Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders can be diagnosed when fear or anxiety are chronic, persistent, and affecting daily life. Treatments include medication and psychotherapy or talk therapy.

First, see your doctor to rule out any physical ailments that could be the cause of your symptoms. A psychiatrist or mental health professional will diagnose the type anxiety disorder that you have.

Generalized anxiety disorder

Everybody feels anxious at times and there are many valid reasons for worrying about things such as job responsibilities, money, or health. If the worry is constant and consumes your life, it may be a more severe anxiety disorder, also known as generalized anxiety disorder. People with GAD have fears that have a profound effect on their lives and are often difficult to control. They tend to assume the worst, and that small issues can become major problems. GAD can affect anyone, and it usually begins in the adolescent years or early childhood, but can occur at any time. It is twice as prevalent among women and the newly born female.

GAD can lead to physical discomforts like headaches and stomachaches. It can make it difficult to fall asleep. It can also affect social and work activities, leading people to withdraw from family or friends, and contribute to an eroding of self-esteem. People with severe, chronic GAD are at greater risk of developing depression. However treatment can help manage both conditions.

Although the exact cause of anxiety isn’t known however, it is believed that anxiety disorders are linked to genetics and changes in brain structures that affect the body’s response to stress. Some experts believe that an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain may play a role too.

Although there is no cure for GAD however, it can be controlled with psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medications. Psychotherapy or talk therapy includes a range of treatments that help you identify and change negative thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a kind of therapy that can help you learn to control your distorted thinking patterns and reduce your fears by confronting them. The use of medicines can ease some of the physical symptoms, including heart palpitations and dizziness. These include benzodiazepines and antidepressants, as well as some medicines that treat seizures, such as hydroxyzine.

GAD isn’t easy to identify and is therefore important to seek out assistance if you begin to notice worrying and other signs of the disorder. It is much easier to treat by seeking assistance early, before anxiety and physical symptoms begin to affect your life.

Panic disorder

This type of anxiety disorder is marked by repeated, intense fear and terror that peak within minutes (panic attacks). The sufferers may also suffer from chest pain, shortness of breath or the sensation that their heart beats or is it is fluttering (“heart palpitations”). They are concerned that the symptoms they’re experiencing are symptoms of a heart attacks. People with panic disorder may also be at risk of developing other anxiety disorders, including depression and other health issues such as hyperthyroidism or asthma.

Researchers believe that anxiety disorders are caused by a variety of factors. Some research suggests they may be caused by brain circuits that regulate fear and emotion. Other studies suggest that life experiences, genetics such as childhood abuse or traumatic events are common causes of anxiety disorders. Many people with an anxiety disorder have a parent with the condition.

Anxiety disorders can cause people to feel anxious all the time even though they know that their fears are not rational. This can result in difficulties in social situations, at work or at school. In addition, many sufferers of anxiety disorders have difficulty sleeping or eat well. They might also experience tension in the muscles, irritability and difficulties concentrating.

A person suffering from generalized anxious disorder may be worried about a variety of everyday activities that include work-related responsibilities as well as family problems. They’re also likely to feel exhausted or restless and have difficulty concentrating. They also often worry about the safety of themselves and others.

There are effective treatments available for anxiety disorders. The treatments include medications, psychotherapy, and complementary health techniques. A mental health professional can help you determine what disorder is causing your symptoms and suggest the right treatment. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, can help you learn how to deal with your anxieties and decrease the amount of panic attacks that you suffer from. There are a variety of psychotherapy, including cognitive behavior therapy as well as exposure response preventative. These treatments can be carried out either in a group or on an individual basis.

Social anxiety disorder

Although many people feel anxious or shy in certain situations, the social anxiety disorder can cause such intense anxiety, fear, and avoidance of social interactions that it causes problems with daily life routines. It can appear in early adulthood, but it usually starts in the early years of childhood. It often shows up as a fear of certain social situations, such as having a conversation in class or going on date, but it may be more generalized and include the avoidance of situations that could cause being considered unpopular by other people.

The person with SAD may recognize that their fear is irrational however, they feel powerless. They attempt to manage the symptoms by avoiding situations that trigger anxiety, but this only makes them more anxious. They may also develop “safety behavior” to to reduce their anxiety, for example, drinking alcohol, staying silent and avoiding eye contact.

Certain people with SAD might benefit from medication in addition to psychotherapy. These drugs, also referred to as antidepressants, can help balance the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Some examples of these medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

It’s important that you or someone you love receives treatment if they have social anxiety disorder. The condition can be debilitating if left untreated and can result in other mental health issues like depression and substance misuse. If you or someone else you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, call 911, your local crisis line or text TALK (741741) to talk to a crisis counselor.

Only 1 in 4 patients suffering from anxiety disorders receive treatment. Some of the barriers to seeking treatment are ignorance that anxiety conditions are real, inadequate investment in mental health services and stigma. disorders anxiety is also essential to ensure that your healthcare provider is aware of the various types of anxiety disorders so that you can be appropriately diagnosed and treated. If you’re unsure if you suffer from an anxiety disorder Ask your doctor to refer you to a mental health professional or make use of an online tool to screen.

Specific phobias

A person who has a specific phobia has a persistent and a heightened fear of one or more things, situations, animals or even other people. These fears are usually out of proportion with the dangers that the object or event creates, but they can cause distress and interfere in daily functioning. Contrary to other forms of anxiety disorders, specific phobias involve fear of one stimulus, rather than multiple stimuli. The target of the phobia may include anything from dogs to heights to flying, injections, or even crowded spaces. The condition is widespread and occurs more often among women than men and it tends to start in childhood or adolescence. Specific phobias are not unfounded fears, but the fear is real.

Children with phobias that are specific to them usually overcome them. However, if the phobia persists as an adult it can be difficult to treat. Doctors diagnose the disorder by evaluating symptoms and their impact on the way they function in their daily lives. Before determining a phobia, doctors are able to rule out other disorders with similar symptoms like agoraphobia or social anxiety disorder. In previous editions of the DSM adult patients were required to acknowledge their fears that were irrational as part of the diagnosis process. However the 2013 edition states that this requirement is no longer required for adults.

There are two kinds of treatment for specific phobias: cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses primarily on educating people about healthier strategies for coping and altering their reaction to fear. Exposure-based therapy is the gradual and systematic exposure to the feared object or situation. The patient might begin by thinking about the object or situation, then move on to looking at pictures of the subject, then taking a step toward it (such as walking through an elevator) or holding an imaginary snake, going to a zoo for a look at real snakes, and then taking a ride in an elevator that is crowded. Although this type of therapy is not able to alleviate phobias but it can dramatically reduce the severity of the symptoms.

Other treatment options for specific phobias include medications, such as antidepressants and anxiety drugs, and psychotherapy. People with specific phobias that try these therapies frequently have better results.