What is Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety disorders also called, 'the fear of the unknown' are the most common type of mental illness. Approximately, 275 million people experience anxiety issues annually. Most people develop symptoms before age 21. That's why it is important for you to learn about it and look after your loved ones and your own health.

Here’s all that you need to know about anxiety disorder from its basic understanding to its types, causes, symptoms, risk factors and treatments. 

Anxiety Disorder: 

Anxiety or worry about future events is a common emotion and part of our everyday life. However, when the feelings of excessive fear don't go away, even in a pretty normal situation, making it difficult for you to carry out normal routine stuff, it may be a sign of anxiety disorder. 

Types: 

There are many types of anxiety disorder each with some different symptoms. The most common ones are:

 1. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): 

People with GAD issues can feel anxious and tensed over anything and everything. These worries mainly focus on everyday stuff that you do, from driving to cooking or attending a meeting. It can be anything.  

Symptoms:                                                        

• Restlessness 
• Fatigue 
• Concentration issues 
• Muscle tension 
• Insomnia 
• Upset stomach 

2. Panic disorder: 

People with panic disorder experience unexpected and repeated panic attacks. This may be caused by the extreme fear of something or some situation. This disorder also leads to Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is the fear of being somewhere where escape or help would be difficult during a panic attack. People with this disorder often avoid public and confined places. Further, they go to extreme conditions by socially isolating themselves.  

Symptoms:  

• Heart palpitations or an accelerated heart rate  
• Sweating  
• Trembling  
• Shortness of breath or choking  
• Chest pain  
• Dizziness  
• Stomach upset 

3. Phobias:

A phobia is an extreme fear of a certain place, situation or object. People with certain phobias generally know that their cause of fear isn't actually harmful. However, despite knowing this, they can't overcome it. Sometimes, attempts to take control of their phobia, take a person's life.  

Some common phobias are:  

• Aquaphobia: fear of water  
• Acrophobia: fear of heights  
• Pteromerhanophobia: fear of flying  
• Hemophobia: fear of blood  
• Entomophobia: fear of insects  
• Ophidiophobia: fear of snakes 

4. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): 

PTSD develops after witnessing or experiencing something traumatic or life-threatening.  

Symptoms:  

• Flashbacks of the events  
• Nightmares  
• Social isolation  
• Avoiding similar situations or situations that remind you of that particular event. 

5. Social anxiety disorder: 

Social anxiety disorder is the intense fear of being embarrassed, humiliated or rejected in social interactions. People with this phobia have a fear of people judging and ridiculing them. It often causes people to avoid social situations. Common examples are extreme fear of public speaking, socializing or eating/drinking in public. 

6. Separation Anxiety Disorder: 

People with separation anxiety disorder are extremely fearful of losing someone they are attached to. A person with this disorder may refuse to go out or sleep without that person. They may even experience nightmares about separation. 

7. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): 

People with OCD perform particular rituals again and again. Most commonly, it includes habitual hand-washing, counting, cleaning, arranging things or checking something. 

Causes: 

Some main causes of anxiety disorders are:  

• Genetics: Anxiety disorders may run in families.  
• Brain chemistry: Research suggests anxiety disorders may be due to faulty circuits in the brain. 
• Environmental stress: Stressful life events including childhood abuse, death of a loved one, or violence result in anxiety disorders. 
• Drug withdrawal or misuse: Sometimes, a sudden withdrawal from a drug addiction may trigger anxiety disorders. 

Risk factors: 

Some of the risk factors for anxiety disorders include: 

• Having a history of mental health disorder 
• Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse  
• Trauma   
• Severe illness or chronic health condition. 
• Substance abuse 
• Low self-esteem 

Treatments: 

Treatments for anxiety disorder include medication and psychotherapy. Sometimes, it requires a combination of both i.e. medication as well as psychotherapy. Therefore, it depends on your health condition to decide what is best for you. 

• Medication: Many different types of drugs are used for treating anxiety disorders. However, medication doesn't cure it completely. It can just help relieve symptoms. Moreover, the medicine you're taking has some side effects too. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of each medicine to decide what to go for. 
• Psychotherapy: It is also referred to as talk therapy. This is a type of counselling with a trained mental health specialist. The specialists help you learn how your emotions affect your behaviours. They listen and talk to you about your thoughts and feelings and suggest ways to understand and manage them. They may as well recommend some changes in your lifestyle. You are also taught different tricks and ways to control your negative, fearful thoughts and behaviours.

Want to read more? Check out our other blog to learn various ways to regain your mental health.