Social Anxiety Disorder & Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental illness individuals face in the United States. The two main anxiety disorders that I will be discussing are Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). 

www.online-therapy.com/blog/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad-clinical-perspective/

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) 

Mental symptoms: 

• Characterized by excessive worrying
• Uncontrollable worrying
• Worrying seems to affect quality of life
• Anxious about everyday life, family, money, future, etc
• Negative thoughts/intrusive thoughts

Physical symptoms: 

• Increased heart rate
• Sweaty hands
• Nausea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Chest tension
• Difficulty concentrating

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Mental symptoms: 

• Fear of being judged by others 
• Persistent anxiety in different situations
• Overly self conscious
• Overwhelmed by social situations
• Affects everyday life and tasks
• Negative thoughts

Physical symptoms: 

• Increased heart rate
• Sweaty hands
• Nausea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Chest tension
• Difficulty concentrating

End the Stigma!

Stigma: "I'm shy, so therefore I have a social anxiety disorder" In order to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder symptoms must persist for at least six months

Stigma: Feeling anxious from time to time does NOT equal an anxiety disorder. It is normal for people to feel anxiety over things, but when the worrying becomes excessive it can hint towards a type of mental health issue.


Difficulties: 

Those with prolonged and untreated GAD, face more anxiety, mood swings, and can face the danger of substance abuse. Worrying uncontrollable can affect quality of life and overall life satisfaction. Both illnesses can cause different types of abuse, suicidal thoughts, etc. 

Treatments: 
There are various treatments to treat anxiety disorders. Some of the main ones include therapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapy helps target the negative emotions associated with anxiety and try to change the thoughts to a more positive outlook. There are also medicines for anxiety disorders like SSRI's.

What you can do: 

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• Treat your body right
• Exercise and eat well
• Yoga & Meditation
• Learn how to defeat negative thinking 

Sources:
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/symptoms
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness/index.shtml