What are Anxiety Disorders?

 By Victoria Klaus

Overview

Anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed disorders in America. Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions defined by excessive fear and worry that interfere with daily life.

There are multiple types of anxiety disorders, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Selective Mutism, and phobias. I won’t be going into depth with phobias, though, because there is already a separate post on that. 

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Types of Anxiety 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is the most common anxiety disorder. It is characterized by constant anxiety and worrying that is hard to control. Symptoms include continuing worrying about many different things, seeing certain situations as threatening, not being able to shake off a worry, not being able to relax, and more. Anxiety can also lead to nausea, irritability, sweating, and fatigue.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety that is characterized by recurring panic attacks. Most people would have one or two panic attacks in their life, but a person with panic disorder would have many. The symptoms of a panic attack are rapid heartbeat, trembling or shaking, dizziness, chest pain, and mort. 

Social Anxiety Disorder

It is normal to feel shy at times, but a person with social anxiety feels fear and anxiety that interfere with daily life and relationships with others. Symptoms are a fear of interacting with strangers, being worried about embarrassing yourself, anxiety leading up to an event, fear and anxiety during social situations, and more.  

Seperation Anxiety Disorder

Separation anxiety is normally seen in infants and toddlers. It is a condition where someone gets anxious over being separated from someone else. In the case of infants and toddlers, this is most commonly seen with parents. Though it is most common with parents, you can have separation anxiety from anyone. Symptoms include not wanting to be away from home because of separation, nightmares about separation, intense worrying about losing the person, and more.

Selective Mutism

Selective mutism is when someone cannot talk in certain situations due to anxiety. People with selective mutism can talk normally in comfortable situations but have a hard time in uncomfortable situations. Symptoms include avoiding social situations, speaking little or not speaking at all, speaking very softly or quietly, and more.

Conclusion

All forms of anxiety have negative impacts on the person with the condition. They prevent them from living their daily lives. It is important to seek professional help to learn how to deal with anxiety. Anxiety disorders also have many causes and risk factors, including trauma, stress buildup, drugs or alcohol, and genetics