Anxiety Therapy

Types of Anxiety Disorders:

Panic Attacks

Imagine feeling fine one moment and then suddenly overwhelmed by fear, as if something terrible is about to happen. That’s what a panic attack can feel like. According to the DSM-5, a panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes, during which four or more of the following symptoms may occur:

• Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
• Feeling of choking
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
• Derealisation (feelings of unreality) or depersonalisation (being detached from oneself)
• Fear of losing control or “going crazy”
• Fear of dying
• Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
• Chills or hot sensations

These episodes can feel intense and frightening, but you are not alone. With the right support and strategies, panic attacks can be understood and managed.

Panic Disorder

Constantly anticipating the next panic attack? That’s essentially what panic disorder involves: a distressing cycle of unexpected panic attacks, accompanied by ongoing worry about having more.

Agoraphobia

Have you ever felt anxious about being in a place where it might be hard to escape or where help might not be close by (especially if you were to suddenly experience panic-like symptoms)? That’s what agoraphobia can feel like. It often leads to avoiding situations like going out alone, being in crowded places, or using public transport. It’s a very real and distressing experience.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Do you often find yourself caught in a cycle of worry that won’t let up for no apparent reason? If that anxious feeling is present on most days for six months or more, and it’s hard to control, it may be something more than everyday stress. This is what we call Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

People with GAD often worry about a number of events or activities and find it difficult to control the worry. Alongside this, they may experience symptoms such as:

• Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
• Being easily fatigued
• Difficulty concentrating or the mind going blank
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep)

Living with GAD can be exhausting, affecting not only your sleep and concentration but also your mood and physical wellbeing.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a loop of upsetting thoughts that won’t go away? Perhaps you might even feel compelled to do something to make the anxiety ease. That’s a glimpse into what OCD can feel like.

According to the DSM-5, OCD involves the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both. Obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that feel intrusive and unwanted. They often cause significant anxiety or distress. Many people try to ignore or suppress these thoughts, or attempt to neutralise them with certain actions or mental rituals.

Compulsions are the repeated behaviours or mental acts a person feels driven to perform in response to these obsessions, in an effort to reduce the anxiety or prevent something bad from happening. Though these actions may bring temporary relief, they usually reinforce the cycle, making the intrusive thoughts return.

Specific Phobias

Do you ever feel overwhelming fear or panic at the thought or sight of something specific, even when you know it isn’t truly dangerous? That’s what a specific phobia can feel like. What makes a phobia different from ordinary fear is that the response is out of proportion to the actual danger. Ordinary items and experiences such as spiders, heights, needles, or flying can trigger insurmountable anxiety. More than discomfort, specific phobias often create a strong urge to avoid the object or situation to prevent dread from taking hold. For a diagnosis, this pattern of fear and avoidance is usually persistent, lasting six months or more.

Social Phobias

Does speaking up, meeting new people, or being the centre of attention give you immense anxiety? Triggered by everyday activities like giving a presentation, attending a dinner, or even chatting in a group, social phobia is more than just nerves and discomfort. It’s a heavy and debilitating experience that often causes people to avoid triggering situations altogether or endure with intense distress.

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety/ Panic:

• Physiological symptoms: Shortness of breath, palpitations, discomfort of the chest, choking sensations, trembling/shaking, nausea, feeling dizzy/lightheaded, numbness, chills or hot flushes, sweating,
• Excessive & uncontrollable worry and excessive vigilance
• Feeling tense, on edge, irritable.
• Sleep disturbances.
• Avoidance of the situation/stimuli that may be causing the anxiousness