{"id":5711,"date":"2021-10-22T13:34:32","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T05:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scc.sg\/e\/?page_id=5711"},"modified":"2022-03-17T15:24:43","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T07:24:43","slug":"anxiety-symptoms-causes-treatment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/scc.sg\/e\/anxiety-symptoms-causes-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Anxiety<\/a> <\/strong>| Common Signs & Symptoms of Anxiety<\/b><\/a> | Causes & Risk Factors of Anxiety<\/strong><\/a> | Treatment for Anxiety Disorders<\/a> | FAQ<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n

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What is Anxiety?<\/h2>
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Anxiety is a response pattern of negative emotions and cognitions that is more oriented to the future <\/span>[1<\/a>]. Anxiety disorders often occur alongside other mental health conditions, such as substance abuse and depression<\/a>. If left untreated, it can occur chronically [2<\/a>].<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Anxiety<\/h3>
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Anxiety is a part and parcel of life. It is normal and healthy to feel anxious when you find yourself facing a worrying situation \u2014 an exam, a speech, or an interview, for example. It is necessary for our survival as it helps us plan and prepare for potential danger.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anxiety turns unhealthy, however, when it gets severe and causes distress that disrupts your daily life. It may further develop into an anxiety disorder when individuals experience intense and persistent anxiety (for more than 6 months) at a level disproportionate to the actual threat that ultimately interferes with their daily life [<\/span>2<\/span><\/a>, 3<\/a>]. This is vastly different from the normal levels of worry and stress that one may experience as a result of life challenges (refer to FAQ<\/a> for more).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n

Types of Anxiety Disorders<\/h3>
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Anxiety disorders are generally characterised by having unrealistic, irrational fears or anxieties of disabling intensity. The type of disorders differs from one another in the types of objects or situations that induce fear, anxiety, or avoidance behaviour, and the associated cognitive ideation. The disorders recognised in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM\u20135) include [4<\/a>]:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Specific Phobia<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Social Anxiety Disorder (social phobia)<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Panic Disorder<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Agoraphobia<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Generalised Anxiety Disorder<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The DSM-5 states that each anxiety disorder is diagnosed only when the symptoms experienced are not attributed to physiological effects of a substance\/ medication or to another medical condition or are not better explained by another mental disorder [4<\/a>].\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n

    Common Signs &<\/span> Symptoms of Anxiety<\/h2>
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    Cognitive Signs<\/h3>
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    Involves a negative mood, as well as excessive and intrusive worry. Such levels of worry and negativity tend to stem from (but are not limited to):\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n