Free to be Healthy: Anxiety Part 3

June 10, 2023

In part two of Free to be Healthy Anxiety series we learned when healthy anxiety becomes problematic. In part 3 we will learn the definition of anxiety disorder, and then we will look at four specific anxiety disorder diagnosis.

Anxiety disorders are identified as mental health disorders. These disorders are characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety or fear that are intense enough to interfere with a person’s normal activities and living. These disorders can affect and individuals job performance, schoolwork, and personal relationships.

According to the American Psychiatric Association women are more likely to experience anxiety disorders. The prevalence is greater than you might imagine and is the most common mental health disorder. Anxiety disorders affect almost 30% of adults today.

There are different categories of anxiety disorders. This posting will look at four in greater detail. Important to note only a healthcare professional, or a mental health provider can diagnosis these disorders.

GENERAL ANXIETY DISORDER

General Anxiety Disorder or GAD is the most diagnosed. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) a General Anxiety Disorder is characterized by chronic exaggerated worrying about everyday life that is lasting for longer than 6 months. The worrying consumes the individual for hours each day. This state of emotion can produce physical symptoms such as the following : restlessness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, headaches, nausea, and trouble sleeping. This leaves the person exhausted.

PANIC DISORDER

Individuals who suffer from a Panic Disorder have sudden and repeated bouts of overwhelming fear with no specific cause. These bouts of extreme emotion are referred to as “Panic Attacks.” sufferers tend to start in the teen years or adulthood. Women are two times more likely to be diagnosis with the disorder. According to John Hopkins the disorder may have a genetic link and runs in families.

Symptoms of Panic Disorder include pounding heart, sweating, shaking uncontrollably, shortness of breath, sensation of choking, nausea, numbness, dizziness, feeling disconnected or out of control, chest pain. Attacks can last from a few minutes to an hour or more.

Healthcare providers or mental health providers may diagnosis the individual if they have had 4 or more attack episodes or if he or she lives in constant fear of having another attack.

SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

NIMH defines Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) as an intense and persistent fear of being watched or judged by others. This is a mental health condition in which social interactions create an overwhelming and irrational anxiety response. While it’s normal to experience feelings of shyness or some discomfort in new environments or situations it’s not normal to experience nervousness and avoidance behavior to get through the day.

The symptoms of SAD are feeling anxiety in social situations. The physical symptoms an individual can experience include the following: blushing, trembling, sweating, rapid heart rate, nausea and even shortness of breath or the feeling of being unable to catch one’s breath, and dizziness. Some sufferers even have their minds go blank.

If you fear or avoid normal social situations because of worry or panic, it may be time to see your doctor or a mental health professional.

POAT TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

This classification of anxiety disorder is one people have first heard about through the media.PTSD was first recognized as a mental health illness in 1980 and over 3 million are diagnosed with the disorder each year.

Post traumatic stress disorder is defined as a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring because of experiencing or witnessing a severe psychological shock or terrifying event. The condition can last months to years. The triggers bring back the memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotions and physical reactions. These triggers can be sights, sounds, smells which remind the individual of the traumatic event.

Those suffering from this anxiety will often suffer from nightmares and try to avoid any situation which will trigger memory of the traumatic experience. The other physical symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include heightened reactions to the situation that triggers the memory of the event, agitation, irritability, hyper vigilance, social isolation, loneliness, and depression and self-destructive behaviors.

Individuals who suffer from this disorder will work with the mental health provider using cognitive behavior therapies, exposure therapies and others along with medications such as antidepressants.

Now that we have looked at four different anxieties, part 4 will look at some of