It’s official, anxiety and depression are the most common mental illnesses in the US. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults in the United States are affected by these disorders. Of those suffering from anxiety, 50% are also diagnosed with depression.
To top it all off, latest research found people who suffer from anxiety and depression at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The project was aimed at defining clinical and neurobiological changes in cognitively normal people between the ages of 62 and 90. It was held in Boston at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, using data from Harvard Aging Brain Study. The latest analysis published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found elevated levels of amyloid beta as anxiety symptoms worsened.
Amyloid Beta is the plaques implicated in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Elevated levels of amyloid beta in the individual is an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s.
The research team was specifically focussed on anxiety instead of overall depression and found increased amyloid beta in the brains of anxiety sufferers.
A geriatric psychiatrist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Nancy Donovan had this to say,
“This suggests that anxiety symptoms could be a manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease prior to the onset of cognitive impairment.”…”If further research substantiates anxiety as an early indicator, it would be important for not only identifying people early on with the disease but also, treating it and potentially slowing or preventing the disease process early on.”
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Yoga is The Best Way To Beat Anxiety
Many signs of anxiety, such as being obsessive-compulsive and muscle tension can be reversed through an ongoing practice of yoga.
Harvard health had this to say about yoga and its effects on anxiety
“But for many patients dealing with depression, anxiety, or stress, yoga may be a very appealing way to better manage symptoms. Indeed, the scientific study of yoga demonstrates that mental and physical health are not just closely allied, but are essentially equivalent. The evidence is growing that yoga practice is a relatively low-risk, high-yield approach to improving overall health.”
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Health.com listed these 12 signs as possible anxiety symptoms when experienced on a regular basis:
1. Excessive worry
2. Sleep problems
3. Irrational Fears
4. Muscle tension
5. Chronic Indigestion
6. Stage fright
7. Self-consciousness
8. Panic
9. Flashbacks
10. Perfectionism
11. Compulsive behaviours
12. Self-doubt
