Five Types of Anxiety Disorders

February 18th, 2010 by author

Panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder are just some of the different types of anxiety disorders that affect millions of adult Americans every year. Anxiety disorder and anxiety problems are more common in women than in men, and are identified by extreme feelings of panic, worry, or a preoccupation with negative events that could occur in the person’s life.

WebMD.com declares that anxiety disorder is a serious mental health illness. For people with anxiety disorders, worry and fear are constant and overwhelming, and can be crippling.” Recognizing the different types of anxiety disorder can help the person cope better with the effect and the situation that may be causing the problem.

1. (OCD) Obsessive-compulsive disorder. A person with OCD experiences involuntary intrusive thoughts and is frightened that something bad will happen. The person then will be compelled to do time-consuming routines to reduce the feeling of dread. The person typically designs their own routine to help reduce a certain type of fear. For example, someone who fears germs and disease may constantly wash their hands. Someone who fears that things will be out of control may constantly arrange and rearrange furniture or objects in the home.

2. Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder. This disorder is characterized by extreme self-consciousness. The person suffering from this type of anxiety disorder usually fears being judged, ridiculed or shamed by others, so they avoid social situations altogether.

3. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This type of anxiety disorder is the most common among adult men and women in the United States, and consists of constant worry, angst or tension about situations that may not be in proportion with the actual circumstance or event. If not treated, this type of anxiety disorder can ruin a person’s quality of life.

4. PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A traumatic event usually triggers the appearance of this disorder. The person may have nightmares or recurrent memories about the event, and can have difficult functioning in everyday life. Other stressful situations may serve to remind the sufferer of the traumatic experience and trigger intense fear and anxiety.

5. Agoraphobia and other phobias. This disorder is characterized by an extreme fear of having a panic attack in public. ther phobias related to anxiety disorders are rooted in feelings of embarrassment and shame – described as “feeling anxious about anxiety”.

These panic disorders and anxiety disorders are just some of the major problems experienced by those who have difficulty coping with stress, have a history of traumatic experiences, or have a family history of anxiety problems. It is important to identify what type of anxiety disorder a person is experiencing before creating an effective treatment plan for the problem.