Anxiety disorder is the most common type of mental illness in the world. About 30% of all adults claim to experience it.
There are many different types of anxiety, ranging from social anxiety to generalized panic. For some, anxiety runs so deep that they can’t leave their homes. Others can’t handle giving a presentation or standing in line at the grocery store.
The good news is that it’s not untreatable. Most people can’t get over their anxiety without a mixture of medication and therapy.
The first step in getting help is educating yourself. Check out this guide to learn everything you need to know about anxiety disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Those with generalized anxiety disorder may feel a constant pang of fear and dread. Their minds will race over a variety of subjects like school, work, health, and love.
Generalized anxiety is different than being nervous over a big speech or a date with someone new. For people without this disorder, the panic will go away after the source of their fear passes. If you have anxiety, your mind will move on to the next scary thing.
Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include restlessness, fatigue, irritability, headaches, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder causes sudden strong panic attacks. Most of the time, these attacks are triggered by someone or something.
The symptoms mimic those of a heart attack, so it can be difficult to tell the difference. They both come with chest pain, a feeling of dread, cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and a racing heartbeat.
The main sign that it’s a heart attack and not a panic attack is the intensity of the pain. Your chest will hurt a lot more and the pain may not stay there. Nine times out of ten, it will travel to your extremities.
As scary as they are, panic attacks go away almost as quickly as they come. You can work through it yourself within a few minutes. The same can’t be said about a heart attack.
Phobias
A phobia is a fear of a specific source and can be completely irrational. A person may spend their entire life avoiding the color yellow, for example.
There are several disorders that are a branch of phobia. The most common three are social anxiety, agoraphobia, and separation anxiety.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety is the fear of social situations. If you have this disorder, you’ll feel a great deal of discomfort when asked to give a presentation. You’ll worry that your coworkers or classmates are judging every word you say.
Depending on the severity of your social anxiety, you might avoid social gatherings altogether.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is the fear of entering wide open or closed spaces. People with this disorder can’t take public transportation.
It can be difficult for them to stand in line at the grocery store or ride in a crowded elevator. In some severe cases, they can’t leave their house by themselves.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety isn’t too common in adults, but it does happen from time to time.
If you have separation anxiety, your mind will focus on terrifying hypotheticals. You won’t be able to think about anything other than what kind of trouble your loved one might be getting up to while you’re not with them.
Treating Anxiety
There are many mental health treatment options available for anxiety disorder. The option that most people talk about is therapy.
There are also medications and support groups. Your therapist may suggest a few stress management techniques too.
Therapy
Psychotherapy is also known as “talk therapy.” You’ll meet one-on-one with a therapist to find the source of your anxieties and talk through them.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a branch of psychotherapy. Your therapist will help you take control of your anxiety by changing how you think and behave toward it.
Medication
Medication isn’t a cure-all for anxiety. It can help combat the symptoms, however.
There are no over-the-counter options for anxiety. It must be prescribed by your primary care physician or therapist.
Treatment doesn’t only include anti-anxiety medications. Your doctor may prescribe anti-depressants instead. While they’re used to treat depression, they can change the way your brain processes stress.
Keep in mind that anti-depressants can take a few weeks to kick in. Give your medication some time to ease your symptoms before you tell your doctor it doesn’t work.
Support Groups
Joining a support group will give you the chance to meet others who are also suffering from anxiety. You’ll be able to see that you’re not alone and share your story in a safe space.
The best part of support groups is the convenience. You can meet up in person or go the online route.
Note that this should be used alongside mental health treatment programs. It’s not meant to be a therapy replacement.
Stress Management
As part of your treatment, your therapist may suggest stress management activities such as meditation.
Not only can meditation ease your mind and reduce the symptoms of anxiety, but it can also increase the effectiveness of your therapy sessions.
Understanding the Different Types of Anxiety
The different types of anxiety don’t always show themselves in the form of fear or panic attacks. In some cases, the symptoms can be so bad that you can’t leave your home.
The good news is that you can beat it. Talk to your doctor today to learn more about your options, and for more information on mental illness, visit the Health section of our blog.
