What is Anxiety and Anxiety Disorder ?
Different from anxiety disorder, anxiety by itself is a natural response to stress, and sometimes, a little bit of anxiety can actually be helpful. It can alert us to potential dangers and get us ready to deal with tough situations. So, anxiety is not necessarily a sign of something wrong: it is often a normal and useful reaction that helps us steer clear of danger.
Normal Anxiety in Childhood
Anxiety is a natural part of growing up, from being a child to becoming an adult. Here’s how it typically unfolds:
- Babies between 12 to 18 months old might feel anxious and uneasy when separated from their parents or caregivers.
- Toddlers aged 2 to 4 often get scared of things like thunderstorms or the dark.
- Children 4 or 5 years old may worry about getting hurt or dying.
- From 5 to 7 years old, specific fears like germs, spiders or monsters might creep in.
- In adolescence between 12 to 18 years, fears about fitting in with peers or speaking in from of the class can become common.
Distinguishing Between Normal Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are a category of mental health conditions that encompass various types of anxieties.
The key difference from the typical anxieties experienced while growing up is the level of intensity.
In medical terms, an anxiety disorder is diagnosed when fear reaches beyond the normal level to become excessive. This means the anxiety causes significant distress, disrupts daily activities, and is disproportionate to the situation. In anxiety disorders, the worry or fear tends to persist for weeks or longer. Additionally, people with anxiety disorders typically avoid situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms. To learn more about distinguishing anxiety from anxiety disorders, visit the Child Development Clinic.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Agoraphobia:
an anxiety disorder where individuals fear and avoid unfamiliar situations (e.g., fear of leaving home). This fear can also include actual or upcoming situations, such as using public transportation or being in a crowd.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):
an anxiety disorder where individuals constantly worry and struggle to control it. This means feeling worried on most days for an extended period, often months. It includes excessive anxiety about everyday life activities and various situations and issues for no apparent reason.
Panic Disorder:
an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent sudden episodes of intense fear, which trigger severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. These episodes involve sudden periods of intense fear, discomfort, and a sense of losing control, even though there is no immediate danger. They can come out of the blue. Experiencing a single panic attack doesn’t automatically indicate a panic disorder. The diagnosis requires recurrent, unforeseen panic attacks.
Selective Mutism:
an anxiety disorder where individuals are unable to speak in certain situations due to fear or anxiety, even though they can speak in others.
Separation Anxiety Disorder:
an anxiety disorder that occurs when someone excessively worries or panics about being apart from family or other close people. Even the thought of separation can sometimes trigger intense worry.
Social Anxiety Disorder:
an anxiety disorders also known as social phobia that involves feeling fear and anxiety in social situations. People with social anxiety fear being judged or watched by others. This fear can arise in specific social situations or during everyday interactions.
Specific Phobias:
anxiety disorders where individuals experience extreme fear of particular objects or situations that pose little or no real danger. This fear is intense, persistent, and disproportionate to the actual threat. Examples include fear of flying, dogs, spiders, or enclosed spaces.
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder:
substance-induced anxiety disorder arises directly from the physiological effects of substance use, abuse, or withdrawal. Various substances like drugs, alcohol, amphetamines, caffeine, and certain medications such as narcotic pain relievers or anesthetics can trigger it.