This Is The Complete Guide To Anxiety Disorders Types
Anxiety Disorders Types
Anxiety is a real illness that can be treated. Treatment options include psychotherapy and medication.
The majority of anxiety disorders are caused a combination factors such as genetics and childhood experiences. Stress due to health issues or work can also be a factor. There are also other risk factors.
Doctors can diagnose anxiety disorders by conducting an examination of the body as well as an interview and tests in the lab.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD patients struggle to control their worry. They are occupied with worries about health, money and family members and have difficulty in focusing their attention or imagining. Their anxiety can interfere with their everyday activities and causes distress in the form of fatigue, discomfort, and irritation. They may seek reassurance and try to avoid situations where they might fall short or disappoint others. Other signs include headaches, tension in the muscles and restlessness. They tend to expect the worst even though there is no reason to believe it.
Every person experiences anxiety from time to time- for example, before taking tests or going for an interview for a job. These are normal feelings but if they continue to linger and cause disruption to your life it could be an indication of an anxiety disorder. GAD is characterized by long-lasting anxiety, as opposed to the short-lived anxiety that comes with phobias.
GAD is more common in adolescents and children than adults. Children with GAD frequently feel anxious about school or sports performance, being social with their friends, and about being safe in everyday events. Parents, teachers, and other adults are frequently called upon to comfort them. However, despite seeking help, they frequently don't get relief from their symptoms.
Treatments for anxiety disorders include medication, lifestyle changes and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, for instance, cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on teaching you relaxation techniques and teaching you how to control your thoughts that are distorted, leading to anxiety-related feelings. Antidepressants, buspirone and benzodiazepines can help relieve anxiety symptoms. It is helpful to change your diet, avoid stimulants like caffeine and other substances and get enough sleep. Making yourself and your loved ones on the particular kind of anxiety disorder you suffer from will help you get better treatment.
The root cause of anxiety disorder isn't always obvious however, both genetics and life experiences can play a role. Anxiety disorders are more frequent in people with a history or chronic traumatizing experiences, stress childhood, chronic illnesses and other mental health conditions.
Panic Disorder
It's normal to be nervous and fearful for instance, when you're about to attend an interview for a job. Your child is about to take an important test. If these feelings are extreme and persist for a long time or even longer it could be that you have an anxiety disorder. These disorders include panic disorder generalized anxiety disorder, as well as specific phobias. These disorders are among the most common mental health disorders in the United States. The majority begin in childhood the adolescent years, or in early adulthood. Certain people with anxiety issues will get over them, while others will require treatment.
Your doctor can assist you in finding the right treatment to relieve your anxiety symptoms. Your healthcare provider will first perform a physical examination and ask you to describe your symptoms. They will want to make sure there isn't a physical reason such as thyroid disease or heart problem. They will also ask about your family history of mental illness, as well as any supplements or medications you are taking.
People who suffer from anxiety disorders have a higher likelihood of developing them because of certain things in their lives, referred to as risk factors. These include the family history of mental health or depression issues or chronic medical conditions and a negative childhood experience, like physical or emotional abuse or neglect.
You might need to undergo psychotherapy or medication if you have an anxiety disorder. Psychotherapy is a type of counseling that assists you to learn new ways of thinking and behaving. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most researched form of psychotherapy to treat anxiety disorders. It helps you recognize and alter thoughts that trigger negative emotions. Another type of psychotherapy is exposure therapy, which helps you face the people, situations, or places that cause anxiety.
Medication can relieve some of the most grueling symptoms of anxiety disorders, like the rapid heart rate and shaking. Your physician will work with you to determine the most appropriate dosage, medication, and combination for you that has minimal side consequences. Beta blockers, which are commonly used to treat high blood pressure, can reduce anxiety symptoms by blocking adrenaline that triggers them.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety sufferers are scared of social situations, such as meeting strangers or talking to friends. They are afraid of being judged by others, and they think they will be embarrassed or humiliated. The fears aren't rational and exaggerated, but they impact your life in a variety of ways. It's not shyness, which could be a normal reaction to certain situations.
Healthcare providers often use an array of tools and tests to see if you have this condition. They'll ask questions about your symptoms and how they have affected your life. They may also do an examination of your body and check your blood pressure. This can help them ensure that a medication or another health issue isn't causing your symptoms.
The cause of this disorder isn't fully understood. However, it seems to run in families, and there is a connection between this disorder and an overactive area of the brain known as the amygdala. Inherited traits and environmental influences are both involved.
There are a variety of treatments available for this disorder. These include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and antidepressant medications. CBT can help you develop new ways of dealing with your feelings, so you can face the things that worry you. You can also consider exposure therapy. Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing yourself to the situations which trigger your anxiety. It starts with the most threatening and then moves to the most frightening. Medicines can help lower your anxiety and improve your mood but they won't change your thinking.
Sometimes these treatments don't work right away. You should try again until you have succeeded. If your symptoms don't disappear after a few months, talk to your physician. They might recommend other treatments, or suggest a different medication.
A support group for those with social anxiety may be an ideal place to connect with others with this condition. You can receive objective honest feedback from those who have the same condition as you. You can also learn how other people deal with their fears and learn what has helped them. These groups are available in person and online. But be careful when taking advice from people in groups of support, because their experiences may differ from yours.
Specific Phobias
A particular phobia is a strong, irrational fear of a specific item or event. It can cause extreme stress that is out of proportion with the risk that the trigger could pose. People often shape their lives to avoid the most feared situations or objects. In order to be identified as having a specific phobia, the fear and anxiety must significantly affect functioning.
Fear can be triggered when you are thinking about or seeing the trigger. It can also be triggered when you are within the vicinity of the trigger, like when you walk by a statue. Particular phobias are those that involve fear of insects, spiders, or animals (arachnophobia) as well as heights or flying, or blood, needles or injections (trypanophobia, hemotophobia).
The symptoms of specific phobias are similar to other anxiety disorders and include fear, anxiety and avoidance. Some people who suffer from phobias tend to react too quickly or experience panic attacks when exposed to the object or event they fear. In some cases anxiety and fear can be so intense that they cause someone to lose interest in their daily activities.
Exposure therapy is the most commonly used form of treatment for specific phobias. It involves exposure to small parts of the situation or object until the reaction is diminished or eliminated. This type of therapy usually involves cognitive behavioral therapy in order to assist the patient in learning new ways of thinking about and coping with the fearful feelings.
Some people with phobias are also afflicted by other mental disorders, such as agoraphobia or depression, bipolar disorder or substance-related disorders, somatic symptoms and related disorders, and dependent personality disorder. It is essential to rule out any of these conditions prior to starting treatment for a fear.
For some people needing long-term psychotherapy, it is necessary to address a specific fear. Treatment for phobias can be accomplished in a variety of methods, including cognitive behavior treatment (CBT) or exposure therapy. Other methods include hypnosis and a technique known as modeling, in which the patient watches as a professional trained in the field interacts with the object or situation. Medications such as short-acting sedatives/hypnotics (like alprazolam, Xanax), or beta blockers and benzodiazepines, which are medications commonly used for depression or anxiety, can be used on an as-needed basis to lessen the anxiety that arises from thinking about or being confronted with the feared thing or event.