What Is Anxiety Disorder? Know The Types And Causes

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), mental disorders are "generally characterised by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others." Thus, a state in which a person feels and behaves differently in a way that disturbs his or her own self and his or her surroundingscould be suffering from a mental illness. There are several types to it like anxiety, mood and eating disorders. There can also be depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia and many more.

The most recurrent category is anxiety disorders. We all experience anxiety at certain points of our lives, maybe while performing on stage, giving an examination or preparing for a job interview. Mostly, this little anxiety helps us to prepare better and be careful and attentive towards our goal. But in various cases, for some people this turns out to be severe distress in their day to day functioning and emotional well-being. This is when anxiety disorders take the charge. People suffering from anxiety disorders portray extreme fear in situations that are generally not intimidating.

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There can be multiple types to it, most commonly being:

1. Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

2. Panic Disorder

3. Phobias

4. Social Anxiety Disorder

Generalised anxiety disorders are very common in India, with more than 10 million cases per year. It is generally chronic, where people worry and overstress in their day to day functioning. They usually experience headaches and feel irritable throughout the day.

Panic disorders are usually marked by sudden attacks of fear followed by panic. It can come and go really fast without any apparent reason which defines it. These can be frightening and often mistaken by a heart attack but are generally not very dangerous. This disorder can be followed by chest pain, chills in your body, tingling sensations in your fingers and racing heartbeat.

Panic attack can cause chest pain
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Phobias are generally known as irrational or unrealistic fears towards an object or a person. They can be both generic and specific. For example, a person who fears of heights can be characterized as an agoraphobic. Similarly, who fears water can be defined as hydrophobic.They can be caused due to various reasons including particular incidents, genetics or certain traumas. People suffering from phobias can experience shortness of breath, palpitations and dizziness.

Social anxiety disorder is also known as social phobias which interferes with interactions and communications in the social environments with an unrealistic fear of humiliation. Thus, for example, a person suffering from this disorder may find it difficult to put up questions or participate in classroom discussions. Causes of this illness may include sensitivity to criticism, low self-esteem, and poor communication skills.

Social anxiety disorders can make you have unrealistic fear of humiliation
Photo Credit: iStock

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All these disorders can be diagnosed with a proper evaluation involving interviews and lab testing reports. Thus, through Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM), Mental Health professionals come out with a unique treatment plan for every type of anxiety disorder commonly including psychotherapy and anti-anxiety medication.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.