Is social anxiety part of General Anxiety or are they different?


AquarianHorse's avatar
I have been wondering this for awhile. I KNOW I have anxiety, I know I have some sort of OCD (I think I was more so diagnosed anxiety&depression, but not OCD per say or what kind of anxiety). I know have skin picking, dermatillomania.

Is General anxiety a category that have a bunch of anxiety problems in the name? (Like social anxiety is general anxiety, so is OCD, etc). 

I do believe I have social anxiety. I get shy at meeting new people, the idea of going to college or even going to a new job fills me with lots of anxiety. In fact I get super nervous meeting FAMILY I haven't seen in awhile. Why? I don't know, I just feel nervous for some reason. I know I don't need to be but I just do.

OCD I do get obsessive thoughts, I do behaviors like I have to have things neat, tidy, in place and everything, I check things a lot, it used to be bad but I gotten better.

A therapist does think I have dysmorphic depression (Mild mood disorder). Hard to say or I could have major :shrug:

Anyway, is social anxiety like I asked, part of general anxiety? What is general anxiety?

I do worry about the future but I am telling myself "I am excited for new adventures" instead of worrying oh will this happen, what if this doesn't happen., etc. etc. I am also telling myself things do eventually be okay, and I am realizing my anxiety is just my stupid ego getting me worked up for nothing.
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Ametystical's avatar
Like the name say, General Anxiety Disorder, includes many types of anxiety. You can have social anxiety, OCD and hypochondria symptoms. 
TheaAtherea's avatar
It seems to me that they're different, and stem from different causes. I've had both for years (undiagnosed until now), and I finally started treatment for it earlier this week.

As Origami-Mad said, with generalized anxiety disorder, you're anxious and tense all the time, even when you know you're in a safe place and there's nothing there to hurt you. For me, I worry constantly about everything and I can never relax. Because of that, I now have very high blood pressure/hypertension and my physical health is at risk. Even now, alone at home with nothing specific to worry about, my muscles are tense and my chest is tight -- for no real reason at all. I understand that it comes from the years of abuse, poverty and uncertainty when I was a child and teen, but knowing the root of it doesn't make it better.

My social anxiety comes from a different place, from years of being viciously bullied by other girls in junior high and early high school. I dread going to crowded or public places (particularly when I'm alone), I always feel self-conscious about my appearance. I hate having to interact with strangers in any way, but I have an especially hard time with other women because of those girls in school. The social anxiety is more intense when it happens, but it doesn't happen that frequently -- not like the constant anxiety I have every day.
AquarianHorse's avatar
Ah yeah it seems like that. I think I have a few different ones. I wonder if obsessive thoughts I have more so is more so OCD rather than General :P Who knows I guess I have to go to a doc to get proper diagnoses.

Aw dang :( Yeah I don't usually feel tense I can distract myself okay but I still worry when I am not distracted XD I think I am starting to table to relax more but I still worry and I REALLY hate my OCD habits mostly my dermatillomania. I had that habit since 2000, after my parents forced us to move and everything, new school, new friends, etc and I think that's when my depression/anxiety just exploded :/

Yeah that's where my social anxiety comes from-being bullied, having shitty friends etc. :/
TheaAtherea's avatar
My mother has a whole host of mental and emotional problems, severe OCD being one -- so I grew up seeing what severe OCD can do to a person. She used to just have the compulsive side -- hand washing, having to wash her hair and body multiple times in the shower before she felt clean, needing things to be straight and set up a certain way. But over the years, it turned more into obsession over the past, over my youngest brother who was adopted away.

She has anxiety, but her OCD is a separate problem.
AquarianHorse's avatar
Aw :/ That sucks. Does she take anything for it or read books? How about you? I take med and yeah I suppose it helps and self help books. XD There is an OCD Workbook I had and it was pretty cool :) I think the one thing is try to ignore that impulse for you to do something and eventually go away. I love how the book was saying think of taking a dip in a cold pool, your body is not going to like it but eventually calms down and you get used to the cold pool.

Yeah seems like anxiety is pretty vague and OCD, etc ando ther types of anxieties is just little sub categories.
TheaAtherea's avatar
She's on so many medications, I honestly have no idea. She takes heavy duty anti-anxiety pills, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, among other things. She has Borderline Personality Disorder, OCD, possibly bi-polar disorder, depression, and she's had hallucinations when she forgets to take her meds. I think they put her on a medication years ago that was supposed to treat OCD, but I can't remember what it was and I don't know if she still takes it.

My doctor started me on two medications -- an anti-depressant called Celexa that is supposed to help with anxiety (I've never had a problem with depression), and Buspar, which is specifically for anxiety. I made it clear I didn't want strong drugs like Xanax or anything that has a risk for dependency. My social anxiety is manageable and I can function fine with it (more or less), but I needed help with the constant anxiety I have. It's like I can never calm down or relax, like I've been stuck in survival mode for half my life.

The rest of my family suffers from PTSD, so I'm probably lucky I got out with something as easy to treat as generalized anxiety. I've only been on a half-dose of Celexa so far, to ease into it, so I haven't really noticed any changes yet. I'm supposed to start the second medication this weekend, and the go to the full dose of the first one on Monday. I hope it helps. It would be nice to not have my mind running away from me so often, and to know what it feels like to be able to relax. And maybe eventually I won't be so terrified of finding a new job.
AquarianHorse's avatar
Aww :( I hope things get better for her and you soon :) I think it's depression more so than anxiety that runs in the family. Funnn..

I had Buspar I suppose it helped but I think maybe it would've been better if it was higher. I was on Celexa too but switched to Prosac. I guess it's helping :shrug: It just seems like for me medicines work for awhile but when go up a dose I feel worst, so maybe a non ssri would be better. :/ I do wonder if it depends on weight too far as dosage goes. I'm short and don't weigh a lot so maybe that's why higher doses seems to make me feel worst.

Hm can you have PTSD from bullying? D: I would think probably depends how bad the bullying was but I do think my depression is the result of of bullying :/
TheaAtherea's avatar
My best friend was on Buspar and said it wasn't working for him, but he was only taking it once a day, I think. I'll be taking the Buspar three times a day. I don't have depression, so perhaps Celexa will work for what I need it for even if it wasn't very effective for depression. I'm hopeful.
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Origami-Mad's avatar
I have generalized anxiety and social anxiety, both of which were diagnosed by a professional.
I think the difference is that generalized anxiety is when you're anxious ALL THE TIME. It can be anything that makes you have a full on panic attack.
Social anxiety is you're anxious of going outside. It can be the people, especially if you're meeting new people, the noise or just the place.
My social anxiety used to be horrendous. I could never go outside and locked myself in my room crying. The only time I could go out would be to school (as I had to), but - when I got there, I just ran straight into the classroom. I still spend my break and lunch in the library due to it. ^^;
I have obsessive thoughts, too. I have to follow a routine or I get really upset. Everything has to be in the right place, too. ^^; They think I have Asperger's, now...

You might just want to get re-diagnosed. :3 Make sure to ask them any questions you think of and ask them to explain your diagnosis to you.
See a doctor or a therapist. They know better than us.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck! :hug:
I know anxiety is a pain.
AquarianHorse's avatar
Yeah that's what I thought.

OCD is fun isn't it? :P
DoubleDandE's avatar
The below comment seems like good help.
I often do get nervous when meeting new people, going to a new place, and overall acting like a clam and shelling up. But I tend to let things go when I'm not in those places. Overall though, I think it's because I'm a bit nervous or shy and not used to these sort of things. I know after a while I get used to it, but maybe it's something that needs to be conquered and pushed. 
Getting help might be a good way in confronting these sort of things, as confronting it alone will be harder. 
thepartymartyr's avatar
Everyone's experience is different! For example, I have General Anxiety, but not Social. 

What helped me were some grounding techniques. You can read up on them, my therapist taught me mine. Different things work for everyone! There is something out there that WILL help you.

Also, depending on the advice of your doctor, consider medical treatment. When I started taking an anti-depressant, everything became much easier for me to rationalize and think through.

**Note - my advice is vague on purpose. I have no medical training! Be sure to talk everything through with a professional.
AquarianHorse's avatar
Ah okay. Yeah I did a little research after I posted this thread, oops. XD

Meditation is pretty nice or just trying to talk to my thoughts and what not.

I did take flower remedies for awhile and that helped. I do want to take them again but I rather use it only when  I am feeling really bad. They are a bit expensive so that's why I rather do it when I REALLY need it.
doozle-lange's avatar
1st.  close your eyes.  feel you heart beating.  feel your lungs breathing.  count 20 breaths then open your eyes.
2nd  ask a therapist or psychiatrist. (they went to school for this.  I am NOT a doctor nor claim to be, SAD is one of a few I have)
3rd  good web site. read pretty good.  Social Anxiety Disorder.  www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/gu…

those above calming biofeedback help me.  just don't do them when driving  ;)
AquarianHorse's avatar
Heard of bio feedback, just not much about it :)

Meditation is pretty cool :)

I blame my old peers for my social anxiety :/