Anxiety 101

Many people associate anxiety with something negative; a state or a feeling we want to avoid because of the discomfort (and pain, even) that it causes. Anxiety represents a series of symptoms that manifest both mentally and physically. It has a way of taking over the mind and body, making us feel as if we are suddenly under attack, unable to defend ourselves or at the very least, willingly make the anxiety stop.

There’s another side to anxiety that isn’t quite as negative; the type of anxiety that can help us and even keep us safe in many circumstances. You see, anxiety occurs on a spectrum, which means that there are pretty big differences between severity levels of anxiety.

The lower end of the spectrum, or mild anxiety, represents a type of anxiety that can be positive because it provides you with just the right amount of worry, nervousness, or concern that will motivate you to get things done. Think of the type of anxiety you might experience when a work deadline is approaching or if you are preparing for an upcoming exam. Mild anxiety exists to make sure you get to work and do what you need to do to get things done. The same idea applies if you are alone, walking down a dark street towards your car and you notice someone suspicious down the block walking towards you. Mild anxiety in this scenario could keep you safe, as it might prompt you to go inside a store or maybe ask someone for help.

On the middle to higher end of the anxiety spectrum is the type of anxiety that might still motivate you and/or serve to keep you safe in dangerous or potentially harmful situations. However, as anxiety gets higher or more severe, it can also adversely impact your performance and your ability to function. In this case, anxiety symptoms have a way of taking over. Your mind and body become too stimulated and your sense of nervousness and/or worry becomes too heightened. Your concentration and energy level decreases because you are too preoccupied with the mental and physical anxiety symptoms. Feelings and sensations such as rapid heart rate and breathing, shaking, repetitive thoughts and worries, fears, muscle tension, headaches, and difficulty sleeping are just some examples of the anxiety symptoms that occur when your anxiety climbs to the middle to upper end of the spectrum. These symptoms make it difficult for a person to be able to focus, make decisions, be productive, and get things done.

Subtypes of Anxiety

There are several types of anxiety disorders that are each different due to the unique, characteristic symptoms of each one. These different anxiety subtypes all exist on the same continuum or spectrum described above, as people can have mild, moderate, or severe presentations of the various anxiety disorders. 

Typically, the severity level can be measured depending on two important factors: 1) The total number of symptoms a person experiences or displays and 2) How badly or significantly the symptoms affect the person’s ability to function on a daily basis in activities like work, school, or even completing basic self-care tasks.

Below are the five primary anxiety disorders.

• Specific Phobia

• Social Anxiety Disorder (also known as Social Phobia)

• Panic Disorder (which also can include the experience of Panic Attacks)

• Agoraphobia

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorders can interfere with a person’s ability to not only function, but also enjoy quality of life. There are many factors that can contribute to the development and maintenance of an anxiety disorder, but these disorders are very treatable when these factors are identified and targeted.