Most Common Anxiety Types, Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention: If you are here to know about Anxiety and its different types, read the complete article.
Introduction: What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a condition that affects people in many different ways. It can be caused by numerous things, including stress, illness, and poor nutrition. There are many different anxiety types.
If you are anxious, it is important to talk to your doctor about your symptoms so that you can be properly diagnosed and treated.
Different Types of Anxiety disorders
1. General Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a pattern of continuous anxiety symptoms that includes a large number of psychological and physical symptoms.
Symptoms of GAD include fatigue, restlessness, irritability, concentration problems, sleep disturbance and, muscle tension.
GAD is the most common type of anxiety disorder. The prevalence of GAD in the general population is around 4%, with women more likely to be affected than men.
2. Panic Attacks
A panic attack is a sudden feeling of intense fear, which is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or numbness.
Panic attacks are not considered to be a mental health disorder on their own. They are often brought on by stress, and can also happen when someone has an anxiety disorder.
Different types of anxiety attacks are there, and each one panic attack may lead to Panic, but it is possible to experience a panic attack without ever developing a disorder.
3. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that can develop after a terrifying ordeal.
Those suffering from the condition may re-experience the trauma through flashbacks, nightmares, and extreme avoidance of reminders of the experience.
They may also suffer from feelings of numbness, hyper-vigilance, and increased arousals such as jumpiness, sweating, or difficulty sleeping.
PTSD can occur after any life-threatening events such as military combat, car accidents, physical or sexual assault, disasters, or terrorist attacks and it is estimated to affect about eight percent of the US population.
4. Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder that is characterized by a fear of being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing, or in which help probably won't be accessible in the event of panic symptoms. It can also be defined as a fear of leaving home.
5. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
SAD, known as social phobia, is an extreme fear of being scrutinized and judged by others in social or performance situations.
Those who suffer from SAD often worry for days or weeks before an event where they need to be social. They may fear eating or writing in front of other people and may avoid eye contact and speaking.
SAD can impact the ability to function and greatly reduce the quality of life.
6. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a condition marked by obsessive thoughts or compulsive activities.
People with OCD may have a hard time controlling their thoughts and urges, and suffer from obsessions that cause them to feel distressed or anxious.
Common obsessions include thoughts of contamination, of being punished, or of harming others.
People with OCD may also engage in repetitive behaviors, such as hand-washing or checking, to help them cope with their thoughts.
7. Social Phobia (SP)
Social phobia is a fear of social situations that can lead to avoidance. It is a type of anxiety disorder that is characterized by an industrious dread of at least one social situation in which the individual is presented to new individuals or to possible scrutiny by others.
The person fears that his or her question will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that will be embarrassing or humiliating.
8. Specific Phobia (SP)
Specific phobia is an intense and irrational fear of a particular object or situation. It is diagnosed when fear causes distress or impairment in one's life.
Specific phobias are so common that they are the most common form of anxiety disorder.
They are also the most common form of phobia, with almost one-third of people experiencing at least one specific phobia during their lifetime.
Some common specific phobias are fear of spiders, fear of needles, fear of heights, fear of flying, and fear of blood.
9. Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) is an anxiety disorder that can be caused by exposure to trauma, which can include natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or violent personal assaults.
Symptoms of ASD include intrusive memories of the event, persistent avoidance of anything that reminds the person of the event, and increased arousal that can lead to difficulty sleeping irritability, or hypervigilance.
10. Debilitating Anxiety/Depressive Disorders
Depressive disorders are a group of mental disorders that cause a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. They include dysthymia, major depression, and bipolar disorder.
Anxiety disorders are a collection of mental issues described by sensations of uneasiness, dread, fear, or stress. They include GAD, SAD, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Causes of Anxiety
Anxiety is nothing, but just a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. It is the result of a change in the brain’s usual signals, and it arises from an imbalance between the signals and the individual’s ability to cope.
Anxiety is normal; otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to respond to threats or challenges. There are real dangers in everyone's life that would be addressed.
People feel anxious for many reasons, including fear, stress, and worry. Fear is an emotional factor, which we experience in response to a perceived threat.
Stress and worry are considered anxiety disorders and include symptoms such as restlessness and difficulty concentrating.
Anxiety disorders may be treated with therapy, medication, or both.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety symptoms can be both physical and mental.
Common physical symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches.
Mental symptoms include fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, and racing thoughts.
As long as you care for your physical needs, such as eating healthy and exercising regularly, the mental symptoms should ease over time.
Anxiety Side Effects
Anxiety side effects can be both physical and emotional.
Physical side effects of anxiety can include nausea, headaches, stomach aches, muscle tension, and shakiness.
Emotional side effects of anxiety can include feelings of panic or fear, irritability, agitation, or depression.
Anxiety is not a mental illness but it can lead to mental health problems if it is not treated.
Does Anxiety Cause Weight loss?
Anxiety can cause weight loss in a variety of ways. For one, anxiety may cause a person to lose their appetite.
In addition, people experiencing anxiety may also have trouble sleeping which can lead to weight loss.
Furthermore, anxiety can cause a person to experience panic attacks which can lead to a lack of physical activity and an increase in the release of stress hormones.
Finally, anxiety can lead to depression which can cause a person to lose interest in food and eating.
For example, people who have a phobia of eating or who are afraid to eat in public may lose weight because they avoid eating.
People who are anxious about their body image may also lose weight because they refuse to eat in public and eat less when they are alone.
Anxiety Prevention
Everyone has the ability to deal with anxiety. It is a natural emotion, but it can be controlled and even eliminated from one’s life.
The first step towards anxiety prevention is to find out what is causing the anxiety.
There are many things that can cause anxiety, from relationships to self-image, to money, but each person deals with anxiety differently.
If you know what is causing your anxiety, you can try to eliminate it. If it’s a panic attack, you can do breathing exercises and try to prevent it.
The same goes for when you are feeling anxious in general. Try to figure out why you are feeling anxious, and then try to prevent it from happening.
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