While anxiety is a normal and adaptive response to stressful situations, it can have problematic psychological and physical effects when it becomes chronic, persistent and unprovoked. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), there are five major types of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social phobia (or social anxiety disorder). Contact a qualified mental health care professional if you are experiencing any symptoms characteristic of these disorders.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by chronic, widespread, unprovoked and exaggerated worries that people feel that cannot control. These worries may be about everyday occurrences, family problems, health issues, money, career or seemingly minor events, and they cause a number of associated physical symptoms, such as headaches, muscle tension, irritability, trembling, lightheadedness or dizziness, nausea, sweating, hot flashes, upset stomach, rapid heart rate, breathlessness and fatigue.
According to the NIMH, GAD affects almost 7 million adults in the United States and is twice as common among women as men. It commonly co-occurs with other anxiety disorders, depression or substance abuse, and it is likely to develop during childhood or middle age, although it can develop at any age.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or compulsive behaviors. Obsessions come in the form of unwelcome thoughts or images that are disturbing and often prompt people to engage in compulsive rituals to ease their discomfort. Compulsive behaviors, however, provide only temporary relief from anxiety, and ceasing to perform the rituals further increases anxiety. Common compulsions include handwashing, cleaning, counting, touching (in a particular sequence) and checking.
OCD commonly co-occurs with eating disorders, depression and other anxiety disorders, according to the NIMH, and it affects approximately 2.2 million U.S. adults.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder causes acute, unexpected episodes, called panic attacks, that are characterized by intense fear and physical symptoms, such as dizziness, sweating, nausea, a pounding heart, tingling or numbness, weakness and faintness. While the attacks may last for up to 10 minutes, some anxiety symptoms may persist for much longer. Panic attacks may arise from a feeling of fear or sense of impending doom about a particular environment or situation, or out of fear of having no control over panic attack symptoms, according to the NIMH. While many people have one panic attack and never experience another, others may have repeated attacks that lead to panic disorder. Approximately one-third of people will become housebound because of their fear to confront certain situations, leading to a condition called agoraphobia (fear of open spaces).
Panic disorder occurs in two times as many women as men and affects approximately 6 million adults in the United States.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after exposure to a traumatic event, such as a personal assault, military combat, accident, act of violence or natural disaster. PTSD is characterized by "re-experiencing" symptoms (persistent, intrusive thoughts and memories of the traumatic incident, flashbacks and nightmares), avoidance symptoms (emotional numbing and detachment, staying away from things or places that serve as reminders of the event), and hyperarousal symptoms (agitation, feeling easily startled).
While it is normal for these symptoms to develop in response to trauma, symptoms that last more than a few weeks or that worsen suggest you should see a health care professional for evaluation. In some cases, symptoms of PTSD may not emerge for weeks or months after the stressful event.
Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, is characterized by a persistent and intense fear of being watched or judged by others. This fear of embarrassment or humiliation is often accompanied by sweating, nausea, trembling, blushing and stumbling over words or having difficulty talking. Social phobia commonly occurs in specific situations (having to speak, drink or eat in front of others), but it can become diffuse, evoking these fears anytime a person is in public.
Social phobia affects roughly 15 million American adults, and men and women are equally affected, according to the NIMH.
