Broadly speaking, an anxiety disorder is a mental health condition where ongoing anxiety or panic interferes with your daily life. Anxiety disorders will look slightly different depending on the exact condition. They can also range in severity. Mild anxiety disorders are often more manageable, while moderate to severe anxiety disorders may require more interventions.

It's important to note, however, that even if you don't have a diagnosable anxiety disorder, you can still benefit from therapy to manage stress. Even if you don't have a mental health condition making anxiety worse, learning stress management techniques can improve your quality of life.

There are different kinds of anxiety disorders, and they all present in their own way. The best way to know if you have a particular mental health condition is to see a mental health professional. It's common to have more than one mental health condition, and many symptoms can overlap.

You can also learn some about the most common anxiety disorders below:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, is when you have excessive stress over life situations, including ordinary issues and routines. The stress is often not proportional to what is happening. But, while the individual may know the anxiety isn't logical, they aren't able to control it.

Many people with generalized anxiety disorder also have other mental health concerns, such as depression.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a specific kind of anxiety disorder where the individual uses rituals or repetitions to try to soothe stressful thoughts and worries.

The obsessive thoughts are often disturbing and uncontrollable, while the rituals can be compulsive and difficult to stop.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be very debilitating, and therapy is often needed to help if you have this condition.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorders are when an individual gets sudden, intense feelings of fear and anxiety that peak within a few minutes. These brief periods of severe anxiety are called panic attacks.

During a panic attack, you may have shortness of breath, a pounding heart, and chest pain.

Panic attacks can be terrifying and are sometimes mistaken for a physical health condition.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety is another common mental health issue where individuals feel high stress and fear around social situations. They may avoid social interactions because they feel embarrassed or self-conscious.

Social anxiety disorder can make it challenging for people to maintain good relationships or even do things like go to the grocery store.

Different anxiety disorders have their specific symptoms, although there is a good deal of commonality.

So, it's important to know the general signs of anxiety problems, so you can seek help when you need it. The most common signs and symptoms of an anxiety issue include:

• Feeling restless and tense
• Having a sense of danger and doom
• An increased heart rate
• Hyperventilating
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Difficulties concentrating
• Avoiding situations that could cause anxiety or panic attacks
• Gastrointestinal problems

People with anxiety often have both mental and physical symptoms. Some individuals have more severe symptoms, and you don't always have to have every song of the emotional or physical symptoms to have the disorder.

While anxiety can make it challenging to go about your life, there is help. Anxiety treatment can give you the coping skills you need to manage your anxiety.

Depending on the type of anxiety issue you have, anxiety therapy may center on various therapeutic approaches proven to treat that type of anxiety.

For example, for OCD, exposure and response prevention (ERP) is one of the most effective treatments. On the other hand, general cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used to address social anxiety.

Dealing with anxiety isn't easy. These are very real conditions that can impact every aspect of your life. If you are struggling with anxiety, you deserve the help and support of a qualified therapist.

At OneLife Counseling, Jeremy Magin provides anxiety treatment for teens and adults throughout the Denver area. Whether you have a panic disorder, GAD, or are dealing with sudden symptoms like panic attacks, he is here to assist you.

Jeremy uses a wide range of therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavior therapy, to help patients find relief and manage their symptoms.

If you're tired of your anxiety affecting your life, get started with a free consultation. Jeremy Magin partners with you to find the right kind of therapy. Every person is different, so Jeremy will craft an individualized treatment plan. He wants you to feel as comfortable as possible and get positive results.

If you feel you need further assistance to treat anxiety, Jeremy can also refer you to other mental health specialists.

Call or reach out today to learn more or to set up your initial therapy session.