Types of Anxiety Disorders

#1 Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent and excessive worries that interferes with daily activities. This can be accompanied with multiple physical symptoms such as restlessness, feeling edgy, being easily fatigued, exhausted all the time, difficulty in eating and sleeping.

The main symptoms of GAD are:

• Excessive and disproportionate worries regarding trivial issues.
• Unable to control the worrisome thoughts
• Significant effect on routine activities, leading to reduction in productivity

#2 Panic Disorder

The core symptom of panic disorder is recurrent panic attacks, an overwhelming combination of physical and psychological distress. During an attack several of these symptoms occur in combination:

• Palpitations, pounding heart or rapid heart rate
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Feeling of shortness of breath or smothering sensations
• Chest pain
• Feeling dizzy, light-headed or faint
• Feeling of choking
• Numbness or tingling
• Chills or hot flashes
• Nausea or abdominal pains
• Feeling detached
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of dying

Because symptoms are so severe, many people who experience a panic attack may believe they are having a heart attack or other life-threatening illness and may go to a hospital ER. Panic attacks follow certain specific features:

1. They are usually precipitated due to the presence of certain stressful events, although this is not the norm
2. The panic attack starts slowly, peaks in intensity within a few minutes and lasts for 15-30 minutes
3. It is usually self-resolving, although sometimes patients may need the help of pharmacological agents to terminate them.

#3 Phobias, Specific Phobia

A specific phobia is excessive and persistent fear of a specific object, situation or activity that is generally not harmful. Patients know their fear is excessive, but they can’t overcome it. These fears cause such distress that some people go to extreme lengths to avoid what they fear. Examples are fear of flying or fear of spiders.

#4 Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is the fear of being in situations where escape may be difficult or help might not be available in the event of panic symptoms. The fear is out of proportion to the actual situation and lasts generally six months or more and causes problems in functioning. A person with agoraphobia experiences this fear in two or more of the following situations:

• Using public transportation
• Being in open spaces
• Being in enclosed places
• Standing in line or being in a crowd
• Being outside the home alone

The individual actively avoids the situation, requires a companion or endures with intense fear or anxiety. Untreated agoraphobia can become so serious that a person may be unable to leave the house. A person can only be diagnosed with agoraphobia if the fear is intensely upsetting, or if it significantly interferes with normal daily activities.

#5 Social Anxiety Disorder (previously called social phobia)

A person with social anxiety disorder has significant anxiety and discomfort about being embarrassed, humiliated, rejected or looked down on in social interactions. People with this disorder will try to avoid the situation or endure it with great anxiety. Common examples are extreme fear of public speaking, meeting new people or eating/drinking in public. The fear or anxiety causes problems with daily functioning and lasts at least six months.

#6 Separation Anxiety Disorder

A person with separation anxiety disorder is excessively fearful or anxious about separation from those with whom he or she is attached. The feeling is beyond what is appropriate for the person’s age, persists (at least four weeks in children and six months in adults) and causes problems functioning. A person with separation anxiety disorder may be persistently worried about losing the person closest to him or her, may be reluctant or refuse to go out or sleep away from home or without that person, or may experience nightmares about separation.

Physical symptoms of distress often develop in childhood, but symptoms can carry though adulthood.

Risk Factors of Anxiety Disorders

The causes of anxiety disorders are currently unknown but likely involve a combination of factors including genetic, environmental, psychological and developmental. Anxiety disorders can run in families, suggesting that a combination of genes and environmental stresses can produce the disorders.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety Disorder in Ahmedabad

The first step is to see your doctor to make sure there is no physical problem causing the symptoms. If an anxiety disorder is diagnosed, a mental health professional can work with you on the best treatment.

Pharmacotherapy

Serotonin and Nor-Epinephrine deficiency seem to be implicated in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders. Medications help in restoring this balance and hence prevent anxiety disorders from occurring.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

It is a non-invasive form of brain stimulation, in which magnetic energy is used to alter the behaviour of certain brain structures and underlying neurons. Anxiety and Depression usually co-exist. rTMS works well in controlling depressive symptoms and can reduce anxiety symptoms significantly.

Get more details on rTMS Treatment for Depression in Ahmedabad

Psychotherapy

Anxiety disorders can be a result of unmet emotional needs, childhood emotional trauma, dysfunctional coping patterns and poor adaptation to surroundings. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy can play a very vital role in reducing anxiety, enhancing resilience and improving coping of patients with anxiety disorder. Please refer to our dedicated “Psychotherapy & Counselling Services” page for more information.

Parth Hospital – For Anxiety Disorder Treatment in Ahmedabad

Parth Hospital is one of the well known anxiety disorder treatment hospital in Ahmedabad, offering the best mental illness services to help patients of all ages suffering from mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Patients from India as well as abroad have benefitted from his treatment for anxiety disorders.

With Dr. Parth Goyal & Dr. Priyal Goyal, best doctors for anxiety treatment in Ahmedabad, we offer a comprehensive and specific treatment.

Do not delay an appointment with psychiatrist because gradually anxiety and depression can get worst if left untreated. If you experience one or more of above symptoms chronically, it is time to meet a psychiatrist at the earliest.

Consult Anxiety Doctor in Ahmedabad