Type of Anxiety Disorders

There are several types of anxiety disorders. We list some common ones below.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder is a chronic disorder characterized by excessive worry about upcoming events, including even daily/routine activities, and the imminent negative outcomes of such events. Such worry is exaggerated and has no apparent cause, and will prevent the patient from focusing on current tasks.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Separation anxiety refers to the anxiety experienced by an individual (usually a young child) when separated with an emotionally attached person (e.g. a parent, sibling, or caregiver). Separation anxiety disorder happens when such anxiety becomes excessive, or excessively displayed.

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

Social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, tends to start at a young age. It involves fear and avoidance of social situations. Those with social phobia tend to be shy, highly self-conscious, and often worry about how others might think of them.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that involves fear and avoidance of certain situations or places where helplessness and/or embarrassment are anticipated. These places/situations are most likely crowded or enclosed spaces (e.g. in a bus, or sitting in the middle of the cinema or a lecture hall) where one may not leave or ‘escape’ when one desires to.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is characterized by frequent panic attacks (sudden feelings of intense and disabling anxiety). Panic attacks often come with intense physical reactions, such as rapid heart rate, trembling, shaking, nausea, chest pain, headache, tight throat etc. During a panic attack, one might feel like one has lost control over oneself, or sense an impending danger or death.

Specific Phobias

Specific phobias are characterized by intense fear, anxiety, and avoidance (or even panic attacks) when facing a specific situation (e.g. height) or exposed to a specific object (e.g. spider).

Selective Mutism

Selective mutism refers to the incapability (of people who are capable of speech) to speak in certain situations. For example, a child who is be able to speak normally with his/her parents, siblings, and friends may fail to speak in class, or to a teacher.

Note: The symptoms of different anxiety disorders can be very similar. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.