Types of Anxiety and Panic Attack Disorders

There are many forms in which panic attacks and anxiety present themselves, but for the purposes of this article we will look at the four most common disorders.

Along with these disorders many people experience lower self esteem which takes their issue over the tipping point. Once they behave in ways they would rather not behave, they soon think they have no control towards fixing it.

It can be very likely that the anxiety or panic attack disorder that had presented itself was caused by some event earlier on in your life. Your mind would have remembered that event and the emotion linked to it.

Then it can be often the case that you are playing out that past emotional feeling in response to some stimulus in the present.

Even though you may not be consciously aware of the initial sensitizing event, your unconscious mind will have remembered the experience and the emotion you felt. It almost like a trigger goes off inside of you automatically (without your conscious intention), eliciting the fearful response and behaviors.

Here are the four main types of panic attacks and anxiety disorders:

1. Phobias

The first type of disorder is phobias. For some, the phobia can result in an intense experience where they act irrational and feel completely overwhelmed.

Many times phobias can be in relation to an animal, a particular situation or a thing or object. Typically, the situation or thing where they feel fear does not directly threaten them or their life at that particular moment in time.

Many people can relate to feeling fearful around animals such as spiders, snakes, cats and dogs. Others can feel fearful when in closed spaces, raised heights or even in social situations. As a result of their phobia they can sometimes limit the quality of their lives.

2. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is where someone presently relives a traumatic experience that happened the past. They may relive this experience in their mind a lot of the time or on the odd occasion. This is commonly referred to as having flashbacks or waking nightmares.

3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

This is when a person attempts to relieve an anxiety by obsessively doing an action of some sort in order to avoid feeling or confronting the anxiety which has been fabricated in their mind. Common compulsions can include relentless cleaning of the home or over washing their hands.

4. General Anxiety Disorder

This is illustrated to be like an anxiety which remains and lingers in the back of the mind. It is generally the case that the thing someone is feeling anxious about is not actually happening in that particular moment and it tends to be about the future.

Often times, people are anxious about something that is unrealistic. However, it is possible that they experience physical symptoms as a result of the mental thoughts. Some people may also experience themselves as being edgy, fidgety and unfocused.