Six Major Types of Anxiety Disorders

Most people feel anxious about something for a short time now and then, but people who suffer from anxiety disorders feel this way a majority of the time. Their fears and worries take over their lives, making it hard for them to do everyday tasks. About 18% of American adults have anxiety disorders. Children also may have them.

If you feel you may have more anxiety or your anxiety is more intense than is normal, you may have an anxiety disorder.

How do you decide if your level of anxiety in a given situation is normal or not? Let’s say you see a man walking towards you with a gun pointed at you, naturally your level of anxiety is going to be high in that situation. On the other hand, if you feel anxious just driving to the mall, your level of anxiety is probably out of proportion. There are six major types of anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
People with GAD constantly worry about everyday things like health, money, or family problems that we all worry about at sometime or another. The difference is GAD sufferers are at a heightened state of anxiety all the time. It can keep them up at night, cause chronic tiredness and nausea. If you are suffering from GAD, your levels of anxiety are higher than the average person. You imagine and worry about situations that will most likely never happen to you or your loved ones. Examples: Worrying that your daughter riding to school on her bike will get into a serious accident; you are afraid to drive to the neighborhood grocery store because you are convinced you’ll be involved in car wreck; you visualize in your mind the funeral scene should your husband die unexpectedly tomorrow.

Panic Disorder
With this type of anxiety disorder, you experience repeated and unexpected panic attacks. You also fear that the next episode can and will happen soon. Excessive adrenaline and the brain incorrectly assessing a situation with intense anxiety bring on anticipated or random attacks of panic. You spend a lot of time worrying you will have another panic attack and go to great lengths to avoid situations that might bring on an attack. Example: While taking a flight you get a panic attack with symptoms of not being able to breathe, a pounding heart and clamminess in your palms.

Social Anxiety
This is beyond shyness; it’s a high level of anxiety about being out in public or in a group situation. It’s an excessive fear about social places and situations, and it can be incapacitating. You may have low self-esteem or worry too much about what others think of you. You may practice avoidance rather than deal with the anxiety. Example: Severe anxiousness when attending a church service or intense fear of going to any place where there is a crowd of people.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is characterized by obsessive thoughts and anxieties followed by repetitive performance of a ritual. Examples: Unlocking and locking your car door 6 times before you can leave it; washing your hands with 3 squirts of soap and washing the back of the hands 4 times each.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after being exposed to a terrifying event or ordeal in which you experienced or were threatened with grave physical harm. You have very real feelings of anxiety that a similar event will happen again. Examples: The traumatic event of rape can lead to fear of all men; flashbacks; not being able to sleep alone etc.

Phobias
Phobias are persistent, irrational fears and are associated with anxiety. If you are presented with the object of your fears, you immediately experience high levels of anxiety. Examples: Fear of airplanes; fear of snakes.

Having some anxiety in our lives is normal but when it is disproportionate to the point that it seems to be taking over your life, then it is possible that you may be suffering from one of the six major types of anxiety disorders.

For more information about anxiety disorders, visit the National Institute of Mental Health’s web site.

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