What’s the difference between regular anxiety and an anxiety disorder?
Anxiety is a part of just about everyone’s life at one point or another. You may feel nervous before an important presentation or worry about how a medical procedure will go. Those feelings are not necessarily the result of an anxiety disorder.
An anxiety disorder is more than a temporary feeling of worry tied to a specific event. Anxiety disorders are characterized by anxiety that’s exaggerated, unrealistic, and disruptive to everyday life.
Anxiety disorders can interfere with work, school, and relationships, and can even make it difficult to leave the house.
What are the types of anxiety disorders?
There are several types of anxiety disorders:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): GAD involves excessive, ongoing worry about many aspects of your life.
- Panic disorder: Panic disorder is marked by recurring panic attacks, which are brief periods of intensefirst-line uncontrollable fear alongside physical symptoms like heart palpitations and tremors.
- Specific phobia: A specific phobia is an intense anxiety or fear related to a certain situation or object, such as flying, heights, or animals.
- Social anxiety disorder: Social anxiety disorder involves extreme fear of being embarrassed or negatively evaluated in social situations.
- Agoraphobia: People with agoraphobia fear the perceived risk of being trapped or helpless, which leads them to avoid crowded public places or leaving home alone.
How are anxiety disorders treated?
Treatment for anxiety disorders varies depending on the specific disorder but consistently involves helping you face your anxiety, manage your symptoms, and improve your quality of life.
To treat anxiety, Dr. Trivedi offers cognitive behavioral therapy, a short-term, practical approach that helps you identify your anxious thoughts and behaviors and learn helpful alternatives. She may also use exposure therapy, a technique that incorporates exposing the patient to the source of worry in a safe and supportive environment.
To reduce your symptoms and help you be more receptive to therapy, Dr. Trivedi also prescribes medication. Antidepressants are effective for general and social anxiety disorder. If you have panic disorder, she may prescribe a short-acting medication that you take as needed to control panic attacks.
Anxiety may be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to control your life. To get help, call Human Touch Behavioral Health today.
