

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Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder that affects the way someone feels, thinks, and behaves. It is often genetic and affects less than one percent of the U.S. population. Research indicates that it affects men and women equally, although it may have an earlier onset in males.

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YDCR9ViBVcETl5cEAMEJV

Symptoms of schizophrenia occur in late adolescence or early adulthood. These symptoms include:

Positive symptoms: hallucinations, paranoia, and exaggerated or distorted perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors.

Negative symptoms: impaired emotional expressions, decreased speech, reduced social desire, lack of motivation, and decreased experience of pleasure.

Disorganized symptoms: confused/disorganized speech, trouble with thinking, and abnormal behavior or movements.

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There is no certain cause, but research shows that genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors have an influence.

Genetic: family history

Environmental: prenatal and obstetric risks (maternal infections, maternal stress, malnutrition can affect fetal brain development, prenatal infections, and delivery complications), psychological stressors, and cannabis/psychoactive drug use.

Neurobiological: neurotransmitter dysfunction in dopamine and glutamate systems, and brain structural changes.

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Medication is the main treatment option for schizophrenia, specifically antipsychotics.

Second-generation antipsychotics (ex. Aripiprazole, Asenapine, Brexpiprazole, Cariprazine, Clozapine, etc.)

First-generation antipsychotics (ex. Chlorpromazine, Fluphenazine, Haloperidol, Perphenazine, etc.)

Long-acting injectable antipsychotics are given as a long-acting shot into the muscle, usually given every 2-4 weeks (ex. Paliperidone, Risperidone, etc.)

Once symptoms ease, patients should continue medication but also start psychosocial treatments:

Individual therapy

Social skills training

Family therapy

Vocational rehabilitation and supported employment

Those with schizophrenia need help and support in everyday life. There are also many resources to help with jobs, housing, self-help groups, and crisis situations.

In some severe symptom situations, people may need to stay in a hospital for safety.

Coping with a severe mental disorder like schizophrenia can be extremely difficult for those with the condition and their family and friends. Here are some coping strategies:

Building trust/strong relationship with the treatment team

Learn more about the condition

Increase your sleep

Focus on goals

Stay away from drugs and alcohol

Reach out to social services

Learn relaxation and stress management methods

Join a support group

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What's it like to live with schizophrenia?

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What's it like to live with #schizophrenia?

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A study published in Cambridge's Psychological Medicine explains that genetic factors play a significant role in OCD, and individuals may be more likely to develop the disorder. This helps psychologists understand the biological side of mental illness, not just behavioral or emotional causes.

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"Me after washing my hands...but my OCD says I missed a spot."

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Example 1: Clean Freak or OCD?

Normal: You like things tidy

OCD: You wash your hands 30 times a day, fearing illness, even though you know it's Excessive.

Example 2: Rigid Routines

Normal: You have a routine

OCD: You feel something bad will happen if you don't follow the exact routine step-by-step.

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Obsessions (Intrusive thoughts)

Fear of germs or contamination

Unwanted aggressive or taboo thoughts

Need for things to be in perfect order

Boubts (fear of forgetting to lock the door)

Compulsions (Repetitive behaviors)

Excessive cleaning of locks, appliances, etc.

Counting or tapping rituals

Arranging things in a precise way

Normal OCD: You check the stove once or twice before leaving the house.

Mild OCD: You wash your hands 8-10 times daily because you're scared of germs, but can still function in daily life.

Severe OCD: You wash your hands for hours, avoiding people or working out of fear of contamination.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Focuses on changing thinking and behavior patterns

ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention): Helps reduce compulsions by gradually exposing patients to their fears.

Medication

SSELs (fluoxetine, sertraline) help regulate brain chemicals

Lifestyle Strategies

Sleep, exercise, and mindfulness

Support from friends and family

Mild Ocd: Weekly therapy medication helps reduce rituals like checking light switches repeatedly.

Severe OCD: Person attends intrusive therapy, uses medications, and still struggles with everyday tasks-but begins showing progress.

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Self-Care Strategies:

Track symptoms and triggers in a journal

Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques

Follow a consistent sleep therapy

Uses apps like NOCD for digital therapy

Family & Friends Support:

Be patient and nonjudgmental

Help without enabling rituals

Encouraging treatment and celebrating progress

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When I try to ignore the thought, but anxiety says nope.

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Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety-related disorder. The connection lies in how a person feels overwhelming fear or discomfort (anxiety) when experiencing unwanted thoughts (obsession), which leads them to perform repeated behaviors (compulsions) to try to relieve that anxiety.

OCD uses anxiety to "Fuel" the obsession and compulsions.

The rituals are not enjoyable - they are done to prevent or reduce anxiety.

It's different from regular anxiety disorders like GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), but they often co-occur.

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How Can Childhood Trauma Lead to Mental Health Disorders in Adulthood?

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How Can Childhood Trauma Lead to Mental Health Disorders in Adulthood?

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Research shows that childhood maltreatment can result in long-term alterations in the amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for processing fear and emotions. Survivors often experience hyperactive stress responses, causing them to feel consistently anxious or insecure, even in ordinary circumstances. These neurological changes can hinder emotional regulation, trust in others, and stress management in adulthood, contributing to increased rates of anxiety, PTSD, and depression (Harb et al., 2024).