Types of Anxiety and Panic Attacks
It is easy to tell if you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, but there isn’t just one type of anxiety. You might have anxiety from certain situations, or actually have a type of anxiety or panic disorder. Knowing which you have is important because it helps you to manage it better. Take a look at these different types of anxiety disorders.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
A very common anxiety disorder that many people don’t even realize they have is called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). With GAD, you experience almost constant anxiety, though things or situations can trigger it and make it worse. It is a state of general anxiety where it may not be severe, but you have problems with social interactions, fatigue, restlessness, irritation, lack of energy, and tense muscles. This can lead to both mental and physical symptoms as a result of the anxiety disorder, but it also happens to be well treated.
Panic Attack Disorder
Panic attack disorder can be on its own or in combination with another anxiety or mental health condition. Many people have both panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, which makes managing it difficult. If you tend to get sudden feelings of panic where you feel the need to escape or like you are having a heart attack, then you might have panic attack disorder. With this disorder, you get panic attacks often, which may be triggered or come on suddenly. Some symptoms of panic attacks include chest pain, sweating, nervousness, tunnel vision, heart palpitations, and feeling like you are choking or can’t breathe.
Social Phobia
If you feel fine when you are alone or with people you are comfortable with, but then suddenly experience worry, panic, or anxiety when around new people or crowds, you might have social phobia. There are different types of social phobias, from being afraid of most people, not feeling comfortable around strangers, or just having phobias with larger groups of people. Some people experience it mildly, while others have it so severely they avoid public situations altogether. If it is on the sever side, it is definitely something you should talk to your doctor about.
There are also anxiety disorders based on a specific type of phobia, such as agoraphobia where you are afraid to leave your home or claustrophobia where you have a fear of confined spaces. These phobias can usually be treated with anti-anxiety medication and cognitive behavioral therapy.
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