Anxiety and Insomnia - A mutual relationship

Anxiety and insomnia have been found to exist in people who remain excessively worried about some problem or a forthcoming event. Insomnia or sleeplessness is a condition which can occur due to physical problems like digestive problems, heart problems, fibromyalgia and more. However anxiety and insomnia also share a mutual relationship with each other and co-exist in many situations. Although insomnia on account of mild anxiety is a normal problem faced by many, prolonged sleeplessness accompanied by constant worry is a case relating to anxiety and insomnia which requires treatment.

Symptoms

The symptoms of anxiety and insomnia can be determined by a screening test which has certain standards to measure anxiety. These include restlessness, concentration difficulties, muscle tension, fatigue, irritability and excessive sleep disturbances. If any three of these symptoms occur in combination with constant worrying for six months or more, the person could be suffering from insomnia due to anxiety.

Anxiety is not a single disorder but a group of psychological disorders which include post-traumatic stress disorder, panic and phobias, generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In America about 20 million people suffer from some form of anxiety each year. This occurs mostly in senior citizens who are over 65 years of age. Anxiety and Insomnia is a serious issue which needs to be addressed urgently.

Treatments

Anxiety and insomnia can be treated using different approaches. These include psychological counseling, psychotherapy, prescribed medication, nutritional treatment, herbal formulas and alternative treatments like acupuncture and acupressure.

- Psychological Treatment - anxiety and insomnia can be treated using psychological counseling which attempts to better equip the patient for meeting day to day challenges without resorting to the use of medication or drugs. These methods are also free from side effects as compared to other methods of treatment used for anxiety and insomnia.

- Reboxetine - This is a drug used for treating anxiety and insomnia problems in some patients. This drug has shown to relieve depression and improve social adaptation as well. However this drug cannot be given to people suffering from convulsions as it can result in seizures.

- Nutritional treatment - nutritionist reveal that anxiety and insomnia can also result from the imbalance in certain nutrients like calcium and magnesium in the body. Nutritional supplements containing these minerals are recommended for patients of insomnia and anxiety along with proper amounts of Vitamin and K which is required to help in the metabolism of these minerals.

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