What Are The Types Of Anxiety?
Anxiety affects more than 30% of the population worldwide. While some anxiety disorders may be manageable, others require specialized treatment. Severe anxiety disorders can lead to additional problems if not treated promptly. Side effects such as stunted career growth, social isolation, and even addiction can result from unaddressed anxiety. There are six main types of anxiety disorder with even more periphery disorders. We will go into more detail regarding the main six disorders below.
What Are The Types Of Anxiety?
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder, also commonly referred to as Social Phobia is a type of anxiety that affects people of all ages. This form is mainly characterized by excessive self-consciousness and intense anxiety when a person is placed in a social setting. Depending on the severity, this form of anxiety can seriously hamper a person’s regular day-to-day life. It is possible to suffer from limited Social Phobia that only affects specific situations. Social phobias entail speaking in public being in crowds, or even drinking or eating in front of other people. More serious forms of Social Phobia may cause symptoms whenever other people are around.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
OCD or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is another common type of anxiety. OCD is mainly characterized by repetitive actions and thoughts. The thoughts are classified as obsessions the behaviors are classified as compulsions. Many of the compulsions such as constant counting, cleaning, hand washing, or organizing are thought to help make the obsessions go away. Performing compulsive behaviors, however, only offers a short-term reprieve from obsessive thoughts.
People with serious cases of Obsessive-compulsive disorder often have a fear that personal harm or harm to a loved one will occur if specific tasks are not completed. Most OCD compulsions have no basis in reality and will cause intense mental stress.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder is one of the most common forms of anxiety. GAD is mainly characterized by excessive tension and worry even without a provoking trigger. This type of anxiety is also chronic. Those who have generalized anxiety disorder will suffer sudden bouts of anxiety without any particular cause. This can be a sudden fear of working on an upcoming project or even something as normal as visiting a loved one. When there is no direct relation between your anxiety attacks and the world around you, chances are you are suffering from GAD. In most cases, GAD results in chronic anxiety which may remain manageable, or it may require treatment.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is one of the more serious types of anxiety that is still not fully understood. In many cases, it occurs as a result of living through a traumatic event or experience. Many people who have PTSD were faced with life-threatening harm though some may have been exposed to abuse over long periods. PTSD can be caused by assault, natural disasters, accidents, active combat, or even medical trauma.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a result of your mind being unable to heal from past trauma. Most people who suffer from PTSD will avoid triggering situations, sounds, smells, and even places. These avoidance behaviors are often paired with heightened levels of anxiety and fear. Triggers can cause depression or even aggression in some individuals. Professional help is almost always required to treat PTSD.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is one of the more disruptive forms of anxiety. This form is mainly characterized by fearful episodes that have a sudden onset. These episodes will repeat with and without external triggers. In many cases, panic attacks will have physical symptoms in addition to mental symptoms. They can include an increased heart rate, abdominal distress, chest pain, dizziness, and even shortness of breath.
Panic attacks have varied intensities. In some people, they may come only infrequently and remain mild, while in others they can strike several times a day. Strong panic attacks can even be so debilitating that it stops a person from functioning normally. Most panic attacks are paired with physical symptoms such as sweating, a racing heart, or even vertigo. Everyone will suffer a panic attack at some point, and that is completely normal. Repeated attacks without a root cause however are a sign of an anxiety disorder.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Separation anxiety is common among small children, however, most people grow out of it once they start school. This anxiety disorder, however, also affects adults. The symptoms are usually overwhelming worry about being away from certain places or family members. Fear of losing a loved one to a natural disaster or disease is also common. It is normal to have these fears if there are causes based on reality, however, those suffering from separation anxiety disorder have these fears without any rational basis.
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