Reviewed by Dr Jessica Gunawan and Physician Lim Sock Ling
Anxiety Test: What Type are You Experiencing?
Published | 5 min read
Take this short quiz to help you identify your anxiety disorder. Then you can learn the steps to take to manage the condition effectively.
An understanding of the different anxiety disorders is essential. More specifically, taking an anxiety test to identify your triggers will enable you to formulate an effective treatment plan with a doctor. This treatment plan may include lifestyle changes like using health supplements, which can help you enjoy life to the fullest.
Discovering Your Disorder Through an Anxiety Test
Anxiety can be characterised by different triggers and how they affect each person separately. If you’re unsure about the type of anxiety disorder you’re experiencing, take this simple quiz below.
Are You Ready to Better Understand Your Anxiety Test Results?
Your ability to manage an anxiety disorder is dependent on a complete understanding of your symptoms. “These conditions could be classified under Traditional Chinese Medicine’s diagnosis of depression, insomnia or heart palpitation,” explains physician Lim Sock Ling, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner. So, let’s discover what your answers mean together!
If your answers are mostly A’s
The type of anxiety you are experiencing is called a generalised anxiety disorder. It can be characterised by several concerns at once. These concerns are often a product of exaggerated thoughts and may include worrying about money, health, family members, or work.
In addition, a generalised anxiety disorder can make you feel as if your concern about a particular subject is the only thing that’s preventing an adverse outcome. As you struggle with uncertainty, you may choose to plan different ways to overcome your ‘predicament’. However, failing to come up with a solution will most likely trigger your anxiety and cause you to experience symptoms that include trouble sleeping, fatigue, and irritability.
According to physician Lim, the holistic concept of TCM perceives those negative emotions are to implicate the body systems. For instance, worry can affect the spleen and the digestive system, while prolonged anger or irritability can disrupt liver function. In the same way, the heart houses a person’s ‘spirit’. Therefore, people diagnosed with an anxiety disorder are likely to experience heart deficiencies as well.
You may undergo acupuncture treatment or consume herbs like He Huan Pi, Xiang Fu, and rosebuds to resolve qi stagnation. It is worth noting that pregnant women should refrain from consuming these herbs.
Alternatively, to help you calm and soothe your nerves, you can consume some seedless, non-sulphur treated red dates. You can prepare these dates as a medicinal soup. They provide several other health benefits, including replenishing a person’s blood and qi, strengthening the physique, and invigorating the spleen.
If your answers are mostly B’s
You are experiencing a type of anxiety known as a panic disorder. A panic disorder can affect both children and adults and may cause you to experience spontaneous panic attacks – a sudden wave of fear that immobilises your entire body.
Many people suffer from a panic disorder in silence. This can be attributed to the fear or embarrassment of opening up to someone and may cause them to distance themselves from loved ones who can provide them with the support they need to overcome this disorder.
To alleviate the symptoms of a panic attack, you may choose to use an Ayurvedic health supplement. This supplement uses ashwagandha and saffron (saffron has applications in TCM as well) and is suitable for helping your body adapt to stress, restore balance and stimulate a positive mood. If you have experienced a panic attack, take time to do breathing exercises every day, so that you know how to relieve it when it’s happening in the future.
If your answers are mostly C’s
The type of anxiety you are experiencing is related to a specific phobia. A phobia refers to an intense fear of a particular object or situation. This may cause you to worry excessively and try as much as possible to avoid encountering that object or situation.
There are several phobia-related disorders, including an object or situation-specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, or agoraphobia. In rare cases, children below the age of 5 may also experience selective mutism. This phobia-related disorder renders them unable to speak in a social setting, even if they have a perfect grasp of a particular language.
You can prepare dried hawthorn berry slices as herbal tea and consume it hot, lukewarm, or iced. It is one of the best ways to relieve anxiety and boost sleep quality, as it plays a vital role in improving your circulation and stabilising your blood pressure. However, pregnant women should abstain from consuming this herb, and those with gastric conditions or who are consuming medications for heart problems should seek the professional opinion of their doctors before opting to take this herb.
Overcoming anxiety is no easy feat. It will require mental fortitude and consistent practice of healthy lifestyle habits. In that regard, a complete understanding of your anxiety disorder is crucial, as it can help you develop a unique step-by-step guide to relieving your symptoms. Don’t forget to share this anxiety test with someone who could be dealing with this disorder as well!
References
- National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety Disorders.[Accessed 7 July 2021]
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). [Accessed 7 July 2021]
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Panic Disorder. [Accessed 7 July 2021]
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