Types of Anxiety

I am fascinated with mental illness and how the brain works, most likely because my own brain is a little messed up. It’s interesting to me to see why we do the things we do or how the brain connects different things that we don’t even consciously realize.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US, affecting over 40 million adults every year. Less than half of people affected seek out treatment and I can’t understand it. If you know something doesn’t feel right, what’s the harm in getting it checked out?

If you broke your arm you would go to a doctor, right? There’s nothing different about a mental injury. There are plenty of ways to feel better, including things you can do on your own, but sometimes you can’t do it all by yourself. So please, if you think you have an anxiety disorder or any other mental disorders, please see a licensed psych doctor for more help.



I created this blog to have a space to share my ideas and photographic studies but also to spread the word about mental health, most specifically anxiety and depression. These are issues I deal with and feel like I have enough experience to guide others along the way. I have learned many tricks to combat my anxiety and I can’t wait to share them, but again, my little tips are only supposed to support any regime you and your doctor are already on.

Most mental illnesses don’t go away, no matter how many treatments or therapy sessions you have. It’s not a switch that just goes on and off whenever you feel like it. If you are unfortunate enough to be diagnosed (by a professional) with a mental illness, you’re generally stuck with it for life. (The exception being PTSD, but we’ll get to that in a minute.)

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn everything you can about how to fight your illness and keep it at bay so you can have a more peaceful life. People with mental illnesses aren’t broken or ruined. They just need to know themselves and what works for them to be able to function as well as possible.

(Source: Twitter)

So anxiety in and of itself is characterized by excessive worry and stress affecting your everyday life. Anxiety disorders come from a number of factors including personal life events, brain chemistry, genetic disposition, and personality. This last one confuses me the most. Sometimes I’m not sure which parts of my personality are just who I am and which parts are my anxiety disorder. And I’ll probably never know for sure!

Depression and anxiety are linked together. Nearly half of people who have an anxiety disorder also have Depression, and I am part of that statistic. Depression is a whole different ball game, but it does affect your anxiety disorder when dealing with both. Consider this also when deciding to seek medical help. Depression mixed with anxiety is a pretty crappy situation if left untreated.

Anxiety comes in many different forms in terms of diagnosable disorders, symptoms, bodily changes, and thought processes. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, there are five main anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Panic disorder

These are the most common forms of anxiety and each has it’s own unique trials and treatments. There are many other anxiety disorders and even the ones I just listed have sub-levels and different branches, but today I’m only going to talk about the main five. It’s difficult to describe what anxiety is when there are so many different types, so I decided to go more into detail about each.

Common Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety might not look the same on you as it does someone else. People each have their own issues based on their experiences and things they have to deal with in their life.

Some typical physical symptoms of anxiety include (but are not limited to):

Dizzyness

Headaches

Ringing ears

Shallow breathing

Sweating profusely

Inability to catch your breath

Confusion/out of body experience

Uncontrollable crying

Racing heart rate

Dry mouth

Chest pain

Shakiness

Stammering

Typical emotional symptoms in people with anxiety disorders include (again, not limited to):

Desire to control events or situations

Quick to anger or irritability

Difficulty managing emotions

Overplanning

Excessive worry/stress

Perfectionist tendencies, believing that unless you to do something perfectly you have failed

Clingyness/Attatchment

Avoidance behavior

Heightened emotional sensitivity

Trouble concentrating/focusing

Sleeping too much or not enough



Common Treatments

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a good treatment option for people with anxiety disorders. This type of therapy involves anxiety management and controlled exposure to fears/anxieties in social situations. Eventually you learn how to control your responses to scary or negative things. CBT is exactly what it sounds like. You learn to train your brain to act the correct way.

CBT takes many forms. One is exposure therapy, which is extremely helpful for some people with anxiety, especially people with social phobia. This type of therapy involves careful and guided exposure to situations of intense anxiety. Over time, you can build confidence and feel more comfortable in those situations. Exposure therapy lets you develop more healthy responses to fears and anxieties.

CBT also involves anxiety management techniques like breathing exercises and relaxation. For more info on CBT, click here.

The Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response

Anxiety stems from the amygdala in the brain, which controls your fear response (that fight, flight, or freeze reflex). In a normal threatening situation, your brain would instinctively and immediately react, activating the sympathetic nervous system, which then causes a chain reaction throughout your body. Adrenaline is released, tunnel vision activates, and your body prepares to defend itself.

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This is a normal bodily reaction to unpleasant stimuli. It becomes a problem for people with anxiety because their body reacts to stiumuli that doesn’t even exist. It’s like the brain works itself into a tizzy over nothing. Sometimes it’s imaginary, crazy things that MIGHT happen in the future. Sometimes it’s something so small that no one else even notices or cares.

Imagine being chased by a bear. You’re freaking out, your heart is racing, and subconsciously your body tells you to run from the threat. Your only concern in that instant is protecting yourself and surviving. Eventually you manage to outrun the bear, you catch your breath, and all your body’s systems return to normal.

This is how people with anxiety feel when whatever triggers they have present themselves. Someone with social anxiety may equate going to a party with being chased by a bear. Someone with general anxiety might feel similar about big thunderstorms, going to the doctor, or just dealing with every day problems.

It’s understandable that people with anxiety are tired all the time. Their body is in a state of constant vigilance and panic, ready for fight or flight at any time.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the most common disorder out of the 5 main disorders, affecting a whopping 6.8 million people in the US. People who suffer with GAD worry excessively, sometimes about ridiculous what-ifs that will probably never happen. GAD often goes hand in hand with major depression.

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I have GAD so let me give you some examples. Every time I am in a bathroom I worry myself silly that I will fall and hit my head or face on the side of the counter top or the edge of the bathtub. Every. Single. Time.

Decision-making is hard for me because every choice is either going to ruin my life or cause another problem. Usually this only happens with big decisions but sometimes just deciding which day to pick up groceries is enough to stress me out.

Sometimes I let “what ifs” get the best of me. What if I get into a car accident today? What if I go to pay and all my credit cards get declined? What if I get a terminal illness and I need someone to take care of me?

There are a million little things like this that keep my mind running constantly, even when nothing ever actually happens. This leads me to overprepare, overplan, and hyper-control everything to make sure the odds of something going wrong are as low as possible.

(crazyheadcomics)

Treatment

GAD is diagnosed by a mental health professional, and there are many things you can do to treat it: cognitive behavior therapy, affirmations, yoga/meditation, prescribed medication, over the counter medication, and more. Talk with your doctor and see what might work best for you. What works for me might not work for you because everyone experiences anxiety differently.

Support here:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is brought on by a traumatic, life-threatening event that physically alters your brain and causes stress and anxiety that interfere with normal activities.

PTSD is sometimes only temporary, as time and therapy can heal like a bandaid. Other times it may stick around for longer. Either way, most of the anxiety comes from dealing with a specific event in the past as opposed to new and terrifying experiences on a daily basis.

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PTSD is most common in soldiers coming home from war or people that have been abused, attacked, or experienced any other traumatic events such as a family home burning down or a bad car accident. Treatment is lots of therapy with trained professionals combined with space and time from your traumatic event.

Your brain physically changes when you have PTSD. The hippocampus, in control of memory storage, shrinks. The prefrontal cortex shrinks and the amygdala goes into hyper-drive. Some people say PTSD is not a mental illness but instead a psychological injury because of these physical changes. For more information on the brain with PTSD, read this article.

If you know someone with PTSD, the best thing you can do for them is acknowledge their experience, listen, encourage, support, respect their need for space if they need it, and maybe even ask directly what you can do to help them because it will vary. A lot of times there is no right or wrong answer.

However, always avoid judging or pitying someone with PTSD, or telling them to “just get over it”. I can tell you right now no one with any kind of mental illness wants to hear that. Obviously if we could simply “get over it”, we would.

More Info on Post-Traumatic Stress

These articles have great info (courtesy of ptsduk.org):

Panic Disorder is categorized by excessive and frequent panic attacks. While panic attacks can be common with General Anxiety disorder, they usually aren’t a common occurrence. When you have more than a few panic attacks in one month, as opposed to one attack per year, you may have Panic Disorder.

A panic attack is a sudden episode of fear and panic, accompanied by other symptoms like sweating, fast-beating heart, or dizziness. Some people say they feel like they’re dying or having a heart attack instead of a panic attack.

(thebestbrainpossible.com)

6 million people are currently living with panic disorder, but yet again, less than half are receiving treatment. I have to wonder how the majority are coping all by themselves with such a terrible disorder. It must be so hard; I wish I could convince every struggling person to reach out for help so they don’t have to suffer alone.

Signs you may have Panic Disorder:

Frequent panic attacks (more than 2 per month)

(more than 2 per month) Fear or dread of upcoming attacks

of upcoming attacks Quickened heart rate/heart palpitations

Shortness of breath

Unexplained nausea or other digestive problems

Dizziness/lightheaded

Disorientation

Hot flashes or chills

Panic attacks while asleep

Avoidance behaviors

“Derealization” (feeling like things are not real; detached from self)

Source: Tumblr

People with Panic Disorder live in constant anticipation of their next attack, and oftentimes that is the worst part– not knowing when or where it will happen. Facing fears and anxieties is essential for overcoming Panic Disorder. If the person is willing to try to overcome their fear then it gives the anxiety less power over them.

Treatment

Panic Disorder is diagnosed if the person is having recurring panic attacks (two or more per month) followed by intense worry and dread about when the next attack will strike or avoiding behaviors relating to triggers.

This disorder can be treated with therapy or medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy is great for learning how to recognize irrational thoughts and maybe ways to overcome them. Identifying negative thoughts or behaviors is the first step in trying to control them.

Medications for Panic Disorder are commonly antidepressants, benzodiazepines (benzos) like Valium or Xanax. Beta-blockers are rarely used because of the risk of addiction.

We’re not entirely sure what causes Panic Disorder. We do know there is a big link between this disorder and addiction. If untreated, the symptoms can become so bad people will resort to whatever means necessary to ease the anxiety and fear they are feeling. Since alcohol (amongst other narcotics) numbs the brain’s chemicals, it can lead the person down the path of addiction. Around 20% of people in a study with Panic Disorder also had a lifetime history of alcoholism.

CBT teaches people more productive ways to respond to panicked feelings that arise or fear of another episode. If you learn to pinpoint your triggers then you can learn different coping strategies to help your mind and body calm down.

Support here:

Social phobia is categorized by overwhelming anxiety and fear of everyday social interaction and social situations. It affects almost 7% of the US population, men and women equally.

People with Social Anxiety overthink and worry about what other people think of them. They may avoid social situations or places where crowds gather. Being around other people makes them feel extremely self-conscious and worry about being judged or embarrassed.

Social Anxiety is different from having an introverted personality. introverts don’t necessarily mind being around people, but they do need extra time after to recharge by themselves. They may prefer being alone to being in a big group, but being in a large group doesn’t send them into a panic and whirlwind of terror like it would for someone suffering from social phobia.

When people find out about my social anxiety they usually say something along the lines of, “People aren’t scary! Just be yourself.”

It’s true!

But like I said before, anxiety is not something you can just turn on and off. I 100% realize that what I’m saying sounds ridiculous but I can’t help it. I will still feel that way in my bones no matter what anyone says, including my own damn self.

Social anxiety affects my everyday life in that I’m especially wary of other humans, especially when they talk to me. I hate small talk and often wonder if what I’m saying (or said) sounded dumb or if it’s relevant at all.

People like cashiers probably don’t even notice my issues because most of it is just in my head. They might notice I look nervous or talk fast but most of the anxiety is all made up in my head. I know this because of constant reassurance from my boyfriend that nothing I said or did looked silly.

Social phobia can come from genetics, trauma during childhood, chemical imbalances, or environmental factors. It’s difficult to put a finger on any one thing that causes mental illness because there’s SO MANY factors that go into it.

Anxiety can be inherited from parents through watching and learning during early childhood or by having parents that are overly protective. Someone with parents that have any kind of anxiety disorders are predisposed to having it themselves.

Genetics don’t necessarily cause anxiety, but it definitely puts them at a greater risk. SAD is most likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, like being bullied as a young child.

Some Common Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder:

Anxiety and paranoia in public places such as the grocery store or the post office because people will be “watching” and “judging”

such as the grocery store or the post office because people will be and High levels of anxiety about public speaking .

. Anxiety about meeting people in groups .

. Extreme feelings of inferiority or inadequacy (feeling like other people are smarter/cooler/funnier than you or that you have nothing of value to add to conversation

(feeling like other people are smarter/cooler/funnier than you or that you have nothing of value to add to conversation Extremely sensitive to criticism from others

from others Intense fear of being judged by others

by others Difficulty maintaining relationships (with any other human)

May also be hard to hold down a job, pick up groceries, or even leave the house

Paranoia about what others think of you to the point where you avoid social interaction s altogether

s altogether Self-consciousness and embarrassment around other people

around other people Excessive worry about upcoming social situations

Treatment

Treatments for SAD can range from social skill training, behavioral therapy, medication, to exposure therapy. Negative thinking is the key to social anxiety, therefore behavior and exposure therapy can be successful. You can train your brain to recognize certain feelings or situations before they happen and learn different coping strategies.

You essentially get used to different situations and how you react to them so when the real thing comes up it’s easier to deal with.

Believe it or not, there are actual medications out there specifically for social anxiety. But you can also take anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications as well.

**Side note: In my research I also read that some SAD sufferers were being prescribed Gabapentin, which is a medication for migraines. I think that’s so funny because I was given Gabapentin for my cat when we went on our cross-country road trip. It makes kitties sleepy and docile and not so freaked out (anyone who knows anything about cats knows that car rides are literally cats’ least favorite thing.) But holy hell, Gabapentin seems to have a multitude of uses!

Social Anxiety affects around 20 million people in the US. It’s something we should be more aware of and try to understand.

For more info:

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is based on the uncontrollable need to do things repeatedly or in a certain way, usually referred to as compulsions. When compulsions are not done, anxiety mounts. When I was a child I just thought OCD meant people who are afraid of germs or want everything to be straight and orderly.

Later I found out OCD consists of much more and can have many different affects based on each different person. OCD affects over 2 million people in the US. It’s much more common than I thought.

Fun Fact: Hoarding is a type of OCD. 1 in every 4 people with OCD have some kind of hoarding problem. They obsessively collect things and refuse to give them up, even when it interferes with family or sanitation.

Common Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:

Obsessive thinking

thinking Need to control things

things fear of loss of control

Loss of control of behavior

Counting/Cleaning/Tapping

Needing to have things in a specific order/quantity/place

Having recurring mental thoughts or images that cause anxiety

Needing to check things again and again to ease anxiety

again and again to ease anxiety Having extreme anxiety when rituals are not done or done correctly

when rituals are not done or done correctly Cannot control thoughts and behaviors, even when logically it seems ridiculous.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is based around obsessions and compulsions (you with me so far? that’s pretty straightforward). Obsessions are fears, thoughts, images, or urges that cause anxiety. People with anxiety are overthinkers but OCD takes it further into obsession. It becomes all they can think about until….

The compulsion is performed. Compulsions are behaviors that a person would do to ease their anxiety. For example, someone who is afraid of their house being broken into would check and double check the locks to the house. But then they obsess about it and have to keep checking to make sure the door is still locked.

That’s just one example. OCD sufferers usually have a lot of obsessions and therefore a lot of compulsions that sometimes get in the way of normal life. Some compulsions are physical, like checking the lock on the front door. Mental rituals can be thoughts that swirl around in your head over and over. Things like saying a “good” word to make up for a “bad” word, counting, or repeating mantras or phrases.

The french used to call OCD “la folie du doute”, which means “the madness of doubt. Doubt and uncertainty are big for people with OCD. This disorder makes people doubt themselves or even their simple surroundings.

Treatment

OCD is treated with CBT and sometimes medication. Through therapy people with OCD learn that their fears are irrational, unjustified, and that their anxiety can be relieved without performing a ritual or compulsion.

If you think you might have OCD, seek out professional help. Untreated OCD can become an unimaginable hurdle that can drastically affect normal routines and everyday life. Treatment can help people regain control and feel some relief from the anxiety of compulsions.

More Info About OCD

My Story

Personally, I deal with GAD and SAD on a daily basis. I’m gad and sad haha. Through trial and error and lots of self reflection, I am at a place where I can observe my anxiety from the outside and kind of control it (or at least not let it control my life).

My symptoms can range anywhere from stress headaches to throwing up to acting irritable to picking at my fingers. I know my triggers and how to make myself feel better. Sometimes it’s still really, really hard.

But it helps me to know that there are other people out there like me, that think they are insane or weird because their brain works differently than other people’s. You are not alone and there’s nothing wrong with you.

Consider getting treatment if you haven’t already because it really does make a world of difference!

**Please Note: I am not a licensed medical practitioner of any kind. All of my knowledge comes from my own research or personal experience. Please consult your doctor if you think you are suffering from mental illness and refrain from self-diagnoses.

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