It is normal to feel anxious once in a while about things like health, family problems, and finances. However, anxiety disorders are beyond the usual fear or worry. People with anxiety disorders have an intense and constant fear, which is usually challenging to control. As such, they can get in everyday life, affecting relationships, schoolwork, and job performance. The good news is that whatever form of anxiety you have, interventional psychiatry Bedford offers treatment to help you manage the symptoms. The following is an elaboration of the different types of anxiety.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent and intense worry and anxiety over daily activities or routine issues. The concern usually doesn’t match the actual circumstance, is difficult to control, and can affect how you physically feel. Most people with generalized anxiety disorder have other forms of anxiety. You may experience frequent anxiety for at least six months and even years if you have a generalized anxiety disorder. GAD causes you to feel restless, wound-up, or on edge. Other common symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include:
- Feelings of worry that are difficult to control
- Trouble paying attention
- Unexplained pains like headaches, stomachaches, and muscle aches
- Problems falling or staying asleep
- Irritability
Panic disorder
A panic disorder involves repeated episodes of sudden excessive anxiety that heighten and reach a peak within minutes (panic attack). People with a panic disorder usually have frequent and unexpected panic attacks, but not everyone with a panic attack will develop a panic disorder. During a panic attack, an individual may have shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, feeling of impending doom, and a pounding or racing heart. Individuals with panic disorder often live in fear about when the next attack will happen and actively try to prevent future episodes. As such, a person may avoid situations in which the attacks occurred. Some people experience panic attacks occasionally, like a few times a year, while others as often as several times a day.
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder is characterized by intense and constant fear and avoidance of social places due to the concern of being watched and judged by others. If you have a social anxiety disorder, you may feel self-conscious and embarrassed in social situations; these feelings may feel intense and beyond your control. Social anxiety disorder can get in your way of attending school, working, or engaging in everyday activities. In a social situation, a person with social anxiety disorder may blush, sweat, or tremble. Other symptoms of social anxiety disorder include:
- Rigid body posture
- Racing heart
- Self-consciousness
- Difficulty making eye contact with new people
- Stomachache
Phobia related disorders
A phobia is an aversion to specific situations or objects. It may be realistic to be anxious in some instances, but for people with phobia, the fear is usually out of proportion to the actual danger of the object or situation. Therefore, people with a phobia may worry excessively about encountering the dreaded object or situation. They also take active steps to avoid the object or situation and experience sudden and intense anxiety upon encountering the same.
If you need to learn about the treatments for anxiety, consult your specialist at Innovative Psychiatry Center today.
