Types Of Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

~a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread, which can interfere with daily life. This is different from worrying occasionally or feeling anxious about stressful life events. People who experience GAD feel anxious frequently for months and sometimes years~

Symptoms of GAD

• Restlessness

• Feeling fatigued easily

• Difficulty concentrating

• Irritability

• Unexplained pains including headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches, etc.

• Feeling that worries are uncontrollable.

• Sleep problems e.g., difficulty falling or staying asleep, insomnia.

Panic disorder

~ anxiety disorder where panic attacks occur frequently and unexpectedly. A panic attack is when a person feels sudden intense fear, discomfort, or a sense of losing control even when there is no apparent threat, danger, or trigger. They can happen as often as several times a day or as rarely as a few times a year ~

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Symptoms of a panic attack

• Pounding or racing heart

• Trembling

• Sweating

• Feeling impending doom

• Feelings being out of control.

• Chest pain

Note: not everyone who experiences a panic attack has a panic disorder.

Social anxiety

~ anxiety disorder where one feels intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others ~

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Symptoms

• Pounding or racing heart

• Stomach aches

• Blushing, trembling, or sweating.

• Rigid body posture

• Speaking with an overly soft voice

• Feeling self-conscious

• Fear of being judged by others.

Phobia-related disorder

~ a phobia is an intense aversion to or fear of specific objects or situations. The fear people with phobias feel may be out of proportion to the actual danger caused by the object or situation ~

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Types of phobias

• Specific (or simple) phobias – phobias about a specific object or situation, such as flying, dogs, enclosed spaces, etc.

Some common specific phobias are:

• Hemophobia – fear of blood

• Gymnophobia – fear of nudity

• Aerophobia – fear of flying

• Claustrophobia – fear of enclosed spaces

• Arachnophobia – fear of spiders and other arachnids

• Cynophobia – fear of dogs

• Genophobia – fear of sex or sexual acts

• Acrophobia – fear of heights

• Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes

• Trypanophobia – fear of medical procedures that involve needles or injections.

• Astraphobia – fear of thunder and lightning

• Mysophobia – fear of germs and dirt

• Agoraphobia – fear of being alone in a situation or place where escape might be difficult

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Symptoms Of Phobia-related Disorder

• Excessive worry about encountering the feared object or situation.

• Avoiding the feared object or situation

• Feeling intense anxiety when encountering the feared object or situation

• Irrational or excessive worry about encountering the feared object or situation.

Causes of Anxiety

• Past or childhood experiences

• Family history of anxiety – genetics play a role in the development of anxiety. So having a family member who has experienced mental illness can increase one’s risk of developing anxiety.

• Chronic stress – prolonged exposure to stressful and negative life experiences or events can lead to the development of anxiety disorder.

• Physical or mental illness – living with a serious ongoing or life-threatening physical illness can trigger anxiety. Likewise, anxiety can develop when one already has a mental health problem such as depression.

• Drugs and medication – anxiety can be a side effect of taking medications, alcohol and recreational drugs.

Treatment

• Psychotherapy – psychotherapy or “talk therapy” can help people experiencing anxiety.

• Medication – although medication cannot cure anxiety, it can help relieve symptoms.

• Stress management – people experiencing anxiety can use stress management techniques like exercise, mindfulness, and meditation to manage their anxiety.

References

1. Anxiety disorders. (2023, April). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders

2. Chand, S. P., & Marwaha, R. (2023, April 24). Anxiety. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470361/