Did you know…
~ There are different types of anxiety disorders?
- Agoraphobia
- where you have an intense fear of certain situations including leaving your home, being in public spaces, using public transport, and being in crowded spaces
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
- when you worry a lot about how you look or a particular part of your body. People might not notice or see it in the same way you do, but it makes you feel distressed. BDD can make you do things that take up a lot of time, such as staring at your face/body in the mirror, comparing your features with other people’s, covering yourself excessively with makeup, or considering plastic surgery when you do not need it. BDD is not the same as being vain or self-obsessed.
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
- you feel anxious a lot of the time. This makes you feel out of your control. You might feel ‘on edge’ and alert to your surroundings. It can affect day-to-day life, make you easily tired or have trouble sleeping or concentrating. There are even physical symptoms which include muscle tension, headaches, sweating, nausea, ‘butterflies’ in your stomach, and fear of fainting.
- Hair pulling (Trichotillomania)
- feeling the urge to pull your hair out. This can be from your scalp or other places, it can be difficult to stop yourself doing this. It is linked to OCD. You might experience a build-up of tension, which is relieved by pulling out the strand of hair. You might not even be aware that you’re doing it.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- obsession is an unwelcome thought or image that repeatedly enters your mind and is largely out of your control. It can be difficult to ignore. You might not want those thoughts and they can be disturbing, which can make you feel distressed and anxious. There are different types of OCD, such as contamination, checking, intrusive thoughts, and hoarding.
- Panic disorder (panic attacks)
- makes you feel anxious and frightened. It happens suddenly and feels intense. There are also physical symptoms to this.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- can develop PTSD if you experience a traumatic or frightening event. It can develop shortly after the event, or sometimes months or years later.
- Skin picking
- where you repetitively pick at your skin, causing damage to your skin, including bleeding, bruising and sometimes permanent marks. Usually picking the skin on your face, but may also be areas of the body. It can be difficult to stop doing it.
- Social anxiety disorder
- sometimes known as social phobia, means you have an intense fear or dread of social or performance situations. Some common situations where you may experience anxiety are speaking in public or in groups, meeting new people or strangers, dating, eating or drinking in public.
- Toilet-related anxiety
- fear of using toilets in either your own home, someone else’s home or in public spaces. This can lead to difficulty and embarrassment when needing to use the toilet.
~ It is still not fully understood what causes anxiety disorders. Difficult events or seeing something traumatic can start some. Brain chemicals and your environment can also cause anxiety.
~ There are many ways to treat anxiety. Examples are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure and response preventions (ERP), Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), etc.
~ Anxiety and mental health issues are REAL. People who don’t believe it is may have not experienced any forms of mental health issues them self or are uneducated in the manner. This is why we raise awareness, so more people can understand!
~ You are NEVER alone. There is always help, whether it be a friend, stranger, professional, through online, telephone, etc. Never feel like you have to deal with mental health alone!
Sources and for more info:
https://www.rethink.org/resources/a/anxiety-disorders-factsheet
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-anxiety
https://www.bemindfulonline.com/
http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anxiety/pages/introduction.aspx
Until next time,
Stay safe. Stay strong.
~ Behind The Mask
Leave a Reply