Kidney Shilling
Photo from SEJ
Anxiety is a normal human emotion that everyone has and/or will experience within their lifetime, however, there is a more serious type of anxiety that affects people almost all of the time. This is classified as an Anxiety Disorder. An anxiety disorder is something that can cause debilitating emotional stress, along with physical symptoms (hair loss, loss of weight or appetite, etc.).
There are six major anxiety disorders. These six include phobias, generalized anxiety (anxiety that everyone experiences), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. These six classifications are mostly generalized and can each have their own affect on a person.
Anxiety is something that can be caused by multiple factors, some including home life, school, and stress at work. Each group of anxiety has the ability to alter a person's life choices and how they interact in everyday circumstances. Even though there are different groups of anxiety one person can have many different types of one group or of multiple groups. For example, a person can have phobias, PTSD, and panic disorder. Having multiple types of anxiety is not uncommon, in fact it’s very common for a person to have one type of anxiety and then develop another because of the original disorder.
Not only can anxiety greatly affect a person mentally, it can also affect the people around them. If a person has severe forms of anxiety it’s common for their loved ones to be pushed away. This can actually cause more damage to one's psyche and mental health.
It’s very hard for someone with an anxiety disorder to function in the everyday world. This is especially true when it comes to people who have social anxiety. Social anxiety causes extreme fear or stress in any social setting. People with this form of anxiety find it very hard to talk to people, meet new people, and attend social gatherings. This form of anxiety can cause setbacks in a person's everyday life and can leave the person feeling very isolated.
Anxiety does not affect one age or gender, in fact it can affect many ages. A five year old could have separation anxiety. A teenager can have PTSD or OCD. A seventy-year-old woman can have panic disorder. And the list can just go on and on. This is to say that anxiety does not have one true shape or form, it affects many different types of people on many different occasions.
Remember to try and understand where people are coming from when they say their anxiety is acting up, or when they say they’re having an off day. It’s easier to understand someone than to try to question them and make the situation worse. For example, if you have a friend who has social anxiety and they have to ask a cashier something, but they’re too anxious to do so, go ask for them. Try to be supportive and welcoming to all the quirks anxiety can give someone.
Comments