3 Lesser-Known Anxiety Disorders & Symptoms

None of us lives without anxiety. We’ve all experienced a racing heart or butterflies in our stomachs or muscle tightness when facing a tense situation. Anxiety is a normal human response to stress, and a necessary one at that. Without anxiety, there would be nothing to stop us from standing in harm’s way. However, for many, anxiety reaches higher levels than what is helpful for keeping them safe in the world.

Symptoms of clinical anxiety include such manifestations as panic attacks, poor quality of sleep, and gastrointestinal issues. These symptoms cam make even the simplest of tasks seem insurmountable. However, anxiety can manifest in many ways. Here are 3 lesser-known anxiety disorders that can make it quite difficult to tackle life, head-on:

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

BDD manifests as a fixation on a real or imagined appearance flaw, and can drive the sufferer to try to cover it up, fix it, or otherwise gain reassurance from others about it. Many cases of BDD result in the sufferer seeking plastic surgery for their perceived deformity, though this provides only a temporary solution. Many people believe that Michael Jackson suffered from BDD, though he was never officially diagnosed. Treatment for BDD includes a mixture of talk therapy and medication.

Trichotillomania

This disorder afflicts many people, some of whom you might know: Colin Farrell, Rachel Fairburn, and Justin Timberlake, to name just a few. This disorder is characterized by an overwhelming need to pull hair from one’s body, especially from the eyebrows, scalp, or eyelashes. Trichtillomania affects women more often than men, with onset typically beginning in the late teenage years. Medication coupled with habit reversal therapy is an effective form of treatment for this anxiety-related disorder.

Selective Mutism

We see this in children more often than we see it in adults. Selective mutism is when someone cannot speak in certain situations, but is perfectly capable of holding a conversation in others. Fewer than 1% of children suffer from selective mutism, and many grow out of it—however, those who suffer from selective mutism as children are more likely to develop anxiety disorders as adults. If your child suffers from selective mutism, finding a therapist who specializes in the disorder is your best treatment option.

The common thread woven through these lesser-known anxiety disorders is a tendency to drive guilt or shame to such a degree that relationship-building and overall wellbeing is severely affected. Furthermore, these and other anxiety disorders oftentimes lead a person to also develop depression, which can further complicate one’s ability to live a rich and fulfilling life.

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