Identifying & Treating Anxiety Disorders: A Comprehensive Guide
Anxiety disorders are generally regarded as the most common mental health condition in the United States, affecting about 18.1% of American adults. That means that over 40 million people in the U.S. may live with some form of anxiety disorder, which can have effects on their daily lived experiences.
There are several types of anxiety disorders, and each one is generally thought to have its own set of symptoms, risk factors, and treatments. Understanding the possible range of symptoms and anxiety disorder types that can affect a person’s mental well-being can help to make a more informed and empathetic society as a whole.
We’ve summarized several of the different, most common types of anxiety disorders below:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is generally characterized by continuous and intense worry about different aspects of one’s life. It can cause one to worry over normal things that are seemingly not a threat (i.e., one’s relationships, money, job, school, or health).
With this disorder, one might also experience worries about routine things and experiences (such as driving or going outside the home), possibly thinking that something horrible is going to happen when it likely won’t. Some of the common symptoms of GAD are:
- Dwelling on things that might go wrong
- Nightmares
- Trembling or shaking
- Sweating
- Inability to concentrate
- Difficulty making decisions
- Restlessness
- Extreme fatigue
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Headaches
Social anxiety disorder
The disorder can be characterized by the intense fear of any kind of social situation, which can include conversations, outings, public speaking, or travel. Some common signs of social anxiety disorder can include:
- Difficulty making friends
- Fear of judgment
- Sweating, shaking, and blushing when in public or in conversation
- Avoiding triggers
- General feelings of nervousness
- Racing thoughts
- Desire to avoid school or work
- Fear of humiliation
- Extreme self-consciousness
- Feelings of nervousness when meeting people
- Fear of rejection
- Persistent worry about social events
Panic disorder
A panic attack can be mistaken for a heart attack due to the possible similarity of symptoms, which can include a rapid, pounding heartbeat, chest pain, and feelings of impending doom. Other symptoms that could be associated with the condition include:
- Racing thoughts
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Feeling very hot or very cold despite weather conditions
- Numbness of extremities
- Headache or migraine
- Lightheadedness
- Shaking or trembling
- Feelings of extreme fear that may be deemed inappropriate for a given situation
Specific phobias
A phobia is generally defined as an intense fear of something that can be so severe that it can affect your daily life. Although fear can be a good thing, the fears associated with phobias may present complications that can affect your career, relationship, or health. Several common phobias include:
- Aerophobia: Generally defined as the fear of flying
- Mysophobia: Generally defined as the fear of germs
- Claustrophobia: Generally defined as the fear of enclosed spaces and small spaces
- Astraphobia: Generally defined as the fear of thunderstorms
- Cynophobia: Generally defined as the fear of dogs
- Agoraphobia: Generally defined as the fear of leaving home
- Acrophobia: Generally defined as the fear of heights
- Ophidiophobia: Generally defined as the fear of snakes
- Arachnophobia: Generally defined as the fear of spiders
- Trypophobia: Generally defined as the fear of a specific pattern of holes (like honeycombs)
- Exercise: Exercise has been clinically proven to increase endorphins, improve one’s mood, and relieve stress. You may choose to start exercising slowly and gradually increase your exercise to a level that seems right for your body. If you are so inclined, you can also combine exercise with socialization for an added boost to your energy levels — you might go on a bike ride with your partner or take a walk to a friend’s house.
- Nutrition: Good nutrition can lower overall blood sugar levels and reduce stress by providing the body with essential nutrients that support brain health and regulate the production of stress hormones that can cause anxiety and panic. Research shows that it may be best to avoid alcohol as well.
- Meditation: The act of meditation and focusing on the breath can help to center you, possibly decreasing your heart rate and blood pressure, which can promote calmness.
- Yoga: The physical, spiritual, and mental discipline that is generally required to practice yoga can help one to focus on mindfulness and mental relaxation. As in meditation, practitioners of yoga often breathe deeply, providing oxygen to the brain and potentially counteracting physical symptoms of anxiety.
- Music: Recent studies suggest that listening to music can be a helpful way for many to find relief and calmness, even in times of stress.
- Journaling: Spending time journaling your thoughts and feelings about work, family, and personal life can help you address your mental health and emotional flow in an effective and healthy way. Journaling can also be a useful way to track anxiety triggers so you can better recognize and cope with them in future encounters with them. Identifying your common anxiety triggers is the first step toward mastering effective techniques that help you stay healthy.
What about medication?
An online mental health professional can offer support
Online therapy can be helpful to many who are seeking support for anxiety disorders. Those who live with anxiety disorders might feel scared or overwhelmed by the prospect of leaving their home, possibly creating a barrier to treatment for some. Online therapy can be a helpful and strategic way to support many in treatment from the comfort of one’s home or safe space.
There are many different types of therapy to consider, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and group therapy, all of which can help people find relief from anxiety.
There are different elements of CBT — for example:
- Psychotherapy: In psychotherapy, many clients might directly address the past, possibly helping many to understand the triggers that may have caused nervous thoughts.
- Behavioral activation: This CBT skill can ease symptoms of an anxiety disorder, possibly helping many to monitor their moods and engage in positive activities to negate the effects of a low mood.
- Interpersonal therapy: This branch of CBT generally offers a 12 to 16-week program that follows a systemic strategy that addresses symptom formation, personality concerns, and societal components that may contribute to the anxiety disorder.
- Exposure therapy: This is generally regarded as a common CBT technique that can be helpful for conditions such as PTSD, OCD, and phobias. Using gradual exposure, the method of treatment generally seeks to reduce nervousness around triggers, physically showing the person that they are not in danger and dampening the fight-or-flight response in a controlled way.
Is online therapy effective?
There are many clinical reviews that have been done regarding the efficacy of online therapy, with many finding details that suggest that patients receive comparable results to traditional in-person therapy. A recent review from the National Council on Aging has found that online therapy can be an affordable, effective, and helpful modality for many, offering specific benefits for patients who live with anxiety disorders and depression.
Takeaway
How are anxious feelings and anxiety disorder different?
While anxiety disorder and anxious feelings may seem similar, they are distinct conditions. Feeling anxious is generally a temporary response to a definable stressor or challenging situation. Occasional anxious feelings are normal, as they typically subside once the stressor is removed. Anxiety disorders make it difficult to stop worrying, even in the absence of a stressor. An individual with this disorder may experience anxiety symptoms that persist in a way that affects their day-to-day life.
Anxiety disorders, by definition, affect one’s personal well-being in everything from relationships to work. These disorders are unlikely to go away on their own and may worsen over time. Depending on what your anxiety disorder affects in your own life, you may face financial hardship, social isolation, and even ill physical health. You may also be at a higher risk of developing comorbid disorders like depression or even another anxiety disorder.
How do you know if you have an anxiety disorder?
Only a mental health professional can diagnose an anxiety disorder, and specific symptoms depend on the type of anxiety one has. Still, there are some common signs you can look out for, like persistent anxious feelings, negative thoughts, anxiety or panic attacks, and avoiding everyday events or activities you might otherwise enjoy.
How do you ease the symptoms of anxiety?
Whether or not your anxiety is considered part of a disorder, the following self-care strategies can alleviate persistent stress:
- Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises or mindfulness meditation can be especially useful for calming your body.
- Live in the present moment. This can tie into relaxation techniques like meditation, or can be a general philosophy you adopt as you navigate life.
- Make some lifestyle changes. Getting enough sleep, engaging in physical activity, and following a healthy diet are all key parts of overall wellness.
What are some other healthy coping strategies for anxiety?
- Identify triggers. You may find that certain events or people induce your symptoms. While it’s tempting to completely avoid them, it’s better to work through those triggers with a qualified professional, such as a therapist.
- Find a psychotherapist. There are a variety of therapies you can try—in the context of anxiety disorders, one of the most studied is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). A therapist can help you craft an anxiety management/treatment plan and guide you toward other helpful resources.
- Attend support groups. In these groups, you can discuss your symptoms with people who have them, as well as exchange personal tips or make connections. While this may be difficult with disorders like social phobia, it can also be tremendously rewarding and helpful.
- Try medication. There are both fast-acting and preventative medications you can try, such as SSRIs and SNRIs.
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