Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are diagnosed when fear or anxiety are excessive, persistent and interfere with your daily routine. Talk therapy or psychotherapy and medications are effective treatments.
First, see your doctor to rule out any physical ailments that could be causing your symptoms. Then, a psychiatrist or another mental health specialist can diagnose the kind of anxiety disorder you suffer from.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Every person experiences anxiety from time to time and there are good reasons to be concerned about things like job responsibility, health, or financial. But if your worries become constant and overtake your life, you may have a more serious anxiety disorder known as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). People with GAD have feelings of dread that influence their lives for the rest of their lives and are often difficult to control. They are prone to anticipate the worst or assume that minor problems will turn into major problems. GAD can affect anyone, and it typically begins in the adolescent years or early childhood however, it can also occur at any age. It is twice as prevalent in women and those deemed to females at birth as men.
GAD can cause physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomachaches, and make it difficult to sleep. It can also interfere with social and work-related activities, leading people to withdraw from friends or family and lead to a loss of self-esteem. People with severe and chronic GAD are more likely to suffer from depression, but treatment can help manage both disorders.
While the exact cause of anxiety disorders is unclear, they appear to be related to genes and changes in brain structure, which affect how your body responds to stress. panic anxiety disorder believe that an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain is involved too.
Although there isn't a cure for GAD, the condition is manageable by psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medications. Psychotherapy or talk therapy includes a range of therapies that help you recognize and modify negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that will help you to understand and control your thoughts and patterns of thinking that are distorted and reduce your fears by engaging them. Medications can help relieve certain physical symptoms, like dizziness and heart palpitations. These include antidepressants and benzodiazepines and some medicines to treat seizures, such as hydroxyzine.
GAD isn't easy to identify, but it is important to seek out help if you are experiencing anxiety or other signs of the disorder. Early treatment is more effective as it allows you to manage your physical and mental symptoms before they take over your life.
Panic disorder
This type of anxiety disorder is marked by repeated episodes of intense fear and terror that peak within minutes (panic attacks). This disorder can also cause chest pain, shortness breath or the feeling that your heart is fluttering or beating (heart palpitations). They are often concerned that their symptoms could be a sign of heart attacks. People suffering from panic disorder could be at risk of developing other anxiety disorders, as well as depression and other health issues such asthma or hyperthyroidism.
The root cause of anxiety disorders isn't well understood however, researchers believe they develop from a combination of factors. Some research suggests they may be due to brain circuits that regulate emotions and fear. Other studies suggest that genetics and life experiences, like childhood abuse or traumatic events are the most common causes of anxiety disorders. Many people who have an anxiety disorder have a first-degree family member with the condition.
Anxiety disorders can cause people to feel anxious all the time even though they know that their fears are irrational. This can cause problems in social situations, work or school. Additionally, some sufferers of anxiety disorders have difficulties sleeping or eating well. They may also suffer from muscle tension, irritability and difficulty concentrating.
A person with generalized anxious disorder may be worried about a wide range of everyday tasks that include work-related responsibilities as well as family problems. They may also be irritable, easily fatigued or have difficulty concentrating. They might also be concerned about their safety or the safety of others.
The good news is that there are effective treatments for anxiety disorders. The treatments include medicine psychotherapy, psychotherapy, and other complementary health techniques. disorders anxiety can assist you to determine what disorder is causing your symptoms and suggest the right treatment. Talk therapy or psychotherapy can help you deal with anxiety and lessen anxiety attacks. Different types of psychotherapy are available, including cognitive behavior therapy and exposure response prevention. These therapies can be performed in groups or individually.
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder is a severe condition that can interfere with everyday life. It can cause intense anxiety, fear, and aversion to social situations. It can appear in early adulthood, but it typically begins in the early years of childhood. It usually manifests as anxiety over specific social situations, like having a conversation in class or going out on date, but it could be more generalized, and include avoiding any situation that might cause being perceived as a failure by other people.
When someone with SAD realizes that their fear is irrational, they still are unable to overcome it. They attempt to manage the symptoms by avoiding situations that trigger anxiety, but this makes them even more anxious. They may also adopt "safety behavior" to ease their anxiety. For instance they may drink alcohol, stay silent or avoid eye contact.
In addition to the psychological treatments, a few patients who suffer from SAD benefit from medications. These medications, also known as antidepressants, can help to regulate the levels of some neurotransmitters in the brain. Some examples of these medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
It is essential that you or someone you love receives treatment if they have social anxiety disorder. If left untreated, the disorder can be debilitating and lead to other mental health issues such as addiction or depression. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, contact 911 or your local crisis line or text TALK to 741741 and speak with a trained crisis counselor.
Only 1 in 4 patients suffering from anxiety disorders receive treatment. Barriers to getting treatment include the lack of awareness that anxiety disorders are real, a lack of investment in mental health services and stigma. It 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. Ask your doctor to refer to an expert in mental health in case you're not sure if you have anxiety disorder or utilize an online tool to screen.
Specific Phobias
A person who is afflicted with a particular phobia experiences persistent and a heightened fear of one or more things, situations, animals, or other people. These fears are usually not proportional to the dangers that the object or circumstance creates, but they can cause distress and interfere in daily functioning. Particular phobias differ from other anxiety disorders in that they are triggered by one stimulus, rather than multiple stimuli. The feared situation or object could be anything, from dogs to heights as well as injections, flying, and areas that are crowded. This condition occurs worldwide most often in men than women, and can begin in childhood or adolescence. People who suffer from specific phobias are aware that their fears are unfounded however this does not diminish the severity of their symptoms.
Children with specific phobias usually overcome them, but if the anxiety persists in adults it can be very difficult to treat. Doctors diagnose the disorder by looking at the symptoms and how they impact the way they function in their daily lives. They are able to rule out other conditions that can have similar symptoms, such as agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder prior to diagnosing a fear. In earlier editions of the DSM adult patients were required to acknowledge their fears that were irrational in the diagnostic process. However the 2013 edition says that this requirement is no longer required for adults.
Treatment options for specific phobias are cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure-based therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is primarily focused on educating people about healthier ways of coping and changing their reactions to fear. Exposure-based treatment involves gradual and systematic exposure of the subject or event that you are afraid of. Patients may begin by thinking about the object or circumstance and then move to looking at images of the subject, taking steps towards it (such as walking by an elevator) or holding the toy snake, taking it to a zoo to look at real snakes, and then taking a ride in an elevator that is crowded. This kind of therapy might not cure a fear, but it can reduce its intensity.
Psychotherapy and medications like antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs are also options for treating specific fears. These treatments are frequently proven to be effective for people with specific phobias.