Anxiety often begins as a passing feeling, then silently grows into an indirect physical condition. Despite its seriousness and complications, it has become one of the most common mental health disorders worldwide. The problem is that what many of us casually call “just anxiety” can actually disrupt every aspect of life—sleep, relationships, work, and health.
While countless medical reports discuss anxiety, the truth often emerges through real-life experience. Nadormagazine met Najla, a 41-year-old woman whose struggle with anxiety nearly ended her life before she found her path to treatment.
Najla’s Experience With Anxiety Disorder
“I was sure I was having a heart attack.”
That’s how Najla began describing the first time anxiety manifested physically. She recalls sitting in her living room when her heart suddenly began racing. Her breathing felt detached from her body, her hands trembled, and sweat soaked her skin.
“I thought I was going to die,” she says. “I imagined my children waking up in the morning and not finding me there.”
At the emergency room, all tests were reassuring—her heart was fine, blood pressure normal, and no signs of a serious physical problem. The doctor calmly asked her about stress, sleep, and her constant fear of the future. Then he said a sentence that changed everything:
“This is likely a panic attack linked to anxiety.”
What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) causes persistent, excessive worry about everyday details, accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, headaches, muscle tension, and difficulty concentrating.
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), anxiety becomes a disorder when symptoms occur most days for at least six months, or when they prevent the person from functioning normally.
What Are Panic Attacks?
Najla’s experience is consistent with how the Cleveland Clinic describes panic attacks: sudden intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms so severe that patients often believe they are having a heart attack—even though tests show a healthy heart.
Before the night she thought was her last, Najla did not consider herself ill. She believed she was simply “a naturally anxious person.”
“I worried about everything,” she says—her children being late, hearing about a serious illness, or news of layoffs. Her anxiety wasn’t tied to specific events; it was a constant state from the moment she woke up to the moment she tried to sleep.
Signs of an Anxiety Disorder
Doctors differentiate between ordinary worry and a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Symptoms of GAD include:
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Excessive worry about ordinary issues such as work, health, or finances
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Persistent anxiety lasting several months
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Muscle tension
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Sleep disturbances
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Chronic fatigue and difficulty concentrating
Najla recalls:
“I would go to bed thinking, What if I get seriously ill? What if I lose my job? What if something happens to a family member? Eventually, I stopped enjoying anything—not even happy events.”
When Does Psychological Treatment Begin?
Najla explains:
“After repeated episodes of dizziness and heart palpitations, I finally decided to visit a psychiatrist. At first, I felt embarrassed. I asked myself: Have things really gotten this far?”
During the first session, her doctor asked detailed questions about her health history, sleep patterns, work stressors, and family pressures. She then explained the nature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
The doctor noted indicators of GAD, such as anxiety most days for at least six months, combined with at least three physical symptoms such as muscle tension, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems.
Treatment Plan for Anxiety
According to the NHS, anxiety treatment involves three main approaches:
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Psychotherapy, especially Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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Medications, such as antidepressants
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Lifestyle adjustments
This is the same plan that helped Najla reclaim her life.
1. Medication
Najla began taking medication to reduce the intensity of her anxiety so she could benefit from therapy. Her doctor prescribed an SSRI antidepressant at a low dose with regular follow-ups.
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Alongside medication, she started CBT sessions.
“I learned to observe my thoughts from the outside,” Najla says. “I wrote down each anxious thought and asked myself: What is the evidence? What is the realistic possibility? Am I always assuming the worst-case scenario? When my answers began to make less sense, I started healing.”
3. Lifestyle Changes
Najla’s recovery also required practical daily adjustments, including:
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Regulating sleep hours
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Walking daily for at least 30 minutes
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Cutting back on caffeine, especially after discovering her third cup of coffee triggered palpitations
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Practicing deep breathing and muscle relaxation at the onset of panic
After several months, Najla saw a noticeable improvement. She slept better, and her panic attacks became less frequent.
But she emphasizes one important reality: setbacks happen.
“Life improves gradually,” she says, “but patients must understand that moments of relapse and weakness are normal. What matters is learning how to manage them.”
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