Learn More About Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone experiences, but when the feelings of worry, tension, or fear are intense, long-lasting, or common, it could be a sign of an anxiety disorder. Fortunately, anxiety is treatable. Below you’ll find articles and resources to help you both understand and deal with feelings of anxiety.
Featured Anxiety Articles
Treating Anxiety
Medication for Anxiety: Types, Side Effects, and Management
Medication is a frontline treatment for many symptoms of anxiety and anxiety disorders. Medications for anxiety are generally safe and effective in battling anxious symptoms.
8 Options for Anxiety Therapy
The most common anxiety therapy is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), but others are exposure therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), and interpersonal therapy (IPT).
CBT for Anxiety: How It Works & Examples
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the key therapy techniques sued to treat anxiety. See if it’s a right fit for you.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Symptoms, Signs, & Treatments
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition defined by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). People suffering from OCD experience intense anxiety about the nature of their obsessions and engage in compulsive behaviors to alleviate this distress. OCD is treatable with therapy and/or medication and can result in a decrease in the frequency and severity of symptoms.
OCD Symptoms, Signs, & What to Watch For
Common symptoms of OCD include fear of contamination, fear of being harmed, sexual or violent obsessions, need for symmetry, or having a “not right” feeling and repeating behaviors until a “right feeling” is achieved.
OCD vs. Anxiety: What Is the Difference?
Everyone experiences stress or anxiety from time to time. However, when these feelings become chronic and impact your day to day activities and responsibilities, you may be dealing with an anxiety disorder or OCD. To distinguish between the two, it’s important to recognize that anxiety relates to chronic distressing thoughts, while OCD is marked by actions upon these distressing thoughts.
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder: Signs, Symptoms & Treatments
Panic disorder is marked by the presence of frequent panic attacks. Symptoms of a panic attack include a racing heart and shortness of breath, and can last for several minutes.
Panic Attack: Symptoms, Causes, & How to Cope
Panic attacks include a cluster of heightened physical symptoms, like a racing heartbeat, chest tightness, and intense feelings of dread. These attacks can feel frightening and confusing, especially if you haven’t experienced one before. In addition, they may leave you completely exhausted. Panic attacks sometimes have a specific trigger, but they can also appear randomly.
Anxiety Attack vs Panic Attack: Differences, Similarities, & What To Do
Panic attacks are a diagnosable, discrete burst of anxiety symptoms, and “anxiety attack” is a colloquial phrase used to describe periods of anxiety.
Phobias
Specific Phobias: Signs, Symptoms, & Treatments
Specific phobias are fears about specific objects or situations. People with specific phobias experience intense anxiety in response to specific cues. They are diagnosed when this fear or the resulting avoidance causes a great deal of distress or impairment in a person’s life.
Phobia Treatments: Therapy, Medication, & Self-Help
While phobias create immense distress and anxiety, they are treatable. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and medication can help reduce or eliminate symptoms of phobias.
Agoraphobia: Signs, Symptoms & Treatments
People with agoraphobia avoid specific public places or situations because they anticipate having anxiety or a panic attack and being unable to escape or get help. In severe cases, these fears cause people to refuse to leave their homes for prolonged periods of time. Thankfully, it’s treatable with therapy.
Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, & Treatments
Social anxiety disorder is the excessive fear of social situations and the negative views other people will have of them. Thankfully, social anxiety is very treatable.
Social Anxiety Treatment: Therapy, Medication, & Self-Help
Social anxiety disorder is an overwhelming fear of specific social situations and the avoidance of these situations. Treatment for social anxiety might include medication, but the primary treatment is exposure therapy.
Medication for Social Anxiety: Types, Side Effects, & Management
Medication, in combination with therapy, is considered the frontline treatment for social anxiety disorder. Fortunately, prescriptions that are FDA approved for this disorder are a generally safe and effective option when addressing symptoms. However, it is recommended that you have a conversation with your prescribing practitioner about any risks, benefits, and side effects associated with any medication when considering options
Other Types of Anxiety and Related Conditions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur after stressful or traumatic life events. PTSD can leave those impacted by trauma with intrusive and upsetting thoughts and feelings long after the trauma event(s) happened. These symptoms impact the quality of life and, in some cases, the ability to maintain employment and relationships with others.
Selective Mutism: Symptoms, Signs & Treatments
Selective mutism (SM) is a rare and severe social communication anxiety disorder, which can inhibit both a person’s verbal and nonverbal communication with others. These people can appear as frozen as a statue when they come into contact with other people.
Separation Anxiety Disorder: Signs, Symptoms, & Treatments
People with Separation Anxiety Disorder experience an excess amount of anxiety or fear when separated, or anticipate separating, from major attachment figures, (e.g., parents, spouse, children, etc.). Their overwhelming level of anxiety is not developmentally appropriate, is persistent, and can cause significant distress sometimes impairing social, school or work functioning.
More Articles About Anxiety
Acrophobia: Symptoms, Treatments & How to Cope
Acrophobia involves an intense and debilitating fear of heights. Acrophobia only develops when a general anxiety about heights causes regular discomfort or distress, or when it begins to interfere with the person’s ability to function and follow their routine.
Tokophobia (Fear of Pregnancy): Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope
Tokophobia is a fear of pregnancy and childbirth that affects approximately 6-10% of pregnant women. Women with tokophobia feel significant anxiety about pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
Fear of Cancer: Causes, Treatments, & How to Overcome
Fear of cancer is bred by our understanding that cancer is vicious, unpredictable, and a death sentence. Having a phobia of cancer may affect someone who has had a family history of cancer, or has had it themselves.