Anxiety itself is a normal human emotion that most individuals will have at some point in their lives. Just like other emotions, anxiety can ebb and flow, but sometimes that anxiety lingers or intensifies based on many factors. This is when you might consider reaching out for professional support and treatment. 

There are several anxiety disorders that can disrupt daily life. These include: 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder - an experience of excessive worry not limited to one thing, situation, or area. Someone with GAD often has difficulty controlling their worry and can spend many hours per day focused on the things that are creating the worry. This may look like difficulty concentrating, laying awake at night playing out scenarios, asking “what if?” frequently, or planning for perceived catastrophes. While anxiety can present differently for everyone, these are common symptoms seen among those with GAD. 

Social Phobia - Often thought of as being/having an “anti-social” disorder, the two are not the same. Those with social phobia have heightened anxiety about embarrassing themselves, being awkward, saying the “wrong” thing, being judged by others. To alleviate this anxiety, individuals may avoid social interactions, work settings, or any kind of gathering that could put them at risk of judgment or graded on performance. 

For more on what “Antisocial Personality Disorder” is Psychology Today has a great article here. Again, this is not the same as Social Phobia. 

Specific Phobia(s) - When an individual is generally not anxious or worrying excessively, but has increased anxiety or fear related to something such as thunderstorms, heights, spiders, snakes, flying, etc. they may have a specific phobia. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 19 million individuals have a specific phobia, with symptoms often beginning in childhood. 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - While commonly heard in daily language when individuals like clean homes, order, and precision, OCD is more complex for those who are struggling. Obsessions are thoughts that are repeated consistently, often unwelcome or intrusive, and can sometimes be in excess of 8 hours per day. These thoughts can lead to significant levels of anxiety or panic and compulsions are the behaviors an individual performs to alleviate the anxiety. 

Obsessions may present such as “I have to count these steps or something bad will happen to my mother,” or “I need to clean my house all the time or my life is out of control.” Whatever the obsession, there is typically a perceived negative consequence if the person does not carry out the associated behavior (compulsion). Once the behavior is completed, the obsession decreases, but often increases again within a short period of time leading to a cyclical pattern. 

Panic Disorder - Individuals with panic disorder experience repeated panic attacks at varied frequency. These panic attacks often feel as if they come out of nowhere and can catch a person off guard. 

Some symptoms of a panic attack can include shortness of breath, shakiness, rapid heart rate, sweating, chills or hot flashes, throat tightness, and a feeling of impending doom or danger. Many often mistake a panic attack for a heart attack and may seek medical attention in the emergency room. 

There are additional ways in which anxiety can present, including fear of open spaces (agoraphobia) or fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia). If you believe you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, we are here to help.   

According to the ADAA, anxiety disorders effect 40 million American adults each year. These disorders are one of the more common reasons individuals seek help from medical or mental health professionals and sometimes the anxiety itself can keep those who need help from reaching out.