|
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) experience ongoing, exaggerated
tension that interferes with daily functioning. Individuals with GAD worry
constantly, even when there is no apparent reason for doing so. The focus of
these excessive concerns can be health, family, work, or money. In addition,
those with GAD are unable to relax, are easily tired, irritable, have difficulty
concentrating, and may experience insomnia, muscle tension, trembling, fatigue,
and headaches. Although people with GAD usually do not seek to avoid specific
objects or situations, they are highly likely to have additional mental health
difficulties, such as depression, substance abuse, or another anxiety disorder.
Panic Disorder
The core symptom of panic disorder is the panic attack, an overwhelming fear of
being in danger, during which the individual may experience:
Phobias
A phobia is an uncontrollable, irrational, and persistent fear of a specific
object, situation, or activity. The fear experienced by people with phobias can
be so great that some individuals go to extreme lengths to avoid the source of
their dread. Phobias are diagnosed only when the specific fear is excessively
upsetting or significantly interferes with normal daily activities. There are
three types of phobias:
- Specific Phobia - An extreme or excessive fear of an
object or situation that is not harmful under general conditions. People
with specific phobias know that their fear is excessive, but they are unable
to overcome the emotion.
- Social Phobia (also
called social anxiety disorder) - Significant anxiety and discomfort
related to fear of being embarrassed or scorned in social or performance
situations (e.g., public speaking, meeting people, or using public
restrooms). Most people experiencing social phobia try to avoid situations
that provoke the dread, or endure them with much distress.
- Agoraphobia - The
fear of experiencing a panic attack in situations from which escape may be
difficult or embarrassing. The anxiety of agoraphobia is so severe that
individuals typically seek to avoid the situations altogether. Untreated,
agoraphobia can become so debilitating that a person may refuse to leave the
house.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessions are frequently occurring irrational thoughts that cause great anxiety
but that cannot be controlled through reasoning. Common obsessions include
preoccupations with dirt or germs, nagging doubts (e.g., "Did I turn off
the oven?" or "Did I lock the house?"), and a need to have things
in a very particular order. Although an individual with an obsession realizes
that the thoughts are unreasonable and not related to real-life problems, this
knowledge is not enough to make the unwanted thoughts go away. Instead, to get
rid of the obsessive thoughts, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
often engage in repetitive rituals, or compulsions, to reduce their anxiety.
Examples of compulsions include repeated hand washing (to avoid contamination),
constant checking and rechecking to satisfy doubts (e.g., the oven is off; the
house is locked), and following rigid rules of order (putting on clothes in
exactly the same sequence every day). Compulsive behaviors can sometimes take up
more than an hour a day, thus becoming excessively disruptive of normal daily
routines and social relationships.
Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in individuals who have survived a
severe or terrifying physical or emotional event. People with PTSD keep
experiencing the ordeal through recurrent nightmares or memories of the event,
flashbacks, and extreme emotional, mental, and physical distress when exposed to
situations that remind them of the trauma.
Events that can trigger PTSD include military combat, violent
personal attack (e.g., rape), natural disasters (e.g., earthquake), tragedies
(e.g., bombing, plane crash), physical or sexual abuse during childhood, or
witnessing another person’s abuse or serious injury.
with permission from:
American Psychiatric Association.
Let's Talk Facts Pamphlet Series
http://www.psych.org/main.html
http://www.psych.org/public_info/anxiety.html
[ Up ][ Types of Anxiety Disorders ] [ Anxiety in Adolescents and Children ] [ Treatment of Anxiety Disorders ] [ Anti-Anxiety Medications ] [ separation anxiety ]
|
