Anxiety and Related Disorders

Anxiety is a normal response to stress. In fact, mild levels of anxiety can be beneficial; it can alert us to danger or encourage us to prepare for an upcoming exam. Anxiety disorders, however, differ from typical feelings of nervousness and are characterized by excessive feelings of anxiety and fear and are typically followed by behavioral disruptions, including avoidance. These disorders can significantly impact an individual’s relationships and daily functioning. Anxiety disorders are universally one of the most common psychiatric disorders. There are various categories of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder and selective mutism. Each anxiety disorder is characterized by distinct features and symptoms.

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves persistent, excessive worry about everyday happenings across multiple domains (ie. work, health, finances).

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Panic Disorder

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Panic Disorder is diagnosed when an individual has recurring, unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is defined as the sudden onset of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes, with the occurrence of at least four of the following physical/psychological symptoms present: increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, choking sensation, chest discomfort, nausea, dizziness, chills/hot, numbness/tingling, derealization (detached from reality) or depersonalization (detached from self), fear of losing control, or fear of dying. Furthermore, with panic disorder, there can be a fear of experiencing future panic attacks or significant avoidance behavior.

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Specific Phobia

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Specific Phobia is irrational, excessive fear of a specific object, situation or activity that is generally not dangerous. The individual often goes to great lengths to avoid the feared stimulus. The five categories of phobias include natural/ environment (ie. fear of storms, water), injury (ie. fear of doctors, needles), animal (ie. dogs, snakes, insects), situational (ie. fear of flying, enclosed spaces), and other (ie. vomit, loud noise).

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Agoraphobia

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Agoraphobia is a disproportionate fear of situations or places where an individual may have difficulty escaping, may become embarrassed, or may be helpless in the face of a panic attack. Specific fears can include fear of public transportation, open spaces, enclosed spaces, standing in line/among a crowd, and going outside the home alone. With agoraphobia, the individual typically avoids going out, only goes out accompanied, or endures outings with intense anxiety symptoms. When untreated, avoidance can become so severe to the point of the individual becoming completely homebound.

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Social Anxiety Disorder

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Social Anxiety Disorder involves an intense fear of social situations, often due to a fear of being criticized or judged by others, leading to feelings of embarrassment or rejection. The specific fear triggers can include eating publicly, meeting new people or public speaking, among other scenarios. Social anxiety can lead to avoidance of social situations and may impact daily functioning, including relationships, work, or school.

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Separation Anxiety Disorder​​

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Separation anxiety refers to the fear of being apart from an attachment figure when outside of the home. Separation Anxiety Disorder involves excessive fear around separation, fear that is significantly beyond the individual’s age norm. The fear symptoms must be present for a minimum of four weeks in children and a minimum of six months in adults for diagnostic criteria to be met. The individual may worry frequently about losing their attachment figure, they may refuse to go places without that person, and they may have nightmares about separation. The symptoms of separation anxiety disorder typically develop in childhood, yet they can continue into adulthood if left untreated.