Anxiety Disorders:
Types and Treatments

Everyone deals with stress going about their day-to-day business. And, sometimes that stress can bring about anxiety — a healthy stress response.

However, anxiety shouldn’t be an excessive or re-occurring problem. When it is, treatment can help.

Anxiety Disorders:
Types and Treatments

Everyone deals with stress going about their day-to-day business. And, sometimes that stress can bring about anxiety — a healthy stress response.

However, anxiety shouldn’t be an excessive or re-occurring problem.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a general term for feelings of worry, nervousness, and fear. Experiencing anxiety from time to time is normal, whether we’re waiting to hear if we got a job we applied for or are preparing for a major surgery.

When these emotions start to impact your daily life activities, anxiety can become a serious issue. People with anxiety disorders experience frequent, intense, and invasive feelings of worry and fear that are difficult to control and often out of proportion to the actual presence of danger.

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health conditions among American adults. In fact, 19.1% of U.S. adults have had an anxiety disorder within the past year, with about 50% of these patients suffering from moderate to serious impairment as a result of their conditions ¹.

If you believe you have an anxiety disorder, help is available. You can manage your anxiety symptoms with a combination of medication, therapy, and other psychiatric interventions.

Early Warning Signs

Signs of an anxiety disorder often begin in childhood or adolescence, progressing to adulthood as time goes on. However, anyone can develop an anxiety disorder at any point in their lives.

Some early warning signs of anxiety include:

Repetitive behaviors, such as skin-picking or hair-pulling
Fears of being alone
Fears of being separated from a primary caregiver
Difficulty sleeping
Agitation, irritability, or tantrums
Unexplained stomach pain or nausea
Unexplained headaches
Avoidance of social contact
Excessive worry about mundane situations
Development of specific phobias

Not all of these symptoms will occur in every person with an anxiety disorder, and you may experience a different set of symptoms. If you experience excessive, persistent worry that interferes with your daily life, you likely have an anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety symptoms vary from person to person based on a number of factors, such as what type of anxiety disorder you are suffering from and the root causes of the anxiety. However, these conditions do have a number of symptoms in common.

If you have anxiety, you may experience:

Intense fear, nervousness, and tension
A sense of impending doom or danger
Hyperventilation
Rapid heartbeat
Gastrointestinal issues
Trembling and sweating
Fatigue and weakness
Difficulty sleeping
Difficulty concentrating
The urge to avoid anxiety-inducing situations

This list is not intended to diagnose any condition. If you believe you have an anxiety disorder, contact a medical professional as soon as possible.

Types of Anxiety

Anxiety disorders come in many different forms. Speaking to your doctor will help you determine which type of anxiety is affecting you and the best way you can manage your symptoms.

Read below to learn about the different Anxiety Disorders. Alternatively, you can watch this video by Psych Hub Education for a brief animated overview of them:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) occurs when you experience excessive, persistent, and uncontrollable anxiety that interferes with your daily activities. GAD may lead to a variety of physical and psychological symptoms ².

With GAD, you may experience:

Disproportionate, persistent worry
Perceiving benign situations as threatening
Indecisiveness and overthinking
Over planning for worst-case scenarios
Difficulty concentrating
Inability to relax
Feeling restless or easily startled

Physical symptoms of GAD may include:

Insomnia
Muscle tension
Trembling or shaking
Gastrointestinal issues
Nausea and vomiting
Sweating
Excessive fatigue

A panic disorder is a condition marked by recurrent panic attacks, which occur when you have sudden feelings of intense fear. This intense fear manifests into physical symptoms, like hyperventilation or uncontrollable shaking.

Many people experience one or two of these episodes in their lifetime. If you experience multiple panic attacks and live in fear of another attack happening, you may have a panic disorder ³.

Symptoms of panic attacks include:

Rapid heartbeat
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Shaking or trembling
Shortness of breath
Chest pains

Feelings of detachment
Feelings of fear, dread, or doom
Chills or hot flashes
Nausea
Stomach cramps

Social anxiety is a disorder characterized by intense feelings of fear, anxiety, and embarrassment in social situations.

While it’s normal to feel some nervousness while in a social setting, social anxiety causes you to avoid situations that trigger this reaction. This disorder can disrupt your ability to work, go to school, or develop relationships with other people ⁴.

Symptoms of social anxiety may include:

Pervasive worry about humiliating or embarrassing yourself
Feelings of intense anxiety before and/or during a social event
Avoiding situations where you are the center of attention
Fear that others may notice or perceive your anxiety
Spending time after a social situation criticizing your behavior
Avoiding activities or people out of fear of embarrassment

One early warning sign of anxiety is the development of phobias, or extreme fear and aversion to certain objects or situations. Phobias can develop at any time, and may involve subjects that do not pose significant danger ⁵.

Common phobia subjects include, but are not limited to:

Situations, such as flying in an airplane
Animals and insects
Blood, injuries, and needles
Natural occurrences, such as thunderstorms

Phobias cause you to avoid situations or media where you may come into contact with the subject of your phobia. Each phobia has a specific name, and symptoms may vary from person to person.

These symptoms may include:

Intense fear, anxiety, or dread when encountering the phobia
Feeling unable to control feelings of fear
Difficulty functioning due to the phobia
Rapid heartbeat, chest tightness, and shortness of breath
Feeling nauseous or dizzy
Actively avoiding the subject of the phobia

Separation anxiety is a common condition in infants and toddlers, who usually grow out of separation anxiety by the time they begin school. However, prolonged separation anxiety or the development of this condition in teenagers or adults may be a sign of separation anxiety disorder ⁶.

Symptoms of separation anxiety disorder include:

Excessive and persistent worry about losing loved ones
Recurrent anxiety when thinking about leaving home or loved ones
Refusing to leave home due to separation fears
Nightmares about separation
Discomfort staying home alone or without a loved one
Refusing to sleep away from home
Anxiety that something bad will happen during separation
Physical symptoms before an upcoming separation, such as headaches or stomach pain

Risk Factors

Anyone can develop an anxiety disorder, and symptoms can appear at any stage of a person’s life. However, the presence of certain factors may increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder.

History of trauma: Adults and children with a history of past abuse, violence, or traumatic experiences may have a greater risk of developing an anxiety disorder than those who do not ⁷.
Ongoing stress: The build-up of stress over time, or experiencing major sources of stress all at once, can exacerbate feelings of anxiety. This stress may be caused by many factors, such as relationship issues, financial problems, a medical condition, or the death of a loved one ⁸.
Substance abuse: Misusing drugs or alcohol, or going through withdrawal, can cause or increase feelings of anxiety ⁹.
Existing mental health conditions: People with other mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, may also have a co-occurring anxiety disorder ¹⁰.
Genetic history: People who have blood relatives with an anxiety disorder, such as a parent or grandparent, have a higher risk of developing anxiety than others ¹¹.

Causes of Anxiety

No one fully understands the exact cause of anxiety disorders, but many theories exist. Life experiences, such as a past trauma or current stressors, may aid in the development of anxiety. A family history of anxiety may also contribute to these conditions.

Many people develop anxiety as a result of an underlying health condition. This is especially common in people who develop anxiety symptoms suddenly and unexpectedly, do not have a family history of anxiety or symptoms that begin in childhood, and do not avoid situations or triggers due to anxiety ¹².

Medical conditions that may contribute to anxiety include:

Drug or alcohol withdrawal
Chronic pain
Diabetes
Irritable bowel syndrome

Asthma and other respiratory conditions
Heart disease
Thyroid problems
Tumors

The side effects of certain prescription drugs may also cause anxiety symptoms, such as cortisone, amphetamines, thyroid medication, and seizure drugs.

If you’re concerned that your anxiety is related to a medical condition, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Life experiences play a large role in the development of anxiety, since the ways we process and cope with these events contribute to our overall mental state ¹³. These may include traumatic events that happened in the past, as well as daily, ongoing stressors.

Traumatic life events are one of the largest contributors to anxiety and depression, followed by family history, income level, and education. Relationships and social well-being also play a role in the development of these conditions.

Not everyone who experiences a difficult event or a co-occurring stressor will develop a mental health condition. The presence of unhealthy coping mechanisms, a lack of mental health care, and pre-existing genetic histories may lead to anxiety disorders in some people, while others may not develop any symptoms at all.

Your genetic history may have an impact on your anxiety disorder risk. Having a blood relative with anxiety, such as a parent or a sibling, increases your chances of developing an anxiety disorder during your life.

Generalized anxiety disorder, for example, has a genetic inherit-ability of over 30% ¹⁴. GAD, panic disorder, and social anxiety are all linked to specific genes which may influence whether or not you develop these conditions.

Misusing drugs and alcohol can lead to higher rates of anxiety disorders, with impacts varying from substance to substance ¹⁵.

Depressants such a alcohol, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates impair your physical and emotional health, leading to excessive stress and symptoms of anxiety. In addition, withdrawal from these substances can lead to anxiety and panic attacks.

Stimulants like amphetamines and cocaine also increase feelings of anxiety, since these substances excessively stimulate the neurotransmitters in your brain. These substances may also exacerbate panic disorder symptoms.

Often, anxiety and substance abuse feed into one another. Abusing substances can make anxiety symptoms worse, and you may turn to substances to cope with the increasing anxiety. Without professional help, this behavior can become a vicious cycle.

If you are struggling with substance abuse or withdrawal, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Treatments for Anxiety

While the exact cause of anxiety is unclear, these disorders are completely manageable with the right support system. Many treatment options are available for people with anxiety disorders, from medication to therapy and self-care activities.

Many medications can relieve anxiety symptoms, and are an effective treatment option for patients who suffer from a number of disorders. Your doctor will prescribe your medication based on the type of anxiety you suffer from, the severity of your symptoms, and co-occurring conditions.

Common anxiety medications include:

Anti-anxiety drugs, including buspirone
Antidepressants that relieve anxiety symptoms, such as escitalopram
Short-term medication for symptom relief, like benzodiazepines and beta blockers

Each medication will come with its own set of side effects, possible complications, and benefits. Speak to your doctor to find the right treatment regimen for you.

Psychotherapy is one of the most effective treatment options for people with anxiety. Through this program, you will visit with a licensed therapist and talk through your symptoms. Your therapist will help you better understand what you are experiencing and work with you to develop healthy coping mechanisms.

One type of psychological counseling for people with anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This short-term treatment option focuses on skill development, helping you manage your symptoms and restore your ability to re-engage in activities you may have avoided due to your anxiety disorder.

Psychological counseling can continue for as long as you may require treatment. To determine whether this treatment option is right for you, speak to a doctor.

The way we live can contribute to flare-ups of our anxiety symptoms. However, taking time to create a healthier lifestyle is proven to improve your mental well-being, along with your physical health.

Here are a few simple changes you can make:

Make time to exercise daily. Moving our bodies not only helps keep us healthy, but regular exercise promotes the release of anxiety-reducing endorphins, reduces stress, and may improve your mood ¹⁶.
Get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. The quality of our sleep directly correlates with our mood, and sleep deprivation can lead to worsening anxiety symptoms as well as harm to our physical health ¹⁷.
Unwind, relax, and destress with self-care activities. Schedule time to meditate, do yoga, journal, or engage in another healthy stress-busting activity — as little as 10 to 15 minutes per day can make a difference ¹⁸.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. People with anxiety can turn to substances to cope with symptoms, which in turn can lead to addiction, worsening anxiety, and physical health problems.
Limit caffeine and quit smoking. Excess caffeine and nicotine can worsen anxiety symptoms, leading to jitteriness, nausea, and feeling on edge ^{19, 20}.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet. An eating pattern rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein may help reduce anxiety symptoms, as well as increase your energy and improve your mood ²¹.

For some, anxiety symptoms can become so severe they require more intensive care. Residential treatment programs allow you to receive around-the-clock care for your anxiety in a safe, professional environment.

During a residential treatment program, you may engage in a number of therapies and activities designed to help you understand and manage your anxiety symptoms.

These therapies may include:

CBT sessions
Group therapy
Medication counseling
Guided meditation

Exposure therapy
Stress reduction strategies
Trauma awareness and recovery
Disorder-specific therapies

Different residential programs offer unique amenities, treatment regimens, and specialized areas of care. They may operate out of a hospital or a private, medically-licensed facility.

Prevention

Anxiety disorders cannot be prevented, and the only way to manage and control your symptoms is by seeking professional help.

However, there are certain actions you can take to decrease the severity and frequency of your symptoms:

Reduce your caffeine consumption.
Prioritize daily exercise, a regular sleep schedule, and a healthy diet.
Keep a journal to track your mood, symptoms, and triggers.
Limit alcohol consumption and avoid drugs and tobacco.
Take time each day for self-care activities.
Learn deep-breathing exercises to use during stressful situations.
Seek professional support after experiencing a traumatic event to avoid the onset of an anxiety disorder.

Although they may help some, these prevention tips won’t work for everyone. Seeking professional help allows you to create a treatment regimen that’s right for you and your condition. In addition, professional treatment allows you to develop skills and strategies you can use throughout your life to manage and reduce your anxiety symptoms.

If you believe you have an anxiety disorder and your symptoms are interfering with your daily life, speak to a medical professional as soon as possible.

References