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5 common anxiety disorders
Learn the 5 most common types of anxiety disorders and their symptoms below.
Several types of anxiety can affect an individual in different ways with various symptoms.
The five most common types of anxiety disorders and their symptoms are as follows:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- People with GAD experience anxiety about health, work, social interactions, and everyday routine life for half of the year.
- Some of the symptoms of GAD include:
- Having difficulty concentrating; mind going blank
- Feeling restless, wound-up or on-edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Being irritable
- Having muscle tension
- Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
- Having sleep issues
- Panic disorder
- People with panic disorder experience sudden intense fear that aggravates within minutes.
- Some symptoms of panic disorder may include:
- Heart palpitations
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Sensations of shortness of breath, smothering, or choking
- Feelings of being out of control
- Feelings of impending doom
- Phobia-related disorders
- People with phobia-related disorders experience an intense aversion or fear to specific objects or situations.
- Some of the symptoms of phobia-related disorders include:
- Irrational or excessive worry about confronting a feared object or situation
- Take active steps to prevent facing feared object or situation
- Intense anxiety upon encountering the feared object or situation
- Endure unavoidable objects and situations
- Separation anxiety disorder
- People with separation anxiety disorders have difficulty separating from their loved ones.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Obsession-compulsion disorder (OCD) is characterized by distressing and repetitive thoughts (obsession) that often compels a person to perform a repetitive action or behavior (compulsion).
- Some symptoms of OCD include:
- Keeping things in the right place and symmetrical manner
- Intense anxiety over asymmetry
- Fear of germs or dirt
- Bathing, cleaning, or washing hands repeatedly
- Intense fear of committing a dreaded action or acting on an undesirable yearning
- Fear of contamination
- Fear of committing a sin or profane behaviors
How do you treat an anxiety attack?
If you have an anxiety attack, you must learn the approaches that can help manage your anxiety and reduce it in the long term.
Most people benefit from lifestyle changes such as eating a well-balanced diet, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and taking time for themselves. Besides those changes, you can try the following measures to relax your mind and help you regulate your thoughts.
- Stop worrying about the future.
- Anxiety is always a future-oriented state of mind. Worrying about the future will make you more stressed. Always try to stay in the present situation.
- Examine if you are safe where you are right now. Is there something you can do about this situation? If not, then seek professional help.
- Talk to yourself.
- When you sense a panic attack, try to reassure yourself that you are getting anxiety and not the real danger. You can even address the fear by saying, “I am not afraid” or “this too shall pass.”
- Meditation and mindful breathing.
- Pay attention to your breathing. Initially, it may be loud and fast, which can then slow and quiet down after some time.
- Redirect your thoughts to something positive to remove all the negative ones. Affirmations work at this point. Assure yourself constantly that “You’ll be okay.”
- Be aware of your triggers.
- It is always essential to know your triggers. Self-awareness and knowledge about your mental health are crucial for controlling your anxiety attack.
- The more you are aware of your triggers and their origin, the more it will be easier to get yourself through an attack.
- H.A.L.T your attack.
- H.A.L.T refers to hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness. These are four factors that can bring out the worst in everyone. These can sometimes be a trigger in people with panic attacks. It’s essential to fix these issues to avoid any attack.
- Engage your mind.
- Engage your mind when you sense a panic attack. Stand up, take a walk, and throw away trash from your desk—in short, any action that interferes with your chain of disturbing thoughts will help you to control your thoughts.
- Follow the 3-3-3 rule.
- When anxiety grips you, try this method:
- Look around and name three things you see
- Name three sounds you hear
- Move three parts of your body
- This method may help you stay in the present rather than be worried about the future.
- When anxiety grips you, try this method:
- Watch a funny video.
- A funny video, probably from your favorite sitcom, or any funny video clips may ease up your anxious mind.
- Studies report that laughter has lots of advantages on our mental health and well-being. One study found that laughter could help lower anxiety as much as (or even more than) exercise can.
