Different Forms of Anxiety Disorders
For many years now, various forms of anxiety disorders have been topping the list of most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses in the United States. In fact, the number of people suffering from these disorders has been constantly rising over the past few years. For this reason, the American government is encouraging all individuals to become well-informed about the illness and to seek treatment as soon as the earliest symptoms become evident.
One of the first things anyone should know about anxiety disorders is that they come in many different forms. Each of these forms has its own set of symptoms and treatments.
Common Types of Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder. According to the latest surveys, almost 7 million American adults are suffering from this type anxiety disorder. It is manifested by a number of different symptoms ranging from extreme nervousness to complete isolation from society.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Compared to the other anxiety disorders, this particular type may not be as prevalent but it is no less serious. The most common symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder is the urge to do certain actions repetitively, such as washing one’s hands or cleaning the house until it is spotless.
Panic Disorder. This is a rather common form of anxiety attack that affects more than 6 million people. A person with panic disorder is likely to experience frequent panic attacks due to seemingly ordinary thing or events. They may have a fear of driving, meeting new people, answering the phone, and so on. The main problem is that its symptoms are very similar to those of a heart attack and other illnesses, so a misdiagnosis is quite possible.
Post-Traumatic Stress. This is one of the rare types of anxiety disorders that are actually triggered by actual traumatic events, like sexual molestation, witnessing a murder, or other similarly violent events.
Social Anxiety. Social anxiety affects approximately 15 million individuals, and is also considered one of the more severe forms of the illness. Most people suffering from social anxiety are unable to relate to other people at all, choosing instead to isolate themselves inside their homes. Needless to say, this behavior can disrupt one’s life considerably.
Phobias. The most prevalent of all anxiety disorders, phobias are irrational fears that people have, causing them to suffer from anxiety attacks. Some common phobias are the fear of heights, fear of snakes, fear of flying or driving, fear of enclosed spaces and Agoraphobia.
Treating Anxiety Disorders
Fortunately, there are many different ways of treating anxiety disorders and eliminating their symptoms. But in order to do this, you will first need to consult with a specialist to figure out just which type of anxiety disorder you are suffering from.
