There are many types of anxiety. If you or a loved one suffers from anxiety it is important that you visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis. Then firstly reach out for professional therapy and secondly find out as much as you can about the type of anxiety it is. In this way you can help yourself or support your loved one in a healthy manner. Remember if you are caring for someone with any form of mental illness then you need support also.

I’m not going to go into great detail about them here. But click on the links to find more information on symptoms and treatment.

Types Of Anxiety

Generalized anxiety disorder 

This is characterized by excessive anxiety and worries in regard to everyday life events for no obvious reasons. People with symptoms tend to always expect disaster and can’t stop worrying about health, money, children, other family members, friends, work, etc.

This type of worry is often unrealistic or out of proportion for the situation. Daily life becomes a constant state of worry, fear, and dread. Eventually the anxiety dominates the person’s thinking and interferes with their ability to function in daily life.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD)

SAD is the fear of social situations that involve interactions with other people. It could be said it is a fear and anxiety of being negatively judged and evaluated by others in life. SAD affects many areas of a person’s life and may be confused with a panic disorder as people can experience anxiety attacks but not panic attacks.

There could also be a high rate of alcoholism and other substance abuse.  Plus family difficulties, personal relationship problems, difficulties in obtaining or continuing with employment are among a number of very common experiences for people with social anxiety disorder.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to, or witnessing, a terrifying event or ordeal. Many people go through traumatic events but they don’t get PTSD. For these people they get better with time, help and self-care. But for some people they will and do get PTSD and the symptoms get worse or last for months or even years and interfere with their lives. For these people getting effective treatment for PTSD is critical.

There are five main types of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These are Normal stress response, Acute stress disorder, Uncomplicated PTSD, Co-morbid PTSD (PTSD occurs with another psychiatric disorders) and Complex PTSD. Click the link above to find out more about each of these.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). People who have OCD have uncontrollable thoughts that cause them anxiety. This urges them to check things repeatedly or perform routines and rituals. Performing these routines or rituals may bring about a brief but temporary relief from the anxiety.

Left untreated, these thoughts and rituals can cause the person great distress and get in the way of work, school, and personal relationships. OCD affects men, women and children. It can start in puberty but is more likely to start in early adulthood. People with OCD may also develop other conditions such as depression, eating disorders, general anxiety disorder and hoarding disorder.

Panic Disorder

This is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms. About 1 in 10 people will have a panic attack a year. The vast majority of those will only have one in their lifetime. Only 3% of people go on to develop a panic disorder. Panic disorder is classified as reoccurring and unexpected panic attacks.

Phobias

These are an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal. They can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex and social background. Phobias are more pronounced than fears. You may not like having to deal with a spider in your home or flying may cause you a small amount of anxiety, but you are still able to deal with it. With a phobia you won’t.

Phobias develop when a person has an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation, place or object. When the phobia becomes very severe, a person may organize their life around avoiding the thing that’s causing them anxiety and depression. This will cause them to restrict their day-to-day life and it can also cause a lot of distress for them.

Some General Symptoms Of Anxiety.

Knowing the symptoms of anxiety can help us reach out more quickly for support when we need it. So if you suspect you may have anxiety please see your doctor for the correct diagnosis and treatment.

• Excessive, ongoing worry and tension including physical tension.
• Unrealistic view of problems
• Restlessness, Trembling or a feeling “edgy”
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Sweating more than usual
• Difficulty concentrating or having their minds go blank
• Nausea
• Frequent urination
• Tiredness
• Sleepdifficulties
• Startled easily

People with anxiety often experience other mental health issues also such as depression, PND, Eating Disorders  drug or alcohol misuse.

My Book.

In my book, The Building Blocks Of Self-Care, I provide easy and quick strategies to get you back feeling rebalanced and more focus in your life. The book also includes all the worksheets you need to take you step by step through the process. You can purchase it on Amazon or through my website.