How to Cope with Anxiety- Part 2: Types of Anxiety Disorders

Last time, I wrote about 10 of the most common symptoms that anxiety sufferers experience.  Today, I will turn my attention to different types of anxiety disorders.  According to the NIMH agency of the United States government, most people with one anxiety disorder also have another anxiety disorder and nearly three-quarters with an anxiety disorder will have their first episode by age 21.  Moreover, statistics indicate that as many as 18 % of Americans suffer from one or more than one anxiety disorder.  

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by people going through through the day with worry and tension despite not having a rational reason for doing so.  Primarily, a person is diagnosed with GAD when s/he worries excessively about a variety of every problems.  They cannot seem to eradicate their worries even through they realize that their fears are irrational.  They can't relax, startle easily, and have difficulty concentrating.  Here's a quote from a GAD sufferer:

I always thought I was just a worrier. I’d feel keyed up and unable to relax. At times it would come and go, and at times it would be constant. It could go on for days. I’d worry about what I was going to fix for a dinner party, or what would be a great present for somebody. I just couldn’t let something go.”

When my problems were at their worst, I’d miss work and feel just terrible about it. Then I worried that I’d lose my job. My life was miserable until I got treatment.

I’d have terrible sleeping problems. There were times I’d wake up wired in the middle of the night. I had trouble concentrating, even reading the newspaper or a novel. Sometimes I’d feel a little lightheaded. My heart would race or pound. And that would make me worry more. I was always imagining things were worse than they really were. When I got a stomachache, I’d think it was an ulcer.

2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have persistent, upsetting thoughts (obsessions) and use rituals (compulsions) to control the anxiety that these thoughts produce.  A friend of mine who has OCD once told me that he literally thought in circles and he could not turn his brain off.  Often times, if the person is obsessed with germs, they will develop a ritual of washing their hands over and over again.  Performing the rituals is not pleasurable, but it does produce temporary relief from the anxiety created by obsessive thoughts.  It is healthy to have rituals such as checking to see if you turned off your lights on your car several times, but the difference is that people with OCD perform their rituals to a point where doing so interferes with their daily life.  OCD affects about 2.2 million American adults.  

I couldn’t do anything without rituals. They invaded every aspect of my life. Counting really bogged me down. I would wash my hair three times as opposed to once because three was a good luck number and one wasn’t. It took me longer to read because I’d count the lines in a paragraph. When I set my alarm at night, I had to set it to a number that wouldn’t add up to a ’bad’ number.

3. Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is characterized by sudden attacks of terror, generally accompanied by a pounding heart, sweatiness, weakness, and dizziness.  During these attacks, people with panic disorders may experience nausea, smothering sensations, chills, and numbing appendages.  Furthermore, panic attacks produce a sense of unreality, fear of impending doom, and a fear of losing control.  About 6 million American adults suffer from panic disorders and it is twice as common in women as men.  Often times, the sufferer cannot predict when the next panic attack will strike.

For me, a panic attack is almost a violent experience. I feel disconnected from reality. I feel like I’m losing control in a very extreme way. My heart pounds really hard, I feel like I can’t get my breath, and there’s an overwhelming feeling that things are crashing in on me.

4. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder than might develop after an event that results in psychological trauma.  Patients with PTSD will re-live the original trauma through flashbacks or nightmares.  Rape is the most likely trigger of PTSD with 65% of men and 45.9% of women who are raped developing the disorder.  Men and women who were abused sexually as children or spent time in battle on the front lines are more likely to developing PTSD.  It affects hundreds of thousands of people who have been exposed to rape, domestic violence, child abuse, war, accidents, and natural disasters.  

5. Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is characterized by people becoming overwhelmingly anxious or self-conscious in everyday social situations.  These people have an irrational, intense fear of being watched and judged by others or doing things that will embarrass them.  Although many people with social anxiety disorder know that their fears are excessive and unreasonable, they are unable to conquer them.  Physical symptoms associated with social anxiety disorder are blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, nausea, and difficulty talking.  

In any social situation, I felt fear. I would be anxious before I even left the house, and it would escalate as I got closer to a college class, a party, or whatever. I would feel sick in my stomach-it almost felt like I had the flu. My heart would pound, my palms would get sweaty, and I would get this feeling of being removed from myself and from everybody else.

Because I am not a licensed medial doctor, the research required for this note was extensive.  However, I think it's good to gain an understanding of the different manifestations of anxiety before moving on to treatments because each form of anxiety can be treated differently.  In my note, I will be focusing primarily on treatments for generalized anxiety disorder because it's the disorder I have the most experience with, but there is some overlap with regard to which type of anxiety a given treatment cures.