Anxiety Disorders

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder actively affects individuals who experience spontaneous, seemingly out-of-the-blue panic attacks and subsequently become preoccupied with the intense fear of a recurring attack. Moreover, these panic attacks often strike unexpectedly, sometimes even emerging during sleep. Clinicians define a panic attack as the abrupt onset of overwhelming fear that rapidly reaches its peak within just a few minutes.

Furthermore, because many symptoms of panic disorder closely mimic those of serious physical illnesses—such as heart disease, thyroid problems, or breathing disorders—people with this condition frequently make repeated visits to emergency rooms or doctors’ offices. Consequently, they often arrive convinced that they face a life-threatening medical issue.

The symptoms of a panic attack are:

• a feeling of imminent danger or doom
• the need to escape
• heart palpitations
• sweating
• trembling
• shortness of breath or a smothering feeling
• a feeling of choking
• chest pain or discomfort
• nausea or abdominal discomfort
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• a sense of things being unreal, depersonalization
• a fear of losing control or “going crazy”
• a fear of dying
• tingling sensation
• chills or heat flush

Specific Phobias

New places, high bridges, or old elevators can make many of us feel a bit uneasy or even frightened. Consequently, we might instinctively try to avoid situations that trigger discomfort. However, most people generally manage to regulate their fears and successfully carry out daily activities without significant incidents.

In contrast, individuals with specific phobias experience strong, irrational fear reactions and diligently work to avoid common places, situations, or objects—even though they rationally know no actual threat or danger exists. Although the fear may seem illogical, they often feel completely powerless to stop it.

Moreover, people who encounter these seemingly excessive and unreasonable fears—either in the presence of or in anticipation of a specific object, place, or situation—meet the criteria for a specific phobia. As a result, having phobias can profoundly disrupt daily routines, limit work efficiency, reduce self-esteem, and strain relationships, because individuals will go to great lengths to avoid the uncomfortable and often terrifying feelings of phobic anxiety.

Furthermore, the onset of specific phobias typically occurs suddenly, and they may emerge in situations that previously caused no discomfort or anxiety whatsoever. Specific phobias commonly center on animals, insects, germs, heights, thunder, driving, public transportation, flying, dental or medical procedures, and elevators.

Although people with phobias fully recognize that their fear is irrational, even merely thinking about the phobic stimulus can frequently trigger extreme anxiety.

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety actively manifests as an extreme fear of being scrutinized and judged by others in social or performance situations. Consequently, it can profoundly wreak havoc on the lives of those who suffer from it.

Moreover, this disorder distinctly differs from mere shyness that some might inappropriately view as overly medicalized. In fact, symptoms can become so extreme that they severely disrupt daily life.

Furthermore, individuals with this condition—also known as social phobia—often maintain few or no social or romantic relationships. As a result, they frequently feel powerless, isolated, or even deeply ashamed.

Generalized Anxiety (GAD)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) actively manifests through persistent, excessive, and often unrealistic worry about everyday matters. Moreover, individuals with GAD frequently experience exaggerated worry and tension, habitually expecting the worst outcomes—even when no apparent reason for concern exists.

Consequently, they constantly anticipate disaster and remain overly concerned about issues such as money, health, family, work, or other routine aspects of life. Therefore, clinicians diagnose GAD when a person excessively worries about a variety of everyday problems for at least six months.

 To learn more about GAD symptoms, go to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America website.

To learn more about anxiety disorders, visit the National Institute of Mental Health’s website at NIMH.