Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, uneasiness, tension, and worried thoughts. Anxiety can also lead to physical issues such as increased blood pressure.
Anxiety is not the same as fear, but they are often used interchangeably. Fear is an appropriate, present-oriented, and short-lived response to an identifiable and specific threat. However, anxiety is not temporary and can be overwhelming.
Anxiety disorders are conditions in which you have anxiety that does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships.
Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:
Anxiety is not the same as fear, but they are often used interchangeably. Fear is an appropriate, present-oriented, and short-lived response to an identifiable and specific threat. However, anxiety is not temporary and can be overwhelming.
Anxiety disorders are conditions in which you have anxiety that does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships.
Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:
- Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom
- Having an increased heart rate
- Hyperventilation
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Feeling weak or tired
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
- Having trouble sleeping
- Experiencing gastrointestinal problems
- Having difficulty controlling worry
- Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
There are several types of anxiety disorders, including:
- Generalized anxiety disorder– this condition causes fear, worry, and a constant feeling of being overwhelmed, characterized by an excessive, frequent, and unrealistic worry about everyday things such as job responsibilities, health, or chores.
- Agoraphobia– this condition causes an intense fear of becoming overwhelmed or unable to escape or get help. People with agoraphobia often avoid new places and unfamiliar situations, like large, open areas or enclosed spaces, crowds outside of their homes.
- Panic disorder– this condition involves multiple unexpected panic attacks. A main feature of the condition is that the attacks usually happen without warning and aren’t due to another mental health or physical condition. Some people with panic disorder also have agoraphobia.
- Specific phobias– a phobia is when something causes you to feel fear or anxiety that’s so severe it consistently and overwhelmingly disrupts your life. There are hundreds of different types of phobias, and there is one diagnosis for all of them: specific phobia. Only one phobia, agoraphobia, is a distinct diagnosis.
- Social anxiety disorder– this condition (formerly known as social phobia) happens when you experience intense and ongoing fear of being judged negatively and/or watched by others.
- Separation anxiety disorder– this condition happens when you feel excessive anxiety when you’re separated from a loved one, like a primary caregiver. While separation anxiety in babies and toddlers is a normal stage of development, separation anxiety disorder can affect children and adults.
- Selective mutism– this condition happens when you don’t talk in certain situations because of fear or anxiety. It usually affects young children, but it can also affect adolescents and adults.
Other mental health conditions share features with anxiety disorders. These include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute distress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The causes of anxiety disorders aren’t fully understood. Life experiences such as traumatic events appear to trigger anxiety disorders in people who are already prone to anxiety.
To help diagnose an anxiety disorder, a mental health provider may:
The causes of anxiety disorders aren’t fully understood. Life experiences such as traumatic events appear to trigger anxiety disorders in people who are already prone to anxiety.
To help diagnose an anxiety disorder, a mental health provider may:
- Give you a psychological evaluation
- Compare your symptoms to the criteria in the DSM-5
The two main treatments for anxiety disorders are psychotherapy and medications. You may benefit most from a combination of the two. Finding out which treatments work best for you may take some trial and error.
If you need the assistance and support of a mental health professional at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-206-5575, to schedule an appointment.
