The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified stress as the most significant health epidemic of the 21st century. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, reported stress, anxiety, and depression rates have substantially risen worldwide. Anxiety is a normal emotion that is our brain’s way of alerting us to stress or danger. While occasional anxiety is okay, anxiety disorders are not. This class of mental health disorders causes constant and overwhelming anxiety and fear that disrupts daily life. Anxiety disorders occur on a spectrum from mild to severe. Your level of anxiety dictates your need for an anxiety treatment program in Florida.
If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, you are not alone. Luckily, anxiety disorders are highly treatable. When you are ready to stop anxiety from controlling your life, reach out to Harmony Hills. Call 855.494.0357 to learn about effective anxiety treatment.
Understanding the Different Types of Anxiety Disorders
When you suffer from anxiety, it can feel like your symptoms are all-consuming, but there are ways to treat and manage your symptoms. The first step is understanding what type of anxiety you have. Following is a closer look at the five most commonly diagnosed types of anxiety:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
This anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic anxiety, tension, and exaggerated worry, even when nothing is tangible to provoke these feelings.
Panic Disorder
This anxiety disorder is characterized by unexpected or repeated episodes of extreme fear accompanied by physical symptoms, including chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Panic attacks are intense and can be very frightening physically and psychologically.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD can develop following exposure to a terrifying event where a person’s sense of safety is threatened. Such events can include being the victim of a crime, a serious accident, significant loss, or a natural disaster. Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, but it can affect anyone, even children.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
This anxiety disorder is characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Compulsions occur to prevent or make the obsessions go away. Compulsions provide only temporary relief, and not performing them increases anxiety.
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
This anxiety disorder is characterized by overwhelming anxiety or excessive self-consciousness in ordinary social situations. Social anxiety disorder can center around a specific area, like public speaking, or encompass all social interactions.
Agoraphobia
This condition occurs in response to having panic attacks. If you have agoraphobia, your fear of having a panic attack or something terrible happening often causes you to avoid specific places or prevent you from leaving home.
Separation anxiety disorder, phobias, selective mutism, and substance- or medication-induced anxiety disorder are less common and profoundly impact daily functioning.
A Closer Look at GAD
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) impacts nearly four million American adults in any given year, though research points to increased levels of GAD since the onset of COVID-19. People with GAD tend always to expect disaster and cannot stop worrying about everyday life events for no reason. For people with GAD, their anxiety, stress, or worry level is unrealistic or out of proportion to the situation. These symptoms interfere with the person’s ability to focus on other tasks, like school, work, or obligations to family and friends.
Mental health professionals use a standard set of criteria to diagnose GAD, which includes:
- Excessive, ongoing worry or tension
- Restlessness or being constantly on edge
- Unrealistic view of problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Increased irritability
- Feeling easily fatigued or tired
- Sleep disturbances
- Muscle tension, muscle aches, and soreness
These symptoms cannot be caused by a medical condition or other problem and must be present for six months. GAD frequently has co-occurring disorders, including OCD, panic disorder, phobias, clinical depression, and substance use disorder.
Call Harmony Hills for an Anxiety Treatment Program
Anxiety disorders, including GAD, are often not preventable. However, treatment is highly effective if you stick with it. At Harmony Hills’ anxiety treatment program in Florida, you will receive education about your anxiety disorder, comprehensive therapy to address the underlying causes, and coping and life skills to manage your symptoms for the long term. Call us today at 855.494.0357 to learn how we can help.
