About Anxiety

Types of Anxiety

An anxiety disorder can develop in a number of ways. A better understanding of anxiety and its different types, is a positive first step towards learning how to deal with anxiety.

Some common diagnoses include:

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

This is the most common anxiety disorder. It is a mental health condition when you have uncontrollable worry and anxiety that isn’t necessarily connected to recent stressful events, but it can be brought on by certain situations.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, is when you are affected by a significant amount of fear of avoidance within social situations, causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in parts of your daily life.

Panic Disorder

If you experience unexpected and disabling panic attacks, and are also preoccupied with the fear of a recurring attack, you may have a panic disorder. A panic attack may include a rapid heartbeat, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, numbness, or an overwhelming sense of fear.

Specific Phobias

This type of anxiety is defined as an extreme fear of a particular object, activity or situation which is out of proportion with the actual level of threat posed. People struggling with a phobia feel anxious when faced with a spider or snake, aircraft travel, germs, injections, or tall buildings, to name a few.

There are other conditions where anxiety is commonly present:

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A person has ongoing unwanted/intrusive thoughts and fears that cause anxiety. Although the person may acknowledge these thoughts as silly, they often try to relieve their anxiety by carrying out certain behaviours or rituals. For example, a fear of germs and contamination can lead to constant hand washing.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

This condition can develop as a result of a person experiencing a traumatic event (e.g. war, assault, accident, disaster). Symptoms can include difficulty relaxing, upsetting dreams or flashbacks of the event, and avoidance of anything related to the event. PTSD is diagnosed when a person has symptoms for at least a month.

Causes of Anxiety

An anxiety condition isn't developed or caused by a single factor but a combination of things. A number of other factors play a role, including personality factors, difficult life experiences and physical health.

Anxiety disorders are caused by many factors, such as:

• Family history of mental health conditions
• Personality factors
• Ongoing stressful events including:
  • work stress or job change
  • change in living arrangements
  • pregnancy and giving birth
  • family and relationship problems
  • major emotional shock following a stressful or traumatic event
  • verbal, sexual, physical or emotional abuse or trauma
  • death or loss of a loved one

Signs and Symptoms

If you suffer from anxiety, your physical, behavioural and psychological characteristics may be very different to another person with anxiety. Signs and symptoms of anxiety will vary depending on the type of disorder, frequency of symptoms, severity of the disorder, and any pre-existing mental health disorders.

Common features of an anxiety disorder include:

Physical

• Panic attacks
• Rapid heart rate or breathing
• Tightening of the chest
• Hot and cold flushes
• Nausea
• Churning stomach
• Insomnia or restlessness
• Trembling or twitching
• Digestive issues
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Dry mouth
• Numbness or tingling sensations

Psychological

• Excessive or irrational fear
• Obsessive thoughts
• Self-doubt
• Feeling worthless
• Catastrophising (anticipating the worst outcomes)
• Worry
• Apprehension
• Excessive risk analysis
• Mood swings or irritability
• Feeling helpless
• Disassociation

Behavioural

• Avoiding certain situations or environments
• Procrastinating tasks
• Rituals or compulsions
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Difficulty concentrating
• Hyper-vigilance
• Moping or isolation
• Nervous tics
• Agitation
• Inability to sit still or remain calm
• Using substances to self-medicate