What Are The Main Anxiety Types and How Can You Deal with Them with Placetochat?

By  //  June 1, 2022

Every single person has been anxious at some point in their life. Sadly, in our current society, mental health issues are being trivialized. When you are faced with anxiety, people do not take this condition seriously. Their only advice may just be to endure it or to go chill for some time. But ignoring your mental health is quite a harmful approach to your overall well-being. 

It is important to point out that anxiety is different from anxiety disorders. Understanding this will help you learn the methods to adopt in tackling them. Let’s talk about anxiety first!

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal feeling we get when we are in difficult life circumstances. Most people link anxiety to fear, but these two are not the same. Fear is a reaction to a sudden danger that instantly subsides and wanes off shortly after the experience. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a reaction to more unpredictable dangers that tend to last for longer periods. For example, feelings of anxiety might spring up when asked to deliver a speech publicly, especially when it is your first attempt. 

You do not always need medical treatment before you can snap out of anxiety. Some relaxation techniques like deep breathing and yoga can be of great relief.

“Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.” — Walter Anderson.

What Is an Anxiety Disorder?

According to Dr. Jen Gunter in one of her TED speeches, anxiety disorder is not an ordinary feeling of fear or discomfort. It is a health problem and should be treated by professionals. Anxiety disorders are often accompanied by hypertension, insomnia, headaches, discomfort in some muscle groups, uncontrollable distress, etc.

Surprisingly, an anxiety disorder can be as severe as diabetes or stroke and may require just the same maximum attention as these diseases. Studies have shown that anxiety disorders affect about 40 million people in America. However, only about 36.9 percent of people with an anxiety disorder receive treatment. When you have an anxiety disorder, you shouldn’t manage it yourself. Seek medical attention immediately.

6 Types of Anxiety Disorders:

According to Mental Health UK and WebMD, there are 6 main types of anxiety disorders, every one of which has specific symptoms and characteristics.

■ Generalized Anxiety Disorder

This is the most common type of anxiety disorder to be diagnosed. Those suffering from this disorder experience severe and chronic distress that can suppress their ability to work, have a family, go to school, and participate in other areas of life. 

People with generalized anxiety disorder find it hard to point out the reason for their anxiety.

It can be associated with such symptoms as: 

■ muscles in distress.

■ Sleeplessness

■ grumpiness.

■ Chronic fatigue

■ and difficulty concentrating.

■ Unrest

■ Separation Anxiety Disorder

This deals with developing an intense fear of separation from a person, a pet, or a cherished place. This type of anxiety disorder causes increased stress in human beings. That occurs, especially when a person feels that their attachment figure will abandon them, and they will have to be alone. 

Separation anxiety disorder is more common in children than in adults. Some of the symptoms include:

■ trouble staying or sleeping alone.

■ recurring nightmares.

■ restlessness before separation.

■ Feelings of panic about losing an attachment figure.

■ lack of concentration, especially when away from the attachment figure.

■ They panic about intruders invading their space when their attachment figure is away.

■ Social Anxiety Disorder

It’s also known as social phobia. That is the fear of having to socialize, especially when in a group of strangers or at an event. People with social anxiety are always concerned about being judged negatively by others. They prefer to keep quiet rather than speak their minds and embarrass themselves.

Social anxiety disorder is perceived to have resulted from a mixture of genetic and environmental components. It can cause a strain on a person’s relationships with other people.

It can be associated with:

■ Fear of public speaking.

■ Difficulty communicating with unfamiliar people.

■ Worrying about being noticed by people

■ So as not to get judged, you prefer not to get involved in certain situations.

■ Worrying about being ridiculed.

One with social anxiety disorder can begin to manage their situation by consciously damning the consequences and begin to interact with others and express their feelings more openly. It’s also not obvious to meet people face-to-face. You can start with distant communication on social networking platforms like Placetochat.

■  Agoraphobia

This type of anxiety disorder is linked with the fear of getting into a dangerous situation without the hope of escaping from it or being safe again. 

Examples of this disorder are:

■ Feelings of having an accident when standing by the road.

■ Fear of being involved in a plane crash or road accident.

■ Fear of being in congested areas.

■ Fear of leaving your house to not get into danger

■ Fear of entering elevators

■ Health Anxiety Disorder

Health anxiety disorder is associated with panicking about having a particular disease or the possibility of getting one. People with a health anxiety disorder may start experiencing the symptoms of the illness they fear. They often link their symptoms to serious conditions. 

Signs that you have a health anxiety disorder include:

■ Using other people for validation of your health status.

■ Doubting whether your test results are correct.

■ Constantly examine the body for injuries or lumps.

■ panicking about the possibility of inheriting a particular illness from a family member.

■ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

PTSD has to do with feelings of grief, especially after a traumatic circumstance like the loss of property, abuse, or the death of a loved one. You can feel the trauma of the situation for months or even years after it occurred.

Symptoms include:

■ throwback memories

■ nightmares about a dead loved one

■ Repeated bitterness and outbursts of emotion

■ loss of concentration

■ feelings of anxiety

■ Sleepless nights

Here are 7 actionable steps that may help you deal with anxiety disorders:

While anxiety disorders should be addressed by a professional, you can use recommendations from Healthline and Mayo Clinic Health System to  improve your state of mind with a habit change and more mindful approach to living. 

1. Eat a Balanced Diet

Research has shown that a balanced diet containing all the needed nutrition sources and lots of vitamins and minerals will help improve the gut microbiome, which has been linked to controlling our mood and dealing with feelings of anxiety. 

2. Practice Relaxation Techniques

Some relaxation techniques, like deep breathing and meditation, have been recommended by therapists and can be a relief in the long run. Instead of your body getting tense and your heartbeat rising out of proportion, you can slow down the acute stress response and improve your feelings at the moment with meditation and breathwork.

3. Try Mental Behavior Therapy

According to Dr. Jen Gunter and an article published by Ana Gotter and Molly Burford, on behavioral therapy, “Mental behavior therapy is a psychological treatment that has been proven to help deal with a spectrum of problems like anxiety disorders and cognitive-related sickness.” Mental or cognitive behavior therapy can help rehabilitate those neural treatments and slow down anxiety reactions. Studies have shown that mental behavioral therapy can lead to a restoration in performance and boost the quality of mental health and overall well-being.

4. Get Medication if Prescribed

Medication can also provide relief from an anxiety disorder. Ensure you get your medical prescriptions from an experienced therapist. Follow the instructions from your therapist or doctor.

5. Sleep is Essential

Sufficient sleep helps calm your nerves and relax your brain. You can speak with your therapist to get medication if you have insomnia and are not getting enough sleep.

6. Identify Your Stimulants

Identify the situations that trigger your anxiety and learn the techniques to deal with the nervous feelings when you find yourself in them. Your therapist or doctor could be of assistance to you. 

7. Find a supportive community

If there are no positive and supportive individuals around you, try to find your community online. Communication platforms like Placetochat may greatly help you with this.

To further take you into the world of anxiety-free living, Placetochat may serve as a place to be. On Placetochat you may find people looking for quality communication and engaging in mind-shifting discussions that can boost your mental health and keep you on your toes as you navigate through life.

Join Placetochat to find your community!