Common Types Of Anxiety: Social Anxiety Disorders
If social interactions are a cause of excessive worry for you, then you may have social anxiety disorder. A common sign of social anxiety disorder is not wanting to leave your home for fear of being judged by others. This stress may make it hard for you to maintain friendships or even to stay employed for long periods of time.
Social anxiety disorder may cause you to pass up on various events and opportunities in your life. If this sounds familiar, its important that you seek treatment to regain control of your daily life.
Types Of Anxiety Disorders
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. Different types of anxiety disorders, each present in their own unique circumstances. Some anxiety can be useful and can motivate you, as in preparing for an exam or giving a public lecture. However, anxiety becomes a problem when it disrupts your life. This is the time to seek professional help.
If youre suffering from anxiety, youre not alone. Millions of people worldwide are affected by anxiety. It is both a physical as well as a mental disorder.
What Are The 6 Types Of Anxiety Disorders And How Do They Lead To Addiction
Weve all experienced moments of panic thinking you left your wallet somewhere, running late to an important appointment, realizing you forgot to do something until its almost too late. An excessive wave of anxiety that can wash over you is exceedingly overwhelming in the moment.
For individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, however, that moment can drag into days and cause your loved one to self-medicate to find relief.
Thats why addiction tends to be so prevalent among people whove been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
While its supremely unhealthy for your loved one to manage their emotions with alcohol or drugs, if theyre unaware of other anxiety coping methods, then addiction can easily take root.
Helping your loved one better understand the different types of anxiety that can affect them and the way their emotions can influence their substance use is important to avoid addictive patterns of behavior and aid them when its time to enlist professional addiction help.
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How Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Related To Anxiety Disorders
Some people feel the effects of stress in their stomachs. People with IBS have uncomfortable problems with digestion, including stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea. They also frequently have anxiety and depression, which can make symptoms worse.
The connection between IBS and anxiety comes from the nervous system partly controlling the colon. The nervous systems response to stress may affect the stomach. Among people who get treated for IBS, anywhere from 50% to 90% may also have an anxiety disorder or depression. Treatment for IBS may include stress management and psychotherapy to relieve symptoms.
What Are Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is a normal emotion. Itâs your brainâs way of reacting to stress and alerting you of potential danger ahead.
Everyone feels anxious now and then. For example, you may worry when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision.
Occasional anxiety is OK. But anxiety disorders are different. Theyâre a group of mental illnesses that cause constant and overwhelming anxiety and fear. The excessive anxiety can make you avoid work, school, family get-togethers, and other social situations that might trigger or worsen your symptoms.
With treatment, many people with anxiety disorders can manage their feelings.
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What Happens If I Dont Get Treatment For My Child With An Anxiety Disorder
Getting your child help for an anxiety disorder can improve their development and self-esteem. But untreated anxiety disorders can harm:
- Family relationships.
- School performance.
- Social functioning.
Your child may also end up with more serious mental and physical health problems. Fortunately, there are several treatments for anxiety disorders. The right treatment can help your child manage their symptoms and feel their best.
How Does Psychotherapy Treat Anxiety Disorders
Psychotherapy, or counseling, helps you deal with your emotional response to the illness. A mental health provider talks through strategies to help you better understand and manage the disorder. Approaches include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most common type of psychotherapy used with anxiety disorders. CBT for anxiety teaches you to recognize thought patterns and behaviors that lead to troublesome feelings. You then work on changing them.
- Exposure therapy focuses on dealing with the fears behind the anxiety disorder. It helps you engage with activities or situations you may have been avoiding. Your provider may also use relaxation exercises and imagery with exposure therapy.
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How Are Anxiety Disorders Diagnosed
If you have symptoms of an anxiety disorder, talk to your healthcare provider. Theyll start with a complete medical history and physical examination.
There are no lab tests or scans that can diagnose anxiety disorders. But your provider may run some of these tests to rule out physical conditions that may be causing symptoms.
Anxiety And Addiction Are Co
Helping your loved one understand that treating substance abuse without treating the anxiety that causes it only addresses half their problem.
If the underlying cause of their anxiety is not appropriately addressed, your loved ones desire to use will remain and can drive them back into addiction when their anxiety kicks up.
Because of this, finding a qualified co-occurring treatment facility to diagnose both disorders mental health and substance addiction is imperative to thoroughly identify all your loved ones symptoms and assist them in creating an effective treatment plan that leads to long-term health and well-being, free from anxiety and addiction.
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Can A Person Have Multiple Anxiety Disorders
In my personal opinion, its not only possible its highly likely that people who suffer from one anxiety disorder may also be prone to suffer from another anxiety disorder.
The reasoning here is pretty simple.
For one thing, anxiety disorders are not all that unrelated. An individual with social anxiety disorder, for example, may feel anxious in a crowded environment. Its highly probably, then, that this same individual would also develop some degree of glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. Now, assume this individual had their first panic attack while anxiously giving a speech now they may become more prone to future panic attacks, and could even develop panic disorder. So that individual could eventually have social anxiety disorder, a specific phobia, and panic disorder!
Much like there is a link between anxiety and depression, there is a very strong link between each of the anxiety disorders. If you are prone to one, you may find yourself more susceptible to another.
In my own case, I can tell you that, at different stages of my life, Ive dealt with just about every one of the major anxiety disorders to some degree except for PTSD.
So yes, unfortunately, a person can most certainly have multiple anxiety disorders.
The First Step To Treating Anxiety
While anxiety can leave one feeling helpless it is often extremely treatable. Learning how to treat anxiety starts with identifying what exactly one is feeling and then determining the true source. There are a variety of treatment and therapy options for people dealing with different types of anxiety. If any of this describes you dont hesitate or be afraid to seek help and find out what treatment options are best for you.
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Is Anxiety A Disorder
What is an anxiety disorder? Anxiety in and of itself is not a disorder. Anxiety is a necessary and natural response to uncomfortable situations or potentially dangerous experiences. It is natural and common for people to feel a sense of unease when dealing with various situations they may find themselves in. However, feelings of anxiety that lead to a feeling of intense fear, pose harmful physical symptoms, or leave you with seemingly irrational fears and phobias are considered anxiety disorders. Clinically, there are six types of anxiety disorders: agoraphobia, panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Below we will dissect and hopefully help you understand the differences between the six anxiety disorders.
What If I Am Not Happy With My Treatment
If you are not happy with your treatment you can:
- talk to your doctor about your treatment options,
- ask for a second opinion,
- get an advocate to help you speak to your doctor,
- contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service and see whether they can help, or
- make a complaint.
There is more information about these options below.
Treatment options
You should first speak to your doctor about your treatment. Explain why you are not happy with it. You could ask what other treatments you could try.
Tell your doctor if there is a type of treatment that you would like to try. Doctors should listen to your preference. If you are not given this treatment, ask your doctor to explain why it is not suitable for you.
Second opinion
A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have. You can also ask for a second opinion if you disagree with your diagnosis. You dont have a right to a second opinion. But your doctor should listen to your reason for wanting a second opinion.
Advocacy
An advocate is independent from the mental health service. They are free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard. There are different types of advocates available. Community advocates can support you to get a health professional to listen to your concerns. And help you to get the treatment that you would like.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service
You can find your local PALS details through this website link:
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Major Types Of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is a normal human emotion and is part of life. Anxiety disorders often persist over time and generally do not go away on their own.
July 10, 2019 September 26, 2022
Link: https://health.choc.org/6-major-types-of-anxiety-disorders/
Anxiety is a normal human emotion and is part of life. Anxiety is only considered a disorder if it causes significant distress and/or keeps a person from keeping up with at least one part their life, including school, work, relationships, responsibilities or enjoyable activities. Anxiety disorders often persist over time and generally do not go away on their own. When anxiety disorders are left untreated, many people develop depression because of the toll that the anxiety has taken on their life. Anxiety is treatable by a mental health professional with short-term therapy if there are no other challenges or concerns.
We spoke to several pediatric psychologists at CHOC for an overview on the six major types of anxiety disorders.
Different Types Of Anxiety Disorders
There are many different types of anxiety disorders defined today. While occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear and often interfere with an individuals ability to complete daily actitvities.
In this article, you will learn more about the different types of anxiety disorders.
Contents
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Treatments For Social Anxiety Disorders
Social anxiety disorder is often treated with cognitive behavioral therapy . CBT guides patients away from distorted thinking patterns like assuming that everyone is judging them or dislikes them and works to help patients stop avoiding situations that cause social anxiety. Medication can also be used to calm the physical symptoms of anxiety, but it is most effective in conjunction with CBT.
Fear And Uncertainty Are Normal Responses In A Stressful Situation But For Some Anxiety Can Be More Serious
Medically reviewed in June 2022
Ever felt mildly anxious before a public speaking engagement? How about that big first date with someone special? Once you settled into whatever it was that sparked your initial discomfort, you may have found it wasn’t so bad after all. But if fear and uncertainty make you feel overwhelmedor interfere with how you function throughout your dayyou may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety affects millions of people In any given year, there are several types of anxiety disorders that affect nearly 40 million Americans age 18 and older, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. They are more prevalent in developed countries than less-developed ones, often go hand-in-hand with other mental and physical illnesses and affect more women than men. Common signs and symptoms of an anxiety disorder generally fall into two camps: emotional and physical.
Emotional symptoms can include:â¯
Each anxiety disorder is different⯠Doctors have identified six different types of anxiety disorders.
Generalized anxiety disorder :â¯Do you worry about everything or always think something bad is about to happen? If so, it could be generalized anxiety disorder. Your healthcare provider may diagnose you with GAD if you worry excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least six months.
If you suffer from any of the symptoms or disorders listed above, seek treatment from your HCP or other healthcare professional.
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What Else Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
If you have an anxiety disorder, ask your provider:
- Whats the best treatment for me?
- Do I need medication? What type?
- How long should I take medication?
- What type of psychotherapy will work best?
- What else can I do to manage my symptoms?
- What other conditions am I at risk for?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
An anxiety disorder can make it difficult to get through your day. Anxiety disorder symptoms include feelings of nervousness, panic and fear. You may also have physical symptoms such as sweating and a rapid heartbeat. But you dont need to live like this. Several effective anxiety disorder treatments are available. Talk to your healthcare provider to figure out your diagnosis and the best treatment plan. Often, treatment combines medications and therapy. Anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants, together with CBT, can help you feel your best.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/17/2020.
References
How The 6 Types Of Anxiety Disorders Can Lead To Addiction
- If your loved one finds themselves struggling with GAD or social phobia, they may turn to substance use to both manage their emotions and decrease the waves of anxiety when the symptoms flare up.
- If they have been diagnosed with OCD or PTSD, your loved one may rely on substance use as a form of self-medication to decrease their anxiety and help fight back traumatic thoughts or obsessive thought patterns.
- If your loved one struggles with panic disorders or even agoraphobia, then substance use may be their primary method of decreasing their debilitating anxiety fast enough to complete daily tasks and manage unforeseen anxiety throughout their day.
Whichever anxiety disorder your loved one may struggle with, the fact that it can really make their substance addiction worse is important to acknowledge before they become committed to that unhealthy form of symptom management.
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What Can You Do To Stop Anxiety
What Does Anxiety Mean
We all get worried or scared in response to specific situations in our lives. On a clinical level, anxiety refers to the state of extreme worry, fear, and panic for the majority of your day. Trivial situations or even the anticipation of situations that have not happened will trigger these feelings in someone with a clinical anxiety disorder.
Anxiety has various causes. Some major causes are:
- Low self-esteem
- Genetics: people with a family history of anxiety disorders are more likely to experience anxiety
- Chemical disorders in the brain
- Environment factors such as harassment, abuse, violence, rejection, and death of a loved one
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Panic Attacks & Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is a debilitating anxiety disorder that is very different from GAD. Panic disorder is not about “panicking.” It’s not about getting very worried because you might lose your job or a lion is about to attack you in the jungle. That type of panic is normal.
Panic disorder is when you experience severe feelings of doom that cause both mental and physical symptoms that can be so intense that some people call an ambulance, worried that something is dangerously wrong with their health.
Panic disorder is characterized by two things:
- Fear of getting panic attacks.
Panic attacks are intense physical and mental sensations that can be triggered by stress, anxiety, or by nothing at all. They often involve mental distress, but are most well-known for their physical symptoms, including:
- Rapid heartbeat .
- Excessive sweating or hot/cold flashes.
- Tingling sensations, numbness, or weakness in the body.
- Depersonalization .
- Trouble breathing or feeling as though you’ve had a deep breath.
- Lightheadedness or dizziness.
- Chest pain or stomach pain.
- Digestive problems and/or discomfort.
Panic attacks may have some or all of the above physical symptoms, and may also involve unusual symptoms as well, like headaches, ear pressure, and more. All of these symptoms feel very real, which is why those that experience panic attacks often seek medical attention for their health.
Causes Of Anxiety Disorder
Some causes of anxiety disorders are:
- Genetics. Anxiety disorders can run in families.
- Brain chemistry. Some research suggests anxiety disorders may be linked to faulty circuits in the brain that control fear and emotions.
- Environmental stress. This refers to stressful events you have seen or lived through. Life events often linked to anxiety disorders include childhood abuse and neglect, a death of a loved one, or being attacked or seeing violence.
- Drug withdrawal or misuse. Certain drugs may be used to hide or decrease certain anxiety symptoms. Anxiety disorder often goes hand in hand with alcohol and substance use.
- Medical conditions. Some heart, lung, and thyroid conditions can cause symptoms similar to anxiety disorders or make anxiety symptoms worse. Itâs important to get a full physical exam to rule out other medical conditions when talking to your doctor about anxiety.
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