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Anxiety overtakes many areas of a person’s life, from everyday situations like sleeping or working to more specific ones, like health or social interactions. It can send someone into constant flight, fight, or freeze, making it very challenging to accomplish the simplest tasks. If you are experiencing this, know that you are not alone. In a 2024 study, researchers found that 68.3% of people in urban Texas areas experienced anxiety.
While anxiety and its effects are generally well-known, something many don’t understand is that anxiety comes in many forms and types. At SUN Behavioral Health Houston, we want to help you better understand these types of anxiety, which can provide a better understanding of your or a loved one’s condition.
Occasional anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone experiences. However, it can become a concern when it develops into excessive, intense fear and worry that makes daily living challenging.
All anxiety disorders share many common symptoms, including
That said, specific conditions often have different symptoms unique to each type. Below, we discuss some of the most common anxiety disorders someone might experience. This is not all of the types out there.
As one of the most common forms of anxiety, approximately 5.7% of people in the United States will develop a generalized anxiety disorder at some point in their life. It is typically defined as having persistent anxiety and worry surrounding numerous areas of their lives, such as family, work, school, finances, etc.
People with this disorder often feel like they are in a constant state of fear and worry, even when there is no apparent reason to worry about these things. It is not the same as occasionally being concerned about something. Generalized anxiety disorder dramatically interferes with the daily lives of the individuals with it, and it can make it challenging for them to function. Also, this disorder will typically last for several months or years if left untreated.
Symptoms of generalized anxiety often include feeling restless or having a challenging time relaxing or concentrating. They may constantly feel tired but have concerns about falling or staying asleep due to the worry that keeps them up at night. People with this disorder may also worry excessively about everyday things, have concerns with controlling their fears, or be aware that they worry more than other people but are unable to change this on their own.
Physically, people with generalized anxiety may have headaches or stomach aches. In contrast, others may sweat a lot, feel lightheaded, and tremble. Significantly, few people will experience all of the symptoms of a generalized anxiety disorder, but having constant anxiety for up to 6 months and any of these symptoms can be indications of a need to discuss things with your doctor.
An even more prevalent anxiety disorder is social anxiety, which impacts the lives of approximately 12.1% of the United States population. Someone with this disorder may fear or have symptoms of stress when they are in situations where they might be judged or scrutinized by other people. Examples of situations might be meeting someone new, public speaking, a job interview, talking to a cashier, or answering a question in class. During these situations, they will feel intense symptoms beyond their control.
It can significantly impact their lives as it might prevent or limit them from being able to succeed in areas such as their work or school life, or it might make everyday interactions feel impossible. Some people might avoid the situations that result in these symptoms altogether. If left untreated, it can last for several years to the rest of their lives.
People with social anxiety will often have symptoms only when they are around other people or when they have to perform, such as while giving a speech, playing a musical instrument, or competing in a sports game. They will feel uncomfortable when the attention is on them. They may feel like their “mind is going blank” or sick to their stomach. Others may find it challenging to make eye contact, be around people they don’t know, or even talk to people in social situations, even if they want to. Feelings of extreme self-consciousness are a common experience for many people with social anxiety, and they will actively avoid places where there might be people they fear will judge them.
People with social anxiety may also have physical symptoms as a result of being around other people, as well. They may begin to blush, sweat, or tremble, and many people will experience a rapid heart rate.
Formally known as hypochondria, 4 to 5% of the population has been diagnosed with this disorder. However, it is often underreported, and experts believe it could be as high as 12%. It is no longer referred to as hypochondria due to the stigma associated with that word.
People who have this disorder are often concerned that they are seriously sick despite there not being a physical condition to tie their symptoms to other than anxiety. They may constantly go to the doctor for tests or avoid the doctor for fear of the worst. This condition can worsen when left untreated as someone ages or in stressful circumstances.
People who have health anxiety will have many of the usual symptoms of anxiety, as mentioned above, such as nausea and abdominal distress, increased heart rate, and feeling restless. However, there are a few symptoms that are more specific to health anxiety.
For example, people with this disorder may worry about minor body sensations or signs, and their anxiety will interpret it as meaning they have a severe disorder. If they visit the doctor for these sensations, they may find no reassurance from those visits. This can create so much distress in their lives that they find it challenging to function daily.
They may also repeatedly search their body for signs of an illness or avoid people, places, and activities that pose health risks. Suppose a medical condition is known in their family. In that case, they may excessively worry that they will develop it or constantly talk about their health to others. Some people may frequently search for potential causes of the symptoms they are experiencing.
Panic disorders impact the lives of 4.7% of the United States population. That’s approximately 15.6 million people, or about 3 times the combined population of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin. The main symptom of this disorder is sudden and repeated attacks of anxiety or panic, which occur at unpredictable times and do not have an apparent trigger. These often worry the person about the next one since it can appear whenever. This significantly impacts their quality of life and leads to them being more preoccupied with their anxiety than with other responsibilities such as work or school.
Keep in mind that not everyone who experiences a panic attack will have a panic disorder. A key factor is having uncontrollable worry that another one will occur. It will persist for several years without proper treatment and may worsen with time.
Many symptoms are associated with a panic disorder that occurs both when a panic attack is occurring and when one is not occurring. During a panic attack, it often feels out of control and like the person is going to die or experience impending doom. They will experience the following physical symptoms:
When a panic attack is not actively occurring, they will also experience specific symptoms. They may have intense worry about when the next panic attack will happen. To avoid one happening again, some people will even avoid or fear places where previous panic attacks have occurred. This dramatically impacts their lives and makes it challenging to accomplish everyday tasks such as grocery shopping, going to work or school, etc.
As mentioned earlier, anxiety is a normal human emotion. But sometimes, it can develop into something that might require treatment to regulate. When it develops into one of the above types of anxiety or another type not mentioned, it may require a visit to your doctor or a behavioral health hospital for monitoring and treatment.
Suppose your anxiety is interfering with several areas of your life, or it feels like it is out of your control and upsetting. It might be necessary to talk to your doctor about receiving treatment. Other conditions, such as depression and substance use disorders, can also exist alongside anxiety. If you’ve developed a substance use disorder with your anxiety disorder, co-occurring disorder treatment might be necessary to prevent further complications to either condition’s recovery.
Anxiety can lead to worsening depression symptoms and result in the development of suicidal thoughts or behaviors. If you have any of these thoughts as a result of an anxiety disorder, immediately go to a 24/7 crisis care center. We are here for you at any time of the day and on weekends and holidays.
Anxiety can only be diagnosed by a medical professional. Do not try to self-diagnose yourself with an anxiety disorder, even if you relate to some of the symptoms of one. You will be checked for signs of a physical medical condition before being provided with a psychological evaluation. This evaluation will help the medical professional properly determine if you have an anxiety disorder or another type of mental health concern. They will also compare your symptoms to the criteria for an anxiety disorder set by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to provide you with an accurate diagnosis.
During anxiety disorder treatment, you will be exposed to psychotherapy, medications, or both. You do not have to participate in one or the other if you do not want to. Psychotherapy typically involves talking with a counselor in individual or group settings. They will help guide you through the skills taught by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps change the harmful thoughts of anxiety into more productive ones.
Anxiety is a frightful and overwhelming experience for so many people, and it can make you feel like you are alone. However, by attending treatment, you can find the inner strength to better manage your disorder. Imagine living your life without that fear that follows you around every day. Wouldn’t that be something?
At SUN Behavioral Health Houston, we solve unmet needs in Houston, TX. Our no-cost care assessments allow us to work with you and your doctors, considering your previous evaluations to determine the best treatment plan for your anxiety disorder. If you wish to learn more about our anxiety treatment options, call us today at 713-796-2273.
7601 Fannin Street
Houston, TX, 77054
Open 24 hours
