What Are Anxiety Disorders? | Types, Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment

Anxiety disorders are conditions in which a person experiences anxiety that does not go away and may get worse over time. There are numerous types of anxiety disorders which range in severity.

Anxiety disorders are considered mental health conditions and can interfere with several aspects of a person’s daily life, including relationships with family members and friends, problems in the workplace, or poor performance in school.

Types Of Anxiety Disorders

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), there are a variety of anxiety disorders people live with, including:

• panic disorder
• generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• social anxiety disorder
• separation anxiety disorder
• selective mutism

Other anxiety disorders may manifest as phobias, or irrational or excessive fear. For instance, social anxiety disorder was previously referred to as a social phobia. Other phobias include agoraphobia.

While there are specific anxiety disorders, there are also some mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) which share similar features to anxiety disorders.

Causes Of Anxiety Disorders

There are several risk factors for developing an anxiety disorder. The causes may sometimes be unique due to the many disorders seen in people around the globe.

Some of the potential causes and risk factors of anxiety disorders include:

• genetics or a family history of mental illness
• experiencing traumatic events
• those with certain medical conditions such as arrhythmias or thyroid problems
• exposure to a stressful or harmful environment in adolescence
• feeling nervous during childhood when placed in different situations

Symptoms Of Anxiety Disorders

Those who suffer from an anxiety disorder experience multiple negative symptoms. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states some may be diagnosed with more than one anxiety disorder.

Side effects can be similar or vastly different depending on the type of disorder. Additionally, physical symptoms of anxiety may manifest with certain disorders.

Panic Disorder Symptoms

For instance, a person suffering from panic disorder may experience thoughts of intense fear followed by panic attacks. Panic attacks can cause feelings of impending doom, sweating, tremors, and a pounding heart rate. 

Chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and a rapid heartbeat may become severe and cause a person to feel as if they are experiencing a heart attack.

GAD Symptoms

Those with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) may experience constant feelings of anxiety which can lead to restlessness and the feeling of being on edge. Those with GAD also suffer from difficulty concentrating and trouble sleeping.

Social Anxiety Disorder Options

If you suffer from social anxiety disorder, you may have symptoms such as the fear of being watched and judged by others, extreme self-consciousness, or the fear of social situations such as events or activities. This disorder was once considered a social phobia.

Phobia Symptoms

Some phobias and conditions may cause significant anxiety as well. Agoraphobia is when a person avoids specific places or social situations.

Suffering from a specific phobia may cause a person to have an irrational fear of a specific object such as elevators, airplanes, or animals. 

The phobias may be classified as a disorder such as separation anxiety disorder in which a child or an adult has an extreme fear of leaving their loved ones.

Selective Mutism Symptoms

Selective mutism is a rare disorder in which a person refuses to speak despite the ability to do so. They may have feelings of shyness and never speak in social situations.

Other Symptoms

Other conditions associated with extreme anxiety include PTSD and OCD. 

With PTSD, a person has feelings of depression, night terrors, and agitation while those with OCD may have continuous obsessive thoughts or compulsions. Some obsessions may include the washing of hands excessively due to the fear of germs or bacteria.

Treatment Options For Anxiety Disorders

If you suspect a loved one or yourself is struggling with an anxiety disorder, speak with a mental health professional to help find the correct diagnosis as some disorders and symptoms can overlap with others.

Medication Options

To help treat symptoms associated with your anxiety disorder, a doctor may prescribe certain medications. These may include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, and other anti-anxiety medications.

Therapy Options

In addition to medication, there are types of therapy available for you. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, is a form of psychotherapy in which you speak with a professional about your anxious thoughts and feelings as a form of “talk therapy.”

Exposure therapy can help those struggling with certain phobias. Regularly attending self-help or support groups and being surrounded by others to share your experience suffering from an anxiety disorder can be therapeutic.

Outpatient/Inpatient Treatment

If you require mental health treatment, consider Ark Behavioral Health. We provide stress management options, daily activities, and treatment plans for your specific needs in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Speak with a healthcare representative today and learn more about our therapy options.