Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a normal part of life. You feel it before an exam, a visit to the dentist, or a solo performance. This kind of anxiety is expected and can even motivate you to do your task well. The problem begins when anxiety levels become so high that they are distressing and interfere with your ability to function effectively. This is when it crosses the line into an anxiety disorder, which is the most common category of psychological disorders.

The term anxiety itself is defined as a diffuse, vague, and very unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension. It is not a single symptom but a combination of physical and mental experiences. The physical symptoms include a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, fainting, dizziness, sweating, sleeplessness, frequent urination, and tremors.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

There are several distinct types of anxiety disorders, each with its own specific features.

1. Generalised Anxiety Disorder

This disorder involves prolonged, vague, unexplained, and intense fears that are not attached to any particular object. The key symptoms are:

• Worry and apprehensive feelings about the future.
• Hypervigilance: The person is constantly scanning their environment for potential dangers.
• Motor tension: The person is unable to relax, feels restless, and is visibly shaky and tense.

2. Panic Disorder

This disorder is characterised by recurrent anxiety attacks, known as panic attacks. A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense anxiety that rises to a peak, often triggered by thoughts of a particular stimulus, though these thoughts can occur unpredictably. The clinical features include:

• Shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, and palpitations.
• A feeling of choking, nausea, chest pain or discomfort.
• An intense fear of going crazy, losing control, or dying.

3. Phobias

Phobias are irrational fears related to specific objects, people, or situations. They often develop gradually or can begin with a generalised anxiety disorder. Phobias are grouped into three main types:

• Specific Phobias: The most common type. These are irrational fears of a specific thing, such as a type of animal or being in an enclosed space.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): Characterised by intense and incapacitating fear and embarrassment when dealing with others. This is the kind of fear that makes a person unable to speak a well-rehearsed speech before an audience.
• Agoraphobia: This is the fear of entering unfamiliar situations. Many people with agoraphobia are afraid of leaving their home, which severely limits their ability to carry out normal life activities.

4. Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Individuals with this disorder are fearful and anxious about separation from attachment figures (like parents) to an extent that is not developmentally appropriate. In children, this can manifest as:

• Difficulty being in a room by themselves or going to school alone.
• Fear of entering new situations.
• Clinging to and shadowing their parents’ every move.
• To avoid separation, children may fuss, scream, throw severe tantrums, or even make suicidal gestures.

5. Other Disorders

The category of anxiety disorders also includes Selective Mutism, Substance/Medication-Induced Anxiety Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition.

The following table summarises the major anxiety disorders and their core symptoms as presented in the textbook. …