Anxiety Disorders - Complete Guide

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What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is merely a reaction to certain situations that are perceived to be stressful and dangerous. It is normal to feel anxious now and then when we are in unusual situations. Anxiety helps us in alerting our bodies to deal with upcoming stress.

What is an Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental illness that causes constant overwhelming fear and anxiety. The anxiety can be so overpowering that you will want to avoid work, school, and any kind of get-togethers. Certain situations can trigger anxiety disorders.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):

A person of any age can suffer from GAD. Living with GAD is challenging. People suffering from this are anxious continuously about many things out of proportion. They tend to think of the worst possible scenarios in all situations. They can't handle uncertainty and fear taking any decision that has the slightest chances of going wrong.

They are unable to relax and are always on the edge. Their daily lives get troubled even with slight changes like, being a bit late or change in plan.

GAD usually occurs along with other mental health problems which can make diagnosis and treatment more challenging.

Panic Disorder:

Panic disorder can cause a panic attack. Panic attacks are a sudden feeling of intense terror with or without any real danger. During a panic attack, you experience a racing heartbeat, difficulty in breathing, sweating, chest pain, and numbness. Those who have experienced a panic attack once can persistently fear another panic attack.

The experience of a panic attack is different for everyone, the Panic attack usually lasts for about 20 minutes but in some cases can last for more than an hour. A panic attack can occur without any actual trigger.

Phobia- Related Disorders:

Phobia is unrealistic and out of proportion fear of specific situations, circumstances, or objects. People suffering from any phobia try to avoid the object of phobia at all costs. While some phobias may not affect people in their day to day life (fear of snakes, injection, thunderstorms, etc) some phobia can interfere in day to day life ( fear of closed places, fear of animals, etc.)

Specific phobias, agoraphobia, and social anxiety disorder are different forms of phobia related disorders.

Separation Anxiety Disorder:

Separation anxiety is common in infants when they get separated from their parents or any close caregivers and it usually goes away by the age of three. If the child's school life and daily activities are hampered and the child is having panic attacks then your child may have a separation anxiety disorder. This disorder is more prevalent in infants but sometimes teenagers can and adults can also suffer from it making it difficult for them to leave home or go to work. This disorder can include extreme fear of losing a person (partner, a parent or any beloved person). Buy medicines online in India from 3MEDS without stepping out of your house.

Selective mutism: It is a childhood anxiety disorder. Children suffering from this disorder are confident around their close friends and family but are unable to speak confidently or speak at all in front of an audience or a gathering. Selective mutism can vary from mild to extreme. This disorder lies in the spectrum of social phobia and can be carried to adulthood.


There is various form of treatments available to treat social anxiety disorder, the treatment may not cure the disorder but it can reduce it to such a level that the person's daily life is less affected by the disorders. The treatment varies from person to person and a combination of treatments is used.


Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy helps in eliminating or controlling anxiety disorders so that the person can function better. It is strictly done by professionals. They give the patients therapy sessions so the patients can have a better understanding of their emotions. The sessions are confidential so the patients can be comfortable while sharing their emotions and vulnerabilities.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT):

CBT is a part of psychotherapy. It helps the patients in identifying and then changing the destructive/ disturbing thought patterns. Through CBT the negative thoughts are identified and challenged to replace the thoughts with realistic thoughts.


Medicines are used along with therapies to get the best outcome. Medicines can differ from person to person, every medicine has some pros and cons and the psychiatrist will need to decide which is the best for his/her patient. The psychiatrist can prescribe you antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, anticonvulsants, etc. These are prescription medicines and should never be sold or bought without a prescription. You can buy medicines through prescriptions from 3MEDS, the best online pharmacy in India, and get your medicines home-delivered.

Support Groups:

It is not a treatment than can alone be useful but, it can increase the productivity of other treatments. Patients can attend a support group where other patients share their problems, solutions that worked for them, and experiences. This can give patients a community where they feel safe to share.

Note: Advice given by members of the support group must be discussed with your doctor before implementing it in your life.

Stress management techniques: Some basic techniques can help in managing stress, such as:

Deep breathing

Reducing caffeine intake

Eating balanced meals

Getting proper sleep and rest

Exercising daily

Maintaining a daily routine


In a Nutshell

It is okay to feel anxious once in a while but if it starts affecting your daily life and productivity you should seek professional help. We should promote the importance of mental health so that people suffering from any mental health disorder would not feel ashamed for seeking help.