Common Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

A person with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) experiences excessive worries related to a variety of topics. Areas of worry can often include typical and routine issues such as school, relationships, jobs, and one’s health. Common symptoms include fatigue, irritability, poor sleep, and restlessness.

Panic Disorder

A person with Panic Disorder experiences repeated and unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is an episode of intense fear or a sense of doom coupled with physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, sweating or trembling. Someone with Panic Disorder will often live in fear of their next panic attack. They may avoid situations or stimuli that they associate with their panic attacks. Over time this avoidance may impact their lives. 

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia can be characterized by an intense fear of open spaces, enclosed spaces, or being in crowds. A person with Agoraphobia tends to avoid being outside without someone they know, or they may avoid going outside of their home altogether. Their fears are generally related to fears of embarrassment or panic.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Someone with Social Anxiety Disorder has worries related to social performance. These worries will often be related to judgment, evaluation, and embarrassment. A person may lose confidence in social settings and begin to blush, stutter, and they may avoid social situations altogether. Social Anxiety Disorder can be present at school or work as well as social gatherings.