Anxiety is a common emotion, and most of the time you're anxious for a specific reason. When you're fearful, your heart rate speeds up, your blood pressure rises, and your heart beats faster. But sometimes anxiety is an almost everyday occurrence. You may wake up apprehensive and fretful in the morning, or it might come on later in the day with no apparent reason why. If these episodes are persistent, this can be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are classified into different types. So, it's not enough to say you have an anxiety disorder. The type you have can make a difference for treatment. Let's look at the five types of anxiety disorders that psychiatrists and psychologists recognize.

Panic Disorder

One of the most common types of anxiety disorder is called panic disorder. People who have this form of anxiety experience symptoms of anxiety that often come on suddenly and out of the blue. The symptoms can be physical in nature, like a rapid heart rate, palpitations, difficulty taking a deep breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, and sweating. Some people also experience psychological symptoms like feelings of unreality and fear that they'll collapse on the floor unless they get help. It's not uncommon for people with panic disorder to think they're having a heart attack. In fact, emergency rooms frequently see people with panic symptoms that resemble a heart attack.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is another form of anxiety. The obsessive component of OCD refers to the tendency to have repeated unwanted thoughts that cause anxiety. For example, some people with obsessive-compulsive disorder become fixated on germs and being exposed to them, or may develop an obsession with not stepping on cracks on the sidewalk.

The compulsive component refers to the behaviors they do to keep their anxiety under control. For example, the person with an obsession with germs might wash their hands repeatedly and focus obsessively on staying clean. An individual obsessed with not stepping on cracks in the sidewalk will keep their attention focused on the ground so they can avoid them. People with this form of anxiety channel their fear and worries to specific objects or behaviors and behave compulsively to keep that anxiety in check.

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is sometimes referred to as a social phobia. People with social anxiety experience extreme fear, worry, and anxiety when they're in a social situation. Before a social event, they may experience extreme worry and distress because they fear they'll do something stupid or people won't like them. Social anxiety can be focused, for example, a fear of parties in particular, or more generalized, fearing any type of social function.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is triggered by a traumatic event. The person with PTSD can't mentally overcome or let go of the trauma they experienced and may relive the events in their mind. At times, something in their environment can trigger a memory and they develop extreme anxiety. Examples of events that can cause post-traumatic stress disorder include weather disasters, being a victim of violence, fighting in a war, or being involved in an accident. For a psychiatrist to make this diagnosis, the symptoms need to be present for at least one month. 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder is the most common form of chronic anxiety. If anxiety is long-standing and doesn't fit into one of the categories above, it's usually generalized anxiety disorder. People with this condition feel anxious much of the time and usually can't identify a specific trigger for their anxiety. They tend to worry chronically and without a specific trigger. Health care professionals usually diagnose generalized anxiety disorder if symptoms are present for at least six months. There is a genetic component to generalized anxiety disorder, as it's more common in certain families, and women are more prone to it than men. In fact, generalized anxiety is twice as common in females.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, chronic anxiety isn't a single disorder. It can be of various types, but only a psychiatrist is trained to make a diagnosis. Fortunately, there are therapies that can help, including cognitive and behavioral therapy by a licensed psychologist. However, there are strategies people can do at home like deep, controlled breathing exercises, meditation, self-hypnosis, mindfulness, and guided imagery.

References:

Medscape. "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder"

HHS.gov. "What are the five major types of anxiety disorders?"

National Institute of Mental Health. "Anxiety Disorders"

When a good friend's unhappy, you want to offer them a shoulder to cry on and listen to their troubles. Later, though, you may imagine it's time for them to stop grieving over what ails them and cheer up. You do your best to be upbeat and think you help them. Your good intentions, however, won't make your friend better. Being overly positive may make them feel misunderstood and lonely. It's more constructive to validate their feelings rather than gloss over difficult emotions. These tips show you how.

Uncover emotions

Everyone heals from painful experiences in their own time. Your friend will grieve for as long as is necessary, no matter whether you think they should move on. If you suspect they are stuck in a rut, repeatedly reliving difficulties, you may be right. However, trying to steer them off troubling topics and encouraging them to be positive isn't helpful.

If your pal takes a long time to recover from a painful event, show support. Recognize the emotions you can pick out from the stories they tell. People often seem stuck like the needle of a record, replaying old problems because they don't know how to voice their feelings and find validation.

Telltale signs of quashed feelings include recounts of troubles involving resentment and anger. Resentment builds when people don't feel heard or understood. Often, emotional angst is released when someone who cares recognizes the pain hidden in the retelling of problems and gives it a voice.

Releasing pain

If you think you have uncovered emotions hidden in your friend's tales, ask if you are right. When you correctly voice their pain, repressed feelings will flow as though a floodgate's opened. Once the pain finds an outlet, there will no longer be a need to mull over hurtful memories.

You offer validation to your friend when you accept what they say. Seek emotional content rather than facts from their tales. Resentment often covers the pain beneath angry words and repetitive stories that need an outlet.

Ask if you are right about the information you uncover too. It gives your friend the chance to clarify their feelings and know they are heard. Your loving support will help them heal from old wounds and clamber out of their rut.

Depression is an all too common problem that affects millions of people across the US. Common treatments involve therapy and a variety of medications. However, there are some things you can do on your own to help manage this often-debilitating condition. Here are the top four things you can do at home to help yourself cope with depression:

Exercise

Exercising regularly is essential in managing anxiety, stress, and depression. Depression often manifests itself physically via reduced energy, reduced appetite, body aches, disturbed sleep, and increased pain perception. However, when you exercise, the body increases the production of dopamine (a feel-good hormone) that makes exercise very effective in managing feelings of depression.

Seek Help from People You are Close To

If you feel depressed, consider seeking help from close friends, colleagues, and family members. Usually when someone is depressed they seek isolation. It is better to seek help, because managing the condition is easier with help. While feelings of shame, exhaustion, and guilt can make it difficult to reach out, making the effort to take part in social activities and stay connected with other people will improve your mood. Remind yourself that you should not feel guilty or ashamed, because your friends and family love you regardless of what you are suffering from right now.

Manage Your Stress

Did you know that stress can worsen your depression? Stress is common, because we all have life problems every now and then. Unfortunately, these common everyday stressors can make depression even more unbearable. Try to avoid situations that cause you stress. This may require you to temporarily minimize contact with people and situations that stress you out. You should also reward yourself in some small way every time you do something difficult, so that the pleasure of the reward counteracts the harmful effects of the stress.

Make Yourself Enjoy Yourself

Life should be fun, and you have a right to enjoy yourself. Depression makes it difficult to even try to enjoy yourself, though. However, just because you are not well does not mean that your need to enjoy yourself sometimes is any less. When you are depressed, it is more important than ever to deliberately go out and do fun things, even when you feel like you won't enjoy them. It can be difficult to push yourself during your down times, but doing so can be very rewarding. You might be surprised by the results you will get in the long run. 

The key is to set small goals that are easy to attain. Remember, you might not get immediate results, but patience is the key. In time, you should get positive results from doing things that you used to enjoy. You can choose to play a favorite sport, pursue a hobby, or even express yourself via music, writing, or art. Spending time outdoors, going to the ballpark, visiting a museum, or even just going shopping can all have a positive impact on the way you feel.

A Final Word

Finally, if you are experiencing extreme depression and nothing helps, consider seeking professional help. There is no shame in doing so. We all need help at some time in our lives. An experienced, educated professional can help you do the things your depression won't let you do for yourself.