In brief
Go over the fact sheet in its entirety.
Treatments for anxiety disorders are effective.
Anxiety disorders are frequently accompanied by panic episodes.
Anxiety disorders can seriously impact a person’s relationships and quality of life if left untreated.
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Concerning anxiety disorders
Anxiety is not always a disorder.
Anxiety disorder symptoms
Anxiety episodes are a typical sign.
Anxiety disorder types
Anxiety problems may cause major consequences.
With treatment, recovery is achievable.
Where to Look for Assistance
Concerning anxiety disorders
A class of mental health issues is known as anxiety disorders. Included among them are panic disorders, social phobias, agoraphobia, claustrophobia, and generalized anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders and depression are frequently associated.
Anxiety disorders are widespread mental health issues that impact a large number of people. A quarter or so of people have anxiety disorders that need to be treated, and another quarter or so have less serious concerns like those related to spiders and snakes.
Anxiety is not always a disorder.
Everybody occasionally feels fear and anxiety, which are healthy human emotions that help us cope with danger. On the other hand, some people suffer from excessive and unreasonable worry and anxiety that interferes with their everyday life and becomes persistent and upsetting. This could be a sign of nervousness. Frequently, it seems as though there is no clear-cut or rational explanation for the person’s feelings. The suffering of an anxiety disorder may become even more concerned as a result.
Anxiety disorder symptoms
Anxiety disorders are characterized by persistent, distressing fears or thoughts that interfere with day-to-day functioning. Additional indications of an anxiety condition could be:
Attacks of panic, anxiety, or fear of such attacks.
Reactions to physical worry include shaking, perspiration, lightheadedness, fast heartbeat, dyspnea, and nausea.
Avoidance behavior is when someone goes above and above to stay out of a scenario that they believe would make them anxious or panicked.
Anxiety episodes are a typical sign.
A panic attack is a sudden, overwhelming sense of anxiety that might happen for no apparent reason or in specific circumstances. Anxiety disorders are not always present in those who experience panic attacks. All forms of anxiety disorders do, however, share the common trait of panic attacks.
Anxiety attack symptoms can include:
breathlessness
lightheadedness
accelerated heart rate
Suffocating
queasy.
Although the exact source of panic attacks is unknown, it’s possible that they stem from a chemical reaction in the brain brought on by stressful or hazardous situations that either occur or are imagined. The body experiences physiological changes as a result of the brain response, including fast heartbeat and shallow respiration.
Panic episodes can be terrifying. Some claim to feel as though they are about to pass away or become insane. Individuals who experience panic attacks may steer clear of circumstances where they believe an attack may occur. This can occasionally result in the emergence of additional anxiety disorders, such as agoraphobia.
Anxiety disorder types
When anxiety is excessive, unreasonable, and gets in the way of a person’s ability to go about their daily lives, it is considered a disorder. Among the anxiety disorders are:
Anxiety disorders in general
Fear of social situations is known as social phobia.
Particular phobias, such as claustrophobia or agoraphobia, are fears of enclosed or open spaces, respectively.
Panic disorders: incapacitating panic episodes that occur frequently.
Anxiety disorders in general
Generalized anxiety is characterized by extreme fear and ongoing concern over numerous issues. Anxiety may center around relationships with family or friends, health, job, finances, or missing crucial appointments. A generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis may be made for an individual if:
Over a six-month span, the stress and anxiety have been prevalent on most days.
The individual struggles to manage their anxiety.
Fears about social situations
Individuals suffering from social anxiety fear unfavorable judgment or assessment from others. They become afraid of doing anything that could make them look foolish in front of others, such speaking in front of an audience, using the restroom in public, eating and drinking in public, writing in public, or engaging in any social interaction like going to a party or working.
Some people with social anxiety may simply be afraid of a certain kind of circumstance. Others might be worried about a variety of circumstances. This may cause individuals to steer clear of the frightening circumstances, which may result in extreme seclusion and a rejection of the people and things they often find enjoyable.
Particular fears
An unreasonable and ongoing fear of a single thing or circumstance characterizes a person with a specific phobia. People, situations, or animals may terrify them. An extreme fear of the thing or circumstance might cause physical symptoms and panic attacks. Dogs, blood, storms, spiders, and other objects or circumstances can all cause fear, but the anxiety is always overwhelming and disruptive.
Adult phobics typically recognize that their dread is unwarranted or exaggerated. However, their life may be severely limited by their need to avoid the thing, person, or place.
Anxiety disorders
Attacks of panic or anxiety are frequent. Although less prevalent, panic disorders impact 2% of the population. A person typically has to have experienced at least four panic episodes per month for a prolonged length of time in order to be diagnosed with a panic disorder. Panic episodes frequently occur on their own and are unrelated to any particular circumstance.
If a person experiences panic attacks frequently and has a severe, ongoing dread of experiencing another attack, they may be diagnosed with panic disorder.
Anxiety problems may cause major consequences.
Anxiety disorders can make it difficult for a person to work, study, and do daily tasks. They can also cause social isolation and clinical depression. Relationships with friends, family, and coworkers may also suffer. Anxiety and depression frequently occur simultaneously. With a significant risk of self-harm and suicide, depression can be a dangerous condition.
With treatment, recovery is achievable.
Anxiety disorders can be recovered from with the correct care and assistance. Treatments for anxiety disorders that work well include:
The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to alter thought, belief, and behavior patterns that could cause anxiety.
Exposure treatment, also known as systematic desensitization, is exposing a patient to anxiety-inducing circumstances progressively through the use of a fear hierarchy.
approaches for managing anxiety and relaxing, such as breathing exercises, meditation, deep muscle relaxation, and counseling.
Medication: this category may contain benzodiazepines and antidepressants.
