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Anxiety Disorder

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Jacqueline Tolhoek 8 Jun 2024

We all get scared sometimes. But what if those fears get in the way of your daily functioning? Read about what exactly an anxiety disorder is and how to recognize anxiety by its mental and physical symptoms.

What is an anxiety disorder?

We speak of an anxiety disorder when anxiety frequently arises in non-dangerous or non-threatening situations and it interferes with your daily life.

 

Anxiety is an emotion you experience and is a human and healthy reaction to a dangerous or threatening situation. Thus, feeling fear is functional. For example, fear causes you to run away in a dangerous situation. The function of fear becomes less functional and even disturbing when fear arises outside of typical, functional cases.

 

How do you recognize an anxiety disorder?

If you have an anxiety disorder, you feel recurrent intense fears, or you suffer from mild but continuous fears. This is even though there is no real danger. You feel restless, worry a lot and are nervous. You have the feeling that you always have to be on your guard, and that you are always on. You have difficulty finding relaxation.

 

There are different types of anxiety disorder. Each anxiety disorder has different causes, and each anxiety disorder requires a different approach for resolution. Eight common types of anxiety disorders are:

 

 

Symptoms of anxiety disorder

You recognize anxiety by cold hands, faster breathing or shortness of breath, sweating, restlessness in your arms and legs, a knot in your stomach and an overall shaky feeling, among other symptoms.

 

Some of the most common symptoms of an anxiety disorder are:
  • Extreme anxiety in a particular situation or continuous anxious feelings;
  • The anxiety interferes with daily functioning;
  • The anxiety is exaggerated or unreasonable. Often you know this yourself;
  • You are more tense and this leads to symptoms such as worrying, restlessness and irritability;
  • You have trouble sleeping, you are tired, and experience concentration problems and symptoms in the muscles;
  • You tend toward avoidance. Situations or certain thoughts are avoided.

 

Physical symptoms of anxiety disorder

Physical signs that may occur with an anxiety disorder;
  • Sweating;
  • Cold chills;
  • Pressure in the chest;
  • Dizziness;
  • Tremors;
  • Palpitations;
  • Shortness of breath;
  • Tingling in the hands and/or feet.

 

Physical symptoms such as dry mouth, nausea, stomach pain and even vomiting or diarrhea also count as symptoms.

 

Mental symptoms anxiety disorder

You may also experience mental symptoms that fit the symptom pattern of an anxiety disorder;

 

The difference between an anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder

An anxiety disorder is different from generalized anxiety disorder, also known as brooding disorder. A brooding disorder arises from a specific anxiety. “Anxiety disorder” is the umbrella term of all kinds of anxiety disorders. So there are different types of anxiety disorders, of which a brooding disorder is one.

 

What can you do?

If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, there are a number of things you can try with or without the help of a psychologist:

 

1. Read tips to better cope with anxiety disorder or find out what different forms of treatment exist to effectively treat anxiety disorders.
2. Learn to cope with a loved one or loved one with anxiety symptoms.
3. Learn to recognize symptoms by better understanding the causes of an anxiety disorder. The consequences of anxiety symptoms can also be great, so take symptoms of anxiety seriously.
4. Do your anxiety symptoms persist? If so, it is wise to talk to a psychologist, even if you are not sure if and when to see a psychologist. An anxiety disorder is generally treatable with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), among other methods.

 

Help

Do you have questions about treating an anxiety disorder? Or are you unsure about when to see a psychologist?

Jacqueline has much experience in treating anxiety disorders. She will work with you to find the underlying patterns that maintain your anxiety and which prevent you from using your own strengths. In her treatment Jacqueline uses techniques from schema therapy, CBT, ACT and EMDR.
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GZ-psychologist Jacqueline Tolhoek

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