Specific Types Of Anxiety Disorders: Symptoms & Impact On Mental Health
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Anxiety can be a symptom of an underlying concern, such as an anxiety disorder. If you’re struggling with intense fear and symptoms of anxiety, you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions in the U.S., affecting more than 40 million adults yearly. There are 10 anxiety disorders listed in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), so understanding the symptoms of these conditions may help you know when to seek support.
What are the different types of anxiety disorders?
There are several types of anxiety disorders someone may live with. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), outlines 10 distinct conditions.
Types of anxiety disorders
The following are distinct types of anxiety disorders. Each one brings its own set of symptoms and challenges.
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Specific phobias
- Agoraphobia
- Separation anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Selective mutism
- Substance or medication-induced anxiety disorder
- Anxiety disorder due to another medical condition
- Other specified anxiety disorder
In the DSM-5, published by the American Psychiatric Association, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is listed under obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is listed under trauma and stressor-related disorders. For this reason, these mental disorders are no longer classified as anxiety disorders. Below are further explanations of the most common anxiety disorders.
Generalized anxiety disorder
In the U.S., the most common anxiety disorder is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which causes persistent fear, worry, panic, and anxiety daily. If you have a generalized anxiety disorder, you might feel anxiety while completing daily tasks, with no known cause.
GAD may cause you to worry about work, what others think of you, and whether an adverse event might occur. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, in the U.S. alone, generalized anxiety disorder affects about 6.8 million adults.People with anxiety disorders also commonly report physical symptoms of anxiety that include fatigue, excessive sweating, and dizziness, among others.
GAD is considered to be a treatable mental health condition that can often be managed with a combination of medication and therapy. Consult a medical doctor before starting, changing, or stopping any medication.
Specific phobia-related disorders
Phobia-related disorders involve a severe fear of a specific object, situation, person, location, animal, or idea. For example, someone might have a phobia of serious illnesses, heights, blood, or snakes. Each phobia has similar symptoms but is focused on a different fear. If you have a phobia, you might avoid any situation that could incite fear. Phobias are diagnosed when avoidance and fear impact daily functioning.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia involves the fear of having a panic attack or being unable to escape in a public situation. People with this condition may refrain from going outside, shopping at the store, or going to public events due to fear.
Separation anxiety
People with separation anxiety disorder may fear being alone or without their loved ones. When separated, they may worry that the people they care about will die, be harmed, or disappear and abandon them. This fear may lead them to anxious behaviors like reassurance seeking or asking someone to stay home when they want to go out.
Panic disorder
People who have panic disorder experience panic attacks, which are extreme short-term bursts of fear and dread. Panic attacks involve physical symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Some people also experience abdominal pain when they have a panic attack.
Social anxiety disorder
Previously called social phobia, social anxiety disorder describes a significant fear of social situations. A core symptom of social anxiety disorder is a fear of being judged, embarrassing oneself in front of others, or receiving criticism. People with social anxiety disorder might struggle to speak when in the company of others, stutter, or experience selective mutism, which is a different but related condition.
What are panic attacks?
A panic attack is a sudden onset of intense fear that peaks within minutes (usually fewer than 30 minutes) and is accompanied by physical and cognitive symptoms. Experiencing panic attacks can be a distressing aspect of living with anxiety disorders, including panic disorder.
Other signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders can include a rapid heartbeat, difficulty concentrating, an overly soft speaking voice, and difficulty with normal language skills which can significantly impact daily functioning and quality of life.
Cures for anxiety disorders
Currently, there is no specific cure for anxiety disorders. However, stress management techniques often play a crucial role in relieving symptoms of frequent anxiety and other mental disorders that cause intense anxiety. Regular stress relief practices may also reduce the likelihood that different situations will trigger anxiety.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, talk therapy can help relieve excessive anxiety and help with phobia-related disorders as well. Other options might include exposure therapy — exposure therapy focuses on addressing traumatic events and triggers that may exacerbate anxiety.
Treatments for anxiety disorders
Many treatment options are available for people diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Working with a mental health professional to reduce symptoms or achieve symptom remission is often possible. Below are several options.
Anti-anxiety medications to relieve symptoms of anxiety
Doctors may prescribe an anti-anxiety medication to help you control anxiety symptoms in the short term. Anti-anxiety medications may offer a soothing impact or cause you to become sleepy. Some work by lowering blood pressure, and others work by changing your brain chemistry. However, please speak with your doctor before choosing a medication and ensure you follow up with them to report any side effects or dosage change requirements.
Therapy options
Therapy can be significantly effective for anxiety. Research shows that psychotherapy is more effective than medication for treating some forms of anxiety, as it addresses underlying causes that can contribute to these conditions.
Anxiety isn’t the same for everyone, and what you’re experiencing could be drastically different than what someone with an anxiety disorder is going through. A therapist will work with you —one-on-one or in the context of support groups — to understand why you’re experiencing anxiety and determine the best course of treatment for you, specifically.
For example, social anxiety disorder is one condition that may develop due to childhood trauma or an adverse event. Working through that event may be the first step to understanding the anxiety.
Types of therapy for anxiety and specific phobia-related disorders
Below are a couple of the most common therapeutic modalities for anxiety disorders.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Some therapists use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety. This therapy style examines maladaptive thought patterns to showcase how they might impact behaviors, beliefs, and emotions. Changing your perspective on a situation may improve your hope and optimism about the future, which might reduce anxiety.
One significant reason cognitive-behavioral therapy is popular is that it works. Feelings of anxiety are not necessarily appropriate for the situation, and they may result in cognitive distortions that could be under your control to change. For instance, you might experience extreme anxiety in social situations and feel unworthy compared to others. The underlying belief in this situation may be that other people are judging them and looking at them for flaws. However, if the individual reframes their thought pattern, they may notice that others are more preoccupied with themselves than others around them.
It can take time to make changes, but the cognitive-behavioral approach to therapy has helped millions of people. Consider talking to a therapist about CBT if this approach may benefit you.
Exposure therapy
Another approach to therapy is exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. Exposure therapy is a way for clients to confront what causes fear, desensitizing them to their fear reactions. This form of therapy is often effective for those with a phobia or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Note that exposure therapy is not forced. Your therapist can work with you to go at your own pace. The only ingredient for success may be a willingness to try. As you go through your fears and compulsive urges, your therapist can help you self-control and show yourself that what you fear will not harm you in the ways you think it may.
Lifestyle changes to manage anxiety and improve your mental health
Biological factors are relevant in anxiety disorders. Anxiety symptoms can often be reduced with lifestyle changes. Doctors recommend getting adequate exercise; even adopting a mild daily exercise routine could help you manage your stress levels and reduce anxiety. For extra benefits, combine exercise with a healthy diet. Note that eating unhealthy food is better than eating no food at all, so look for foods that you enjoy and that fill your body with nutrients.
Other lifestyle changes can also make a difference. Getting enough sleep at night may make you less prone to experiencing certain anxiety symptoms. In addition, try to avoid substance use or too much caffeine, as these can worsen symptoms. Your stress levels can also make a difference in your mental health. Consider stressors in your life that you can reduce with a few lifestyle changes.
If you’re seeking therapy for an anxiety disorder, you’re not alone, and options are available. One popular option for mental healthcare is online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp.
Effectiveness of online therapy for treating different types of anxiety disorders
Online therapy is an affordable and discreet option for those who prefer to talk to a professional from home. It allows clients to match with a therapist suited to their specific needs and talk to someone when it’s convenient for them. You may also be able to reach out to your therapist via in-app message at any time of day if you have a question or concern, and they will respond when they can.
Research shows that online therapy is effective for treating anxiety, too. One review showed that online CBT led to a 50% improvement in symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression and significantly decreased the impact of stress.
Takeaway
What are the most common types of anxiety disorders?
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, phobias—extreme fear of specific objects or situations—are the most common, affecting 19 million people in the U.S. each year. Social anxiety disorder (previously called social phobia) follows closely, affecting about 15 million adults in a given year, and generalized anxiety disorder comes in third, affecting about 6 million adults a year. Other types of anxiety disorders include separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, and specific phobias.
Are certain personality types more prone to social anxiety, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, and other anxiety disorders?
Certain traits may be risk factors for people who experience anxiety disorders and other mental health conditions. Those who score high on neuroticism (that is, the tendency to feel negative emotions) and self-consciousness, for instance, may be more likely to develop panic disorder and other anxiety disorders. Genetic and environmental factors can also contribute to the development of anxiety.
How do I know if I have generalized anxiety disorder?
Anxiety disorders involve more than just the occasional anxiety or difficulty with stress management that everyday life can bring. People with anxiety disorders experience frequent, intense fear or dread that is disproportionate to the actual danger.
Other symptoms may include difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, fear of losing control, unrealistic worry about everyday things, a pounding heart, and trouble sleeping. These symptoms, if left unaddressed by the right treatment plan, may lead to conflicts in how a person handles job responsibilities, ultimately affecting their overall job performance. There may come a point when individuals don’t know how to act in certain situations, and this may have negative effects on physical conditions.
If you suspect that your stress is excessive or if it starts getting in the way of work, school, relationships, and other important areas of your life, consider speaking to a mental health professional.
What vitamins can help alleviate anxiety and panic attacks?
Some evidence points to B vitamins (e.g., vitamin B12) and vitamin D supplements as potential add-ons for both anxiety and depression, which often co-occur. Adopting a diet rich in these nutrients is also potentially effective.
Other effective strategies to help treat anxiety disorders include attending support groups, psychotherapy, and lifestyle changes (like adopting regular exercise, nutrition, and sleep routines). Effective treatments that focus on reducing muscle tension and other physical symptoms, such as stretching and massaging, may also help relax the body and mind and prevent unexpected anxiety attacks.
What is the best cure for the different types of anxiety disorders?
It is not possible to completely cure anxiety disorders, but it is possible for people to learn to effectively manage anxiety and even to have their symptoms completely disappear through effective treatments. The best way to manage and treat anxiety disorders, for instance, anxiety stemming from social or performance situations, is with talk therapy approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. In some instances, medication can be helpful, as well. The American Psychiatric Association lists types of anxiety disorders and ways they can be treated.
What is the 3-3-3 rule for anxiety?
The 3-3-3 rule for anxiety is to 1) name three things you see, 2) name three things you hear, and 3) move three parts of your body. You can use this tool as one of the stress management techniques to manage mild anxiety, and this can also be one of your coping strategies if you experience unexpected panic attacks.
What are the four C's of anxiety that can improve mental health?
The four C’s of mental control are confidence, control, commitment, and challenge. They can be used as guidelines to manage anxiety stemming from excessive worry or ongoing worry in your daily life.
What are the five stages of anxiety?
There are five levels of anxiety. They include 1) no anxiety, 2) mild anxiety, 3) moderate anxiety, 4) severe anxiety, and 5) panic-level anxiety.
What is the best therapy for generalized anxiety disorder and other types of anxiety disorders?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective in treating people who experience anxiety disorders. If you often feel anxious, experience constant worry, and especially if you feel extreme fear-based perceived threats that aren’t grounded in your everyday reality, it is important to contact a mental health professional so that you can receive appropriate therapy. Without therapeutic support and support from your family members and friends, mental illness can progress and worsen. If you have physical signs of anxiety, such as rapid heartbeat, nausea, or sweating, it is also important to seek therapeutic support because if physical symptoms of anxiety persist over a long time, it can lead to health problems such as a heart attack.
What makes the symptoms of anxiety worse?
If a person is prone to experiencing anxiety or excessive fear, there are a few things that can make anxiety worse. A reminder of a traumatic event, an encounter with a feared object, other mental health conditions, serious illness, or even overconsumption of caffeine can trigger anxiety disorders or even panic disorder symptoms. In these cases, it is important to employ coping strategies for managing anxiety and panic. And if the person is not receiving therapeutic support, it is important to reach out to a mental health provider who can take your medical history as part of an evaluation and come up with a treatment plan that may include medication, individualized therapy, or a support group.
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