6 Common Types of Anxiety Disorder and Their Symptoms
6 Common Types of Anxiety Disorder and Their Symptoms
Anxiety is the most common mental health condition affecting around 20% of all adults. Children and adolescents are also at high risk of anxiety disorder. It is an impediment that interferes with the normal life of the person.
Understanding the different types of anxiety and their symptoms can help you prepare for anxiety counselling in Singapore.
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
It is the most common type of anxiety characterized by excessive worries about everyday things. A person with generalized anxiety feels constantly worried, stressed, or on edge.
This ongoing state of mental tension or nervousness disrupts their life as they worry that something bad can happen at any time.
The most common symptoms associated with GAD include:
- Constant feeling of being on edge, anxious, or stressed without control.
- Muscle tension.
- Trouble focusing on a specific task or activity
- Overly negative thoughts.
2. Social Anxiety
Social anxiety or social phobia is an irritational fear of social situations. For people with social anxiety, the fear of unfamiliar people and unfamiliar situations is intense.
Even the idea of socializing can evoke fear and stress of being judged, observed, or avoided. As a result, people with social anxiety try to avoid situations that lead to fear. It often leads to isolation and loneliness disrupting their daily functioning.
Anxiety counselling in Singapore helps you overcome all types of anxiety including social anxiety or social phobias.
- Severe fear of social situations
- Experiencing overwhelming anxiety meeting new people
- Avoiding socializing situations
- Irritational fear of being observed, judged, or avoided
3. Selective Mutism
It is a mental health condition that causes so much fear that the person finds speaking difficult. Selective mutism begins in early childhood and can have lingering effects later in life. While some people are completely unable to talk, others may communicate in limited ways.
- Feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed in specific situations.
- Avoiding participation in social interactions.
4. Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is a type of phobia that involves the fear of being in unfamiliar places. The individuals suffering from this condition avoid leaving their homes. They have a debilitating fear of going to unfamiliar places. This fear holds them back from living a normal life.
- Severe fear of going to unfamiliar places.
- Feeling vulnerable outdoors.
- Panic attack in public places
5. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A person can develop this type of anxiety disorder after facing a traumatic event. It can affect people for years after the actual event occurs. The event causing the disorder can be a tragic accident, personal assault, natural disaster, or death of a loved one.
A situation or noise can trigger a reaction from the person suffering from this condition. People with PTSD can also become short-tampered and emotionally numb.
- Triggers that cause intense fear or stress.
- Detachment or emotional disinterest.
- Nightmares and flashbacks of the traumatic event.
6. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is a common disorder characterized by recurring thoughts and impulses. A person can find it very difficult or impossible to stop themselves from performing repetitive behavior.
The compulsion could be washing their hands multiple times or checking again and again to make sure the stove/switch is turned off. Repetitive actions can affect their life as well as the people around them.
- Feeling driven to do compulsive acts.
- Being overly fearful of certain things.
- Losing a sense of control over your actions.
At MindEase, our team of therapists and counsellors provide therapeutic intervention that is best suited to your specific needs. We combine several different concepts that empower you to become your best self. Contact us to arrange anxiety counselling in Singapore to bring back your happiness.
