Definition of Anxiety Disorders Understanding the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress disorders

Anxiety disorders and stress-related problems are commonly experienced by children through to adults. However, anxiety means different things to different people, that's why having a definition of anxiety disorders can be helpful. This page provides a explanation of commonly experienced anxiety disorders and some of psychological and physical symptoms of anxiety and stress.

In the mental health field, some of the most commonly experienced anxiety disorders include:

• Panic disorder

• Agoraphobia

• Specific phobia

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

• Social phobia

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A definition of each anxiety disorder is outlined below along with many of the physical and psychological anxiety disorder symptoms.

Definition of Anxiety - Panic Disorder

People suffering from panic disorder have feelings of intense fear that often occur suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. The person often cannot predict when an attack will occur, and may develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next attack will strike. Panic disorders affects approximately 1 to 5 percent of the population.

Panic Disorder is characterised by panic attacks (often called anxiety attacks) which creates a severe fear or discomfort and peaks within 10 minutes. Some of the psychological and physical symptoms of anxiety attacks include:

• Chest pain or other chest discomfort

• Chills or hot flashesChoking sensation

• Derealization (feeling unreal) or depersonalization (feeling detached from self)

• Dizzy, lightheaded, faint or unsteady

• Fear of dying

• Fears of loss of control or becoming insane

• Heart pounds, races or skips beats

• Nausea or other abdominal discomfort

• Numbness or tingling

• Sweating

• Shortness of breath or smothering sensation

• Trembling

Definition of Anxiety - Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia refers to an intense anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult or embarrassing.  These situations are avoided or else are endured with marked distress. It is often combined with anxiety about having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms.

Agoraphobia symptoms typically include a fear or avoidance of situations such as: being outside the home alone; being in a crowd or standing in a line; being on a bridge; and travelling in a bus, train, or automobile.

Definition of Anxiety - Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a relatively common anxiety problem, affecting 3 - 4% of the population. Having generalized anxiety disorder is more severe than the normal anxiety people experience on a daily basis. It's chronic and exaggerated worry and tension, which is often unprovoked.

People with this disorder regularly anticipate disaster, and worry excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, though, the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint and just the thought of getting through the day can provoke anxiety.

The diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder is (generalized anxiety disorder symptoms):

• For more than half the days in at least 6 months, the patient experiences excessive anxiety and worry about several events or activities.

• The person has trouble controlling these feelings.

• Associated with this anxiety and worry, the patient has 3 or more of the following symptoms, some of which are present for over half the days in the past 6 months:

  o        Feels restless, edgy, keyed up.

  o        Tires easily.

  o        Trouble concentrating.

  o        Irritability.

  o        Increased muscle tension.

  o        Trouble sleeping (initial insomnia or restless, unrefreshing sleep).

Definition of Anxiety - Social Phobia

Social phobia is a persistent irrational fear of situations in which the person feels he or she may be closely watched and judged by others. For example during public speaking, eating, or using public facilities.

When a person has social phobia he or she repeatedly fears social or performance situations that involves facing strangers or being watched by others. The person specifically worries about showing symptoms of anxiety or behaving in some other way that will be embarrassing or humiliating. As a result, the person either avoids the situation or endures it with severe distress or anxiety.

Definition of Anxiety - Specific Phobia

A phobia involves an intense fear of a specific object or situation. The fear may occur in the actual presence of the object or situation or can also be associated with thoughts or anticipation of the object or situation.

Common specific phobias include:

• Fear of heights - Acrophobia

• Fear of spiders - Arachnophobia

• Fear of flying - Aviatophobia

• Fear of thunder and lightning - Brontophobia

• Fear of confined spaces - Claustrophobia

• Fear of dentists - Dentophobia

• Fear of blood - Hemophobia

• Fear of snakes - Ophidiophobia

• Fear of mice - Suriphobia

• Fear of animals - Zoophobia

• Fear of needles - Belonephobia/ needlephobia

Definition of Anxiety - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Definition of Anxiety - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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