Anxiety Disorders Types
Anxiety is a real disease that can be treated. Treatment options include psychotherapy and medication.
The majority of anxiety disorders are the result of a mix of factors, including childhood experiences, genetics, and stress from health issues or work. There are other risk factors.
Doctors can determine whether you suffer from anxiety disorders through a physical examination or interview, as well as tests in the lab.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
People with GAD struggle to manage their worry. They are occupied with worries about health, money and family, and have trouble focusing attention or imagination. They are irritable, irritable, and have difficulty concentrating on other things. They may need to be reassured or avoid situations in which they could disappoint others. They may also experience physical symptoms like muscle tension, headaches and restlessness, as well as heart palpitations. They are prone to expecting the worst even when there is little or no reason to believe it.
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time -for example, prior to 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 persistent anxiety, in contrast to the short-lived fear that comes with phobias.
GAD is more prevalent in children and teenagers than in adults. Kids who have GAD are often worried about school or sport performance, about having fun with their peers, and also about being safe in everyday events. Teachers, parents, and other adults are frequently asked to comfort them. They often do not get relief from their symptoms, despite seeking assistance.
Treatments for anxiety disorders include lifestyle changes, medications and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, for instance, cognitive behavioral therapy, concentrates on teaching you relaxation techniques and helping you learn how to control your distorted thinking that leads to anxious feelings. Antidepressants, benzodiazepines and buspirone can relieve anxiety symptoms. Altering your diet to avoid caffeine and other stimulants, and getting enough sleep and exercising regularly can also be helpful. It is essential to educate yourself and the people closest to you about the type of anxiety disorder you suffer from. This will make treatment more effective.
The cause of an anxiety disorder isn't always obvious, but genetics and experiences can play a part. Anxiety disorders are more prevalent for those who have a history of or long-term stress, traumatizing events during childhood, chronic illnesses, and other mental health disorders.
Panic Disorder
It's normal to feel anxious or anxious at times, for instance when you're about to attend a job interview or your child is taking a big test. If the feelings persist for a period of time, or longer, then you might have anxiety disorder. These disorders include generalized anxiety disorder panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias. They are among the most common mental health conditions in the United States. Most start in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Some people who suffer from anxiety issues will get over them, while others will require treatment.
Your doctor can help you determine the best treatment for your anxiety symptoms. Your healthcare professional will conduct a physical examination and inquire about your symptoms. They will be looking to determine if there isn't a physical reason, like thyroid disease or heart problem. They will also inquire about your family history of mental illness and any medications or supplements you are taking.
Risk factors are those which can increase the chance of anxiety disorders in some people. This could include an ancestor with a history of depression or other mental health conditions, an ongoing medical condition, and a bad experience in childhood, like emotional, physical or sexual neglect or abuse.
You might need to undergo psychotherapy or medication if you have an anxiety disorder. Psychotherapy is a type of therapy that helps you develop new ways of thinking and behaving. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most studied form of psychotherapy to treat anxiety disorders. It assists you in recognizing and change thought patterns that cause negative emotions. Another form of psychotherapy is exposure therapy that helps you confront the people, situations, or places that trigger your anxiety.
The use of medication can alleviate some of the most distressing symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as the rapid heart rate and shaking. Your provider will work closely with you to determine the most appropriate medication, dose, and combination for you that is safe and has no adverse consequences. Beta blockers, commonly used to treat high blood pressure, can reduce anxiety symptoms by blocking adrenaline that causes them.
Social Anxiety Disorder
People with social anxiety disorder fear social situations that are commonplace, like meeting new people or talking to strangers. They are afraid of being judged or humiliated by others. These fears aren't rational however they can impact your life in a variety of ways. It's different from shyness, which could be an expected response to certain situations.
The healthcare providers use a variety of instruments and tests to determine if you're suffering from this illness. They'll ask you questions about your symptoms and how they've affected your life. They can also check your blood pressure and do physical examination. This will help them ensure that you're on the right medication or that another health issue isn't the cause of your symptoms.
The cause of this disorder isn't fully understood. It is believed to run in families and there's a connection between this disorder and an overactive part of the brain known as the amygdala. Genetic traits and environmental factors are likely both involved.
There are a variety of treatment options for this condition. These include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as well as antidepressant medication. CBT can help you discover new ways to cope and face your fears. You can also try exposure therapy. Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing yourself to the situations which trigger your anxiety. It starts with the least scary and then moves to the most frightening. The medications can reduce anxiety and improve mood, but they won't change the way you think.
Sometimes, these treatments don't work immediately. However, you should continue to try until they do. Talk to your doctor if your symptoms do not disappear after a few weeks. They may recommend alternative treatments or prescribe different medication.
Support groups for those with social anxieties are a great way to meet other people with this condition. You can receive objective honest feedback from others who have the same condition as you. You can also learn how others have dealt with their fears and what helped them. There are support groups in person as well as on the internet. Be cautious when you take advice from a group of people who have had similar experiences as yours.
Specific Phobias
A specific phobia is a severe, irrational fear of a particular object or situation. It can cause extreme anxiety that is out of proportion to the risk that the trigger poses and frequently leads to people shaping their lives around avoiding the feared objects or situations. To be diagnosed with a particular fear, the fear and anxiety must significantly affect functioning.
Fear can be triggered when you think of or see the trigger. It could also happen when you are within the vicinity of the trigger, such as when someone walks through an object. Specific phobias include a fear of spiders, insects or animals (arachnophobia), heights or flying, or blood, needles or injections (trypanophobia or hematophobia).
Symptoms of specific phobias are similar to those of other types of anxiety disorders, and can include anxiety, fear and avoidance. Some people with phobias tend to experience panic attacks or overreacting when they are confronted with the feared situation or object. In some cases, the fear and anxiety is so great that it leads to the person being uninterested in daily activities.
Exposure therapy is the most commonly used form of treatment for specific fears. It involves exposing the patient to small portions of the feared object or situation until the fear is lessened or eliminated. This type of therapy usually involves cognitive behavioral therapy to help the person develop new ways of thinking about and coping with the phobias.
Some people with phobias have symptoms of other mental health disorders such as agoraphobia, depression or bipolar disorder, drug related disorders and somatic symptom and related disorders (particularly dependent personality disorder). It is important to rule out these conditions before starting treatment for a phobia.
Some people need long-term psychotherapy to address a specific phobia. There are a variety of approaches that are used to treat phobias, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. Other treatments can include hypnosis as well as a method known as modeling, in which the person watches as a trained professional interacts with the subject or event. The use of sedatives/hypnotics that are short-acting, beta blockers, benzodiazepines, or medications commonly used to treat anxiety or depression can be taken as needed to reduce the anxiety associated with anxiety that is anticipatory.