For many, the concept of stress and anxiety are used interchangeably.
“Oh, going to the doctor gives me a lot of anxiety.”
“I feel so stressed and anxious about my interview this Friday.”
“I got so stressed I made myself sick.”
As we discussed in a past blog, stress is a normal part of our everyday lives. Stress is a natural response to stimuli or challenge that helps us function in our daily lives. Whether you need a little excitement and blood flow to get up the nerve to have an important conversation with your boss or feel frustrated with yourself for waiting until the last minute to clean the house before your next Grey’s Anatomy watch party, stress is a common and healthy part of life. However, there are ways in which our reactions to stressful situations enter the realm of anxiety.
Anxiety is the body’s internal reaction to stress and is most often categorized as fear or worry about the future and what’s to come. While many people experience anxious thoughts, according to the DSM there are a wide array of anxiety disorders that may help individuals pinpoint how to best treat and live with anxiety as a diagnosis. And with over 40 million people in the US experiencing some form of anxiety disorder, it’s important to know that you’re not alone and that the most common form of mental illness is actually highly treatable.
Below is a list of most anxiety disorders with brief descriptions*. Consider these as you think about your own responses to stress. Could this be something you are experiencing? How might this information guide you to find treatment solutions? Could therapy help you unpack your anxiety and focus on next steps toward wellness? It’s important to know, studies show that while several of these forms of anxiety are highly treatable, only about 37% of people with anxiety seek support.
Here’s to knowing more and starting a conversation about health with your community!
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
· Excessive anxiety and worry about everyday life events that is present most days for at least 6 months
· People with GAD usually have difficulty controlling one’s worry whether it be about family conflict, work, money, or relationships
· Worry is usually negative, unfocused, and can produce out-of-control feelings
· Recurrent unexpected panic attacks (sudden episodes of intense dread or sudden fear without warning and without actual threat).
· Can cause fear of future attacks and lead to avoidant behavior
· Although panic attacks can be frightening, they are not life threatening
· Avoidance can lead to phobias
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
· Fear or anxiety about one or more social situations where an individual is exposed to scrutiny by others
· Social situations almost always provoke fear or anxiety
· Lasts longer than 6 months
· Fear and avoidance causes clinical impairment of social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
· Persistent and recurring impulses, thoughts, feelings, ideas (obsessions) and ritualistic behaviors (compulsions)
· Caring out compulsion is done to rid one’s self of obsessive thought. However, this action only provide short-term relief.
· Not caring out compulsion can cause increased stress and anxiety
· Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence that causes recurrent mental and physical distress.
· Only lasts about a month
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
· Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence that causes recurrent mental and physical distress.
· Re-experience trauma through nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive thoughts
· Created behavioral responses: avoiding certain situations & environments, hypervigilance (always on guard), hyper-arousal (startled by the smallest trigger)
· Lasts longer than a month
If you have questions about any of these disorders and would like to discuss treatment options in therapy, let’s talk. Send me a text or call today and let’s put your mental health first, together.
Visit my website to find out more about the type of therapy I do in Fort Collins and online in Colorado at www.axiscounseling.com
Adam-Jon Aparicio, LPC
970-239-1983
Axis Counseling, PLLC
WHERE WELLNESS MEETS ACTION
*While you may find that you fit some criteria below, please seek professional advice from a medical doctor, licensed professional counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist before determining diagnosis or treatment.
