More about Anxiety

Types of Depression
Signs and Symptoms
Treatment

Types of Anxiety

There are several different types of anxiety disorders. Knowing about different types can help you identify what kind of treatments are available. The following are some common types.

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Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - people with generalised anxiety disorder feel anxious and worried more often than not, in situations that are not necessarily stressful. It is a persistent feeling that can interfere with daily functioning.
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Social Phobia - people with social phobia will often feel anxious, worried, and embarrassed in public spaces. They may find it hard to talk to other people, and avoid places with a lot of people.
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Phobias - a phobia is having an irrational fear of something specific. The specific thing may cause a person to feel excessively anxious and worried to the point of dysfunction. Some common phobias may be needles, tight spaces, heights, blood, or water.
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Panic disorder - a person with panic disorder would often have a panic attack when experiencing feelings of fear and anxiety. Panic attacks are when your body physically reacts to those feelings and exhibits symptoms similar to a heart attack. Experiencing one can lead to agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in a situation or place where help is unavailable, should a panic attack occur.

Signs and Symptoms

Each type of anxiety usually has their own unique symptoms. However, anxiety also has common symptoms across the board. It’s important to seek a professional if you feel you’re exhibiting some of these symptoms persistently to get a correct diagnosis.

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Panic attacks - experiencing a combination of physical symptoms, such as hyperventilation, increased heart rate and muscle tension, trembling and dizziness, hot or cold flushes, nausea, and sweating, and fainting.
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Other physical symptoms - dry mouth, hair loss, extreme fatigue, restlessness, feelings of numbness or tingling.
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Excessive worrying thoughts - obsessively thinking about the fear, catastrophizing or always believing that the worst is going to happen.
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Avoidance - deliberately avoiding situations that cause anxiousness. This becomes a problem when the situations are necessary for day-to-day life, or impacts work and social life.

Treatment

Treatments for anxiety will help you take control of your anxiety so that you can continue to live an effective, functioning life. There are many different types of psychological treatments with a professional and things that you can do yourself to help overcome anxiety.

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Therapy - talking to someone can help you think differently about your worries and fears so that you can control it and reduce those irrational thoughts. Some people might like talking one-on-one with a professional, or be in a group setting with other people that can support them. It’s important to find the right professional to help you.
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Medication - for conditions where anxiety is severe, a doctor may prescribe antidepressants to help deal with the symptoms of anxiety. They are often prescribed in combination with psychological treatment.
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Management strategies - things that you can do yourself to help reduce anxiety may be slow, deep breathing, relaxation techniques, such as meditation, journaling, eating and sleeping properly, setting time aside for worrying, and/or learning to be patient and kind to yourself.

Further Resources

1

"Types of anxiety". Beyond Blue. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/types-of-anxiety

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"Social Phobia". Beyond Blue. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/types-of-anxiety

3

"General Anxiety Disorder". Beyond Blue. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/types-of-anxiety

4

"Types of Anxiety". Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/types-of-anxiety#anxiety-types

5

“Anxiety Disorders”. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders

6

"What are the main types of anxiety disorder?". Australian Government Department of Health. https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pubs-w-whatanx-toc~mental-pubs-w-whatanx-typ

7

"Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety". Beyond Blue. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/signs-and-symptoms

8

"Anxiety Management Strategies". Beyond Blue. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/treatments-for-anxiety/anxiety-management-strategies

9

"Treatments for Anxiety". Beyond Blue. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/treatments-for-anxiety