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5 Types of Anxiety Disorders & How to Manage Them

 

Anxiety disorders can be hard to spot and sometimes even harder to treat. Knowing what kind of disorder a person has can be important for making a good treatment plan.

The US Department of Health has identified five different types of anxiety disorder. In this article, we will first look at the different symptoms of these disorders and then at what experts say are the best ways to deal with them.

Five Different Kinds of Anxiety Disorders

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

This anxiety disorder is marked by a strong feeling of worry and tension that lasts for a long time and isn't caused by anything specific.

GAD can make it hard to work, travel, or even leave the house. It can also make you sleepless and tired at the same time, leaving many people in a constant state of tiredness .

2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 

Recurring, unwanted obsessions and doing the same things over and over again are signs of OCD. Even if a person is aware of how irrational they are, they may still not be able to stop. Different kinds of OCD include being obsessed with cleanliness, hoarding, and checking things like door locks or alarms over and over again.

3. Panic Disorder

This condition causes sudden, severe physical symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or dizziness that don't always make sense. Often, the person with it feels like they're having a heart attack, which makes them feel even worse.

A panic disorder is especially scary and overwhelming because it has physical effects and happens over and over again.

4. PTSD 

PTSD is usually linked to people who have been in the military, but it can happen to anyone who has seen a traumatic event, like a violent attack, an accident, or a natural disaster. People with PTSD might have flashbacks or nightmares about the event, reliving it over and over again, or they might get upset when something reminds them of that time.

People around them might think the person is emotionally distant, and they are also more likely to have periods of depression.

5. Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)

Social phobia is different from other kinds of anxiety because it is triggered by situations that people encounter every day. This can lead to low self-esteem or too much awareness of oneself, as well as other physical signs of anxiety, such as sweating .

People with this disorder will try to avoid certain situations or even use drugs to hide their inhibitions because they are afraid of doing something embarrassing.

How to Deal With Your Worry

There are many different kinds of anxiety disorders, and there are also many different ways to deal with them. Treatment should be tailored to each person, since what works for one person may not work for another.

In the end, there is no "perfect" treatment that is more effective when it comes to the best way to get better. Whether it's based on medicine, therapy, or a person's way of life, the patient should choose the treatment and the person who will give it to them. This can include one or more of the following:

1. Medicine

Therapy is often the first place people go to try to figure out what the problem is really about. So that the person can take steps to fix any bad behaviour that a disorder may be causing.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) tries to deal with how the patient feels emotionally. It helps the patient recognise and change thought patterns that might cause panic or deep anxiety. In fact, a study from the University of Pennsylvania found that CBT is one of the most effective ways to treat anxiety disorders [7, 8].

2. Healthy diet plans

Uma Naidoo, MD, of Harvard Medical School, says that diet is a big part of how to deal with anxiety [8]. When treating anxiety disorders, it can be very helpful to look at how a person eats and help them make a healthy diet plan.

For example, drinking less caffeine can make panic attacks less likely, and eating more complex carbohydrates, which are found in whole foods rather than processed foods, can help keep blood sugar levels more stable, making you feel calmer throughout the day [9, 10].

3. Medication

There are some medicines that can help with anxiety, but you should only take them if your doctor tells you to.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most common type of anti-depressant. They are especially helpful for people who have both anxiety and depression. Some people respond well to medications, but studies have questioned how well they work, mostly because they have bad side effects .

Beta-blockers slow down the heart rate by blocking the effects of adrenaline. This reduces the physical symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as shaking that can't be stopped.

Psychoactive drugs, like Benzodiazepines, are used to treat the most severe cases of anxiety because they work in the short term but can cause dependence and addiction 

4. Exercise aerobic exercise

Exercise is seen as a good way to treat anxiety disorders by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Even 5 minutes of aerobic exercise makes chemicals that make you feel less anxious. This, in turn, helps the immune system, makes patients feel like they have more control over their health, and lowers their stress levels even more.

5. Adequate Sleep

Harvard Medical School agrees that not getting enough sleep causes stress and can make depression worse

When you don't get enough sleep, you have less time for deep sleep and REM sleep, which are both important for your health and well-being. Regular, high-quality sleep slows down the heart rate and helps the body and mind heal, which lowers stress levels overall.

Conclusion

As we've seen, there are many different kinds of anxiety disorders, and each has its own set of troubling symptoms. Not many people can handle their anxiety on their own. So, you can do things to improve your sleep, diet, and physical activity, but it's best to get help from a professional. With the right help and care, it is possible to get over anxiety and live a happy, healthy life.

Content Source:-https://www.healthwebmagazine.com/mental-wellbeing/anxiety-disorders-and-how-to-manage/

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