5 Common Types Of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. Symptoms can be psychological, physical, or a combination of both. Intervention is needed when symptoms become severe or cause disability or reduce quality of life in the absence of any apparent external threat.

There are a number of disorders within anxiety disorders, each with its own characteristic symptoms. Anxiety disorders can occur on their own or co-occur with other psychiatric disorders (especially depression) or be the result of a physical illness such as thyrotoxicosis.

Let’s join Đức Tâm An Clinic to learn about 5 common types of anxiety disorders!

1. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD):

• Excessive and uncontrollable worry;
• Motor tension, restlessness, irritability;
• Somatic symptoms (e.g. hyperventilation, tachycardia and sweating);
• GAD is often co‐morbid with major depression, panic disorder or OCD;
• 12‐month prevalence 1.7–3.4%.

2. Panic disorder

• Sudden unpredictable episodes of severe anxiety, usually 30–45 minutes in duration;
• Shortness of breath and other autonomic symptoms;
• Fear of suffocation/dying;
• Urgent desire to flee;
• 12‐month prevalence 1.8%

3. Psychological trauma (PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder)

• Exposure to a traumatic event;
• Emotional numbness or detachment;
• Intrusive flashbacks or vivid dreams;
• Disabling fear of re‐exposure causing avoidance of perceived similar situations;

4. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Obsessional thinking (e.g. constantly thinking the door has been left unlocked);
• Compulsive behaviour (e.g. constantly going back to check);
• 12‐month prevalence 0.7%.

5. Social phobia (also known as social anxiety disorder)

• Extreme fear of social situations, e.g. eating in public or public speaking;
• Fear of humiliation or embarrassment;
• Avoidant behaviour, e.g. never eating in restaurants;
• Anxious anticipation, e.g. feeling sick on entering a restaurant;
• 12‐month prevalence 2.3%.

Reference: David M. Taylor, Thomas R. E. Barnes, Allan H. Young. “Anxiety spectrum disorders”. The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry. 13th Edition. P 360 – 369.