With today’s hectic schedules, rocky relationships, job interviews, and the many things that could complicate our life, it is perfectly normal for a person to worry. Yet, when the worries become too much for you to handle and you feel like all choked up and your life is not in your control anymore, it might be a symptom of anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorder is defined as excessive anxiety and worry, happening frequently for at least 6 months and they can get worse when they aren’t treated. A person experiencing from an anxiety disorder can find it hard to manage the anxiety. Usually, it occurs with some other mental or physical illnesses, such as drug or alcohol abuse, which could mask or worsen the symptoms. Every anxiety disorder has its own symptoms, still, all of these symptoms center on having excessive, unreasonable fear and dread.
Anxiety disorders can take many forms. among the common types of anxiety disorders include: separation anxiety, social anxiety or phobia, selective mutism, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobia.
1. Separation Anxiety – this constitutes an overweening anxiety because of being apart from home or from someone you’re attached to. The symptoms are generally accompanying the recurrent concern of being separated from someone or something you’re very attached with. Symptoms physically demonstrate as nausea, bellyaches, headaches, or chest pain.
2. Social Anxiety disorder – likewise called as social phobia, this anxiety disorder is diagnosed if an individual gets overwhelmingly anxious and highly fearful of social interactions. Those who bear this condition suffer from aggravated, relentless, and continuous fear of being watched and judged, likewise additional things that could place them at an awkward position. They worry for days even before the real situation occurs and the feeling could aggravate, frequently hindering in work, school and other routines.
3. Selective mutism – this takes form through consistent failure to speak in a specific social situation where speech is necessary despite of be able to speak in other situations. Research shows a relationship between social phobia and selective mutism.
4. OCD – a person who has OCD has recurrent and unwanted ideas or impulses (obsessions), along with an urge or compulsion to do something to ease the discomfort caused by the obsession. Often they develop senseless, repetitive, distressing, and sometimes harmful habits that are likewise difficult to overcome.
5. PTSD – this is a debilitating condition that follows a terrifying event. Commonly, those who have posttraumatic stress disorder suffer from persistent frightening thoughts and memories of the ordeal and feel emotionally numb even they are with people they used to be so close with. Signs and symptoms of this disorder often appear within 3 months after the tragic event.
6. Panic disorder – often this has brief episodes of intense fear accompanied by several physical symptoms like heart palpitations, nausea, chest pain, and many others that happen repeatedly and unknowingly in the absence of external threat.
7. Specific phobia – an intense dread for particular things or situations like heights, water, enclosed places, spiders, and many others.
These anxiety disorder can be treated. The sooner you’re diagnosed, the better chances for treatment. Upon feeling symptoms of anxiety disorders, consult your physician immediately to have appropriate treatment. Anxiety disorders could impact your everyday activities and, if immediate treatment is not sought, can worsen.