Anxiety disorders: types, causes, diagnosis and treatment

March 29, 2023

Diving into Anxiety Disorder: types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Introduction to Anxiety Disorder

Although we all experience anxiety on specific occasions when someone experiences excessive or persistent worry, it is termed anxiety disorder. When the intensity of worry or fear suddenly reaches a climax, it results in a panic attack. The following paragraphs will discuss about anxiety disorders types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Anxiety has been classified as a generalized disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and agoraphobia. Its symptoms can start at an early stage of life, i.e., childhood or adolescence, and may persist later in life. People who suffer from anxiety tend to have avoidance behavior and are worried about the future. People with anxiety disorder avoid a situation that causes their symptoms to trigger or aggravate. When people struggle to overcome persistent anxiety, it impacts their day-to-day activities.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

Some of the symptoms of type of anxiety disorder include:

Increased heart rate
Feeling restless, nervous, or tense
Trembling
Difficulty in getting a sleep
Difficulty in overcoming worry
Avoid places, people, or things that trigger anxiety.
A feeling of tiredness or weakness
Trouble in concentration

Anxiety Disorders Types and Causes

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

In generalized anxiety disorder, people suffer from continuous and excessive worry, impacting their daily lives. The persistent concern may often be related to family affairs, health issues, or jobs. This constant worry also includes physical symptoms such as restlessness, disturbed sleeping patterns, tiredness, and difficulty concentrating.

Panic Attacks

People who experience a panic attack have a feeling of a heart attack or another major health issue. A panic attack involves intense psychological and physiological distress. Panic attacks may be associated with other underlying mental disorders, such as depression. Some of the symptoms of a panic attack may include the following:

Feeling of choking
High palpitation rate
Rapid heart rate
Feeling dizzy or faint
Fear of dying
Numbness or tingling
Chill or hot flashes
Chest pain
Shortness of breath

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia involves assuming a situation in which a person feels trapped, and it is hard to escape, or there may not be a possibility of getting help in the event of panic symptoms. The assumption of such a fear is generally much greater than the actual probability of a problem. People who are suffering from agoraphobia experience this fear in various situations:

Being in enclosed places
Being in open spaces
While using public transportation
Being in a crowd

People with agoraphobia prefer a companion as they experience excessive fear or anxiety when alone.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Those who suffer from social anxiety disorder feel uncomfortable in social gatherings due to fear of being rejected, looked down, embarrassed, or humiliated. This fear overpowers them when they meet people for the first time, eat or drink in a public place or speak in public. People with social anxiety disorder avoid participation in social gatherings.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

This childhood disorder involves a fear of separation from loved ones. People who suffer from this disorder may be apprehensive about being separated from those they feel incredibly attached. And as a result, such people avoid going out of their homes without accompanying the person; they have emotional bonding.

Specific Phobia

People with a specific phobia are confronted with excessive anxiety when faced with a situation or object they want to avoid. Phobias can sometimes lead to a panic attack.

Anxiety caused by physical health problems

Sometimes underlying physical health conditions can cause severe anxiety or panic.

Selective mutism

Children affected with this kind of anxiety find it challenging to speak in school or other places while they are comfortable conversing at home in the presence of their family members.

Unspecified anxiety disorders

Unspecified anxiety disorder involves anxiety or phobias that do not fall into specific anxiety categories but can be intense and distressing.

Substance-induced anxiety or panic

Substance-induced anxiety or panic is caused by excessive misuse of medications, drug withdrawal, or exposure to toxic substances.

Causes of Anxiety Disorder

There is not much known about anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder can often be genetically coupled with environmental factors. Traumatic events in life can aggravate anxiety among those who are already prone to anxiety.

Medical Causes

Anxiety can often be the result of underlying health conditions. Health conditions that can contribute to anxiety include:

Diabetes
Drug misuse or withdrawal
Heart disease
Irritable bowel syndrome
Thyroid problems
Chronic pain
Withdrawal from anti-anxiety or other medications

Factors that contribute to anxiety disorder

Stress associated with illness – Major illnesses can significantly contribute to anxiety, such as cancer, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

Trauma – Past traumatic experiences or events can contribute to the development of anxiety among children. Even adults can develop anxiety caused by past traumatic events in life.

Mental health disorder – People suffering from depression are also likely to develop anxiety.

Stressful event – Stressful life experiences such as the death of a close family member or stress related to work, study, and financial matters can also contribute to anxiety.

Misuse of drugs – Misuse of drugs or their withdrawal can also cause anxiety.

Genetic – Anxiety disorder can be passed on through genes of blood relatives.

Impact of anxiety on other mental or physical conditions – Anxiety can contribute to the development of other psychological or physical disorders, such as:

Insomnia
Irritable bowel or indigestion
Depression
Chronic pain or headache
Social isolation
Poor performance at work or school

Prevention and Management

One should not delay consulting a doctor to determine the causes of anxiety. One should take proper treatment if a doctor diagnoses anxiety disorder. Usually, the treatment of anxiety involves psychotherapy and medications.

Anxiety can be considerably controlled or reduced when people pursue hobbies or leisure activities to keep themselves occupied in activities such as kayaking, playing games, listening to music, painting, socializing, etc.

Social interaction is essential for those who suffer from an anxiety disorder. “Man is by nature a social animal,” Aristotle, the legendary Greek philosopher, had said. Man cannot live in isolation by breaking the shackles of mutual dependence.

In addition to treatment, yoga, meditation, and relaxation exercises have effectively controlled anxiety.

A collaborative effort by researchers at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has developed a computational tool for understanding brain health and disease. This tool will facilitate reading brain activity during sleep.

References:

1. Mayo Clinic. Anxiety Disorder. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961) Accessed August 22, 2022.

2. Muskin, R. Philip (2021). What are Anxiety Disorders? (https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders) Accessed August 23, 2022.

3. Johns Hopkins. Phobias. (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/phobias) Accessed August 23, 2022

4. Cleveland Clinic. Anxiety Disorders. (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9536-anxiety-disorders) Accessed August 20, 2022

5. Bridger, H. (October 18, 2022). Fingerprinting Sleeping Brain Activity. Harvard Medical School. (https://hms.harvard.edu/news/fingerprinting-sleeping-brain-activity). Accessed October 31, 2022