5 Kinds of Anxiety

I was blown away by this piece on Insider.com. It’s completely right that there are different kinds of anxiety, and as I read it, I realized: I’ve had them all.

Anxiety disorders can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. (wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock)

For me, anxiety started at a very young age with constant worry and feelings of dread and doom. Sleepovers were the worst, as I’d lay awake all night, then have to pretend everything was normal in the morning.

As I got older, spending time with more people in more diverse situations situations, my generalized anxiety turned into full-fledged panic attacks. These really got going when I was about 16 years old. In time, I experienced all of the anxiety disorders listed: phobias, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety and general anxiety, though there was no consistent order.

For me, it would usually start with generalized anxiety, which was the beginning of my ‘anxiety tree.’ If I’d spoken up, asked for help, I probably could have stopped things there. But I didn’t, and in my early 20’s that generalized anxiety became full-blown agoraphobia. I was absolutely petrified to leave my house and again, not telling anyone–not even my wife! I didn’t know what was going on inside me, and I never, ever wanted to show weakness.

The day I realized that this beast had an actual name was the day I started to prune my anxiety tree. I shared my panic with my wife, and that’s when my healing really began.

In this article, MK Manoylov mentions how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help change your thoughts and behavioral patterns, tricks to physically calm yourself, and medication that some people find helpful. I wish I’d read it 40 years ago.

I also wish I’d spoken up sooner. It took time, but I’ve forgiven myself for keeping silent, and the years of suffering that came as a result. That’s why I’ve devoted myself to sharing this story with as many audiences as possible: to help others speak up, reach out, and get past the silence that keeps people captive with anxiety.

Be well,

Brian