But despite their different forms, all anxiety disorders illicit an intense fear or worry out of proportion to the situation at hand. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health issues—and are highly treatable. Once you understand your anxiety disorder, there are steps you can take to reduce the symptoms and regain control of your life. In addition to the primary symptom of excessive and irrational fear and worry, other common emotional symptoms include:.
But anxiety is more than just a feeling. Because of these physical symptoms, anxiety sufferers often mistake their disorder for a medical illness.
They may visit many doctors and make numerous trips to the hospital before their anxiety disorder is finally recognized. Many people with anxiety disorders also suffer from depression at some point. Anxiety and depression are believed to stem from the same biological vulnerability, which may explain why they so often go hand-in-hand.
Anxiety attacks, also known as panic attacks , are episodes of intense panic or fear. They usually occur suddenly and without warning. Anxiety attacks usually peak within 10 minutes, and they rarely last more than 30 minutes.
The truth is that panic attacks are highly treatable. In fact, many people are panic free within just 5 to 8 treatment sessions. People with GAD are chronic worrywarts who feel anxious nearly all of the time, though they may not even know why. GAD often manifests in physical symptoms like insomnia, stomach upset, restlessness, and fatigue. Panic disorder is characterized by repeated, unexpected panic attacks, as well as fear of experiencing another episode.
Agoraphobia, the fear of being somewhere where escape or help would be difficult in the event of a panic attack, may also accompany a panic disorder. If you have agoraphobia, you are likely to avoid public places such as shopping malls, or confined spaces such as an airplane.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD is characterized by unwanted thoughts or behaviors that seem impossible to stop or control. If you have OCD, you may feel troubled by obsessions, such as a recurring worry that you forgot to turn off the oven or that you might hurt someone. You may also suffer from uncontrollable compulsions, such as washing your hands over and over. Hoarding disorder is a chronic difficulty discarding possessions, accompanied by a dysfunctional attachment to even worthless items.
It can lead to excessive accumulation of possessions or animals and a cluttered living space. You may attribute emotion to inanimate objects, have a strong sentimental attachment to items, or see the use in any object. These beliefs can make discarding items overwhelm you with feelings of anxiety, guilt, or sadness. A phobia is an unrealistic or exaggerated fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that in reality presents little to no danger.
Common phobias include fear of animals such as snakes and spiders , fear of flying, and fear of needles. In the case of a severe phobia, you might go to extreme lengths to avoid the object of your fear. Unfortunately, avoidance only strengthens the phobia. If you have a debilitating fear of being viewed negatively by others and humiliated in public, you may have social anxiety disorder , also known as social phobia.
It can be thought of as extreme shyness and in severe cases, social situations are avoided altogether. Performance anxiety better known as stage fright is the most common type of social phobia. Post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD is an extreme anxiety disorder that can occur in the aftermath of a traumatic or life-threatening event.
PTSD can be thought of as a panic attack that rarely, if ever, lets up. Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks or nightmares about the incident, hypervigilance, startling easily, withdrawing from others, and avoiding situations that remind you of the event. There is a strong link between alcohol and anxiety. Research shows that people with anxiety disorders are two to three times more likely to have problems with drugs and alcohol at some point in their lives than the general population.
People with social anxiety, in particular, may turn to alcohol in order to lessen their symptoms, but alcohol can actually make anxiety worse. About 20 percent of people with social anxiety disorder also have an alcohol or substance abuse disorder, notes the ADAA. No matter which problem comes first, the combination of drugs, alcohol, and anxiety can become a vicious cycle.
Caffeine is a stimulant — and that can be bad news for someone with anxiety. Caffeine's jittery effects on your body are similar to those of a frightening event.
Other research suggests that while caffeine can increase alertness, attention, and cognitive function, overdoing it can increase anxiety, particularly in people with panic disorder and social anxiety disorder.
And as with the symptoms of anxiety , one too many cups of joe may leave you feeling nervous and moody, and can keep you up at night. Certain medications have some ugly side effects — and can cause anxiety symptoms or an anxiety attack. Prescription medications to watch out for include thyroid drugs and asthma drugs , while over-the-counter decongestants have been known to cause anxiety symptoms in some people.
If you suddenly stop taking certain medications sometimes used to treat anxiety , such as benzodiazepines , withdrawal may cause added anxiety. Many over-the-counter OTC weight loss supplements come with anxiety-producing side effects. Use of St. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page.
What is a panic attack? Some people may develop panic disorders For many people, the feelings of panic occur only occasionally during periods of stress or illness. Symptoms Symptoms of a panic attack can include: Heightened vigilance for danger and physical symptoms Anxious and irrational thinking A strong feeling of dread, danger or foreboding Fear of going mad, losing control, or dying Feeling lightheaded and dizzy Tingling and chills, particularly in the arms and hands Trembling or shaking, sweating Hot flushes Accelerated heart rate A feeling of constriction in the chest Breathing difficulties, including shortness of breath Nausea or abdominal distress Tense muscles Dry mouth Feelings of unreality and detachment from the environment.
Acute stress such as experiencing a traumatic event — can suddenly flood the body with large amounts of stress chemicals. Habitual hyperventilation — disturbs the balance of blood gases because there is not enough carbon dioxide in the blood.
Intense physical exercise — for some people, this may cause extreme reactions. Excessive caffeine intake — the caffeine in coffee, tea and other beverages is a strong stimulant. Illness — may cause physical changes. A sudden change of environment — such as walking into an overcrowded, hot or stuffy environment. Causes other than anxiety Some symptoms that are common to panic attacks may also occur in some physical conditions.
Focus your attention on something outside your own body and symptoms. For example, distract yourself by counting backwards in threes from , recall the words from a favourite song or concentrate on the sights and sounds around you.
Fleeing from the situation will only reinforce the perception that your panic attacks are unbearable. If you sit and allow the symptoms to pass, you gain confidence in your ability to cope.
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Expert Opinion in Pharmacotherapy. Bandelow B, et al. Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis. International Clinical Psychopharmacology. Find support. Bazzan AJ, et al. Current evidence regarding the management of mood and anxiety disorders using complementary and alternative medicine. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. Natural medicines in the clinical management of anxiety. Natural Medicines. Sarris J, et al. Plant-based medicines for anxiety disorders, Part 2: A review of clinical studies with supporting preclinical evidence.
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