Worrying thoughts are frequently referred to as “anxiety.” However, there are other types of anxiety, each with its own set of symptoms.
It can be difficult to distinguish between the categories, partly because it is possible to have multiple experiences at the same time. For example, someone with anxiety disorders may experience panic attacks, whereas someone with social anxiety may experience OCD symptoms.
Many people, however, suffer from a sort of anxiety that expresses itself daily, causing emotional and physical symptoms that are difficult to manage. Anxiety disorders impact nearly 1 in 13 world population, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias are just a few of the common anxiety disorders that people deal with daily, and each has its own set of symptoms that affect people differently.
To help you understand the various forms of anxiety disorders, here we will highlight the distinctive indicators to be aware of. Here is a brief overview of five frequent conditions. However, if you feel you may be suffering from anxiety, a mental health professional may help you confirm your suspicions and identify the best course of action.
Types of Anxiety
Anxiety disorders all-cause long-term suffering and discomfort, which can involve mental and physical symptoms, but they differ from one another based on the anxiety’s specific trigger.
Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobia disorders are among the most frequent types of anxiety disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder are two more frequent anxiety disorders.
1. Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive worry and anxiety that lasts for at least six months and is severe enough to interfere with a person’s normal ability to function, such as meeting a friend for dinner, completing work tasks, or even driving to pick up the kids from school. While we all feel anxiety daily, those with GAD experience it far more intensely and frequently than the general population.
2. Panic disorder
When a person has panic attacks regularly when a person consistently experiences panic attacks, which are periods of sudden, intense feelings of terror and anxiety. It can feel like an overwhelming sensation of dread or, in some situations, as if you’re experiencing a heart attack physically. Panic attacks can strike out of nowhere or be triggered by particular events such as traumatic memories, stressful settings, or escalating disagreement with a loved one.
3. Social anxiety
Everyone gets anxious in social situations at times. People with social anxiety, on the other hand, are extremely self-conscious among others and have tremendous anxiety about being noticed and judged, which can cause physical symptoms such as sweating, blushing, and nausea. Fears of unfavorable judgment, criticism, failure, or embarrassment can cause social anxiety. A person suffering from social anxiety disorder will usually go out of their way to avoid social settings at work, school, in public, and even at home.
4. Phobias
Phobias are described as an uncontrollable, illogical fear of coming into contact with a specific object or situation. Arachnophobia, or the irrational fear of spiders, is one of the most frequent phobias, but virtually anything can be the subject of a phobia, from specific colors to coins.
When a person with a phobia is confronted with the thing or scenario that they are afraid of, they feel great anxiety, terror, and even panic attacks. As a result of their worry, they avoid the trigger completely, which can be incredibly disruptive to their lives.
Agoraphobia is a phobia characterized by an illogical dread of feeling anxious or panicked outside of your safe place or in a situation from which you cannot escape. While agoraphobics may develop a fear of specific locations, the overarching worry is of experiencing discomfort in an environment that is not regarded as “safe.”
Most agoraphobics utilize avoidance to keep anxiety and panic attacks at bay while they are outside of their safe areas. As a result, agoraphobia might range from moderate avoidance of a specific grocery shop to complete inability to leave the house.
5. Separation anxiety
When someone is separated from the person or people to whom they are attached, separation anxiety disorder develops. Separation anxiety disorder is more frequent in children, but it also affects adults. This form of anxiousness is a typical aspect of childhood development.
Separation anxiety disorder, on the other hand, is marked by strong and protracted spells of anxiety and is often the result of a life event involving separation. It could be the death of a loved one, the divorce of one’s parents, or being compelled to go boarding school.
Anxiety can arise even when a person is simply anticipating being separated from the person to whom they are attached. As a result, they will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid being separated from their safe person or persons.
6. Post-traumatic stress disorder
People get Post-traumatic stress disorder after surviving very stressful, life-threatening incidents, such as military battles, a serious injury, or sexual violence. Re-experiencing symptoms or flashbacks to the initial trauma, and distressing, intrusive thoughts are common symptoms of the illness, which can interfere with relationships and daily functioning.
Others with PTSD may be irritable all of the time, have difficulties sleeping, or have bad feelings in general. The good news is that PTSD can be overcome and moved on with the help of therapy.
7. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety illness characterized by obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are distressing and anxiety-inducing ideas, sensations, mental images, or cravings that you have over and over again. Compulsions, often known as rituals, are recurrent actions carried out to alleviate tension.
OCD can grow so severe that it entirely disrupts a person’s life, especially if the individual is unable to quit committing compulsions. This could result in the individual being unable to leave the house, putting strain on relationships with loved ones, and preventing them from doing basic daily tasks like showering or going to work.
How to reduce anxiety naturally
Anxiety that is not treated can make things worse and increase stress levels. Anxiety can be treated with medication, therapy, lifestyle changes and Anxiety home remedies. Before finding the right combination of treatments and remedies, a person might need to try many different options. A doctor can help determine the best options.
