Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health condition in America, and will affect nearly one in every three adults in their lifetime.1 There are many different types of anxiety disorders, each with certain defining symptoms that can be triggered by specific circumstances. Identifying the type of anxiety disorder is important to determining what treatments will be effective.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a common type of anxiety disorder, affecting an estimated 3.1% of people in the US each year.2 What makes generalized anxiety disorder different from other anxiety disorders is the universal nature of the condition. Instead of having specific situations and circumstances that trigger anxiety, people with GAD experience anxiety in response to many circumstances or even when there is no identifiable trigger.
Because people with GAD are unable to identify isolated triggers for their anxiety, they are unable to predict or prevent their anxiety symptoms. Because they can’t isolate specific triggers for their anxiety, they often experience mild to moderate anxiety on a regular or frequent basis.
Symptoms of GAD include:3
- Excessive anxiety and worry occurring most days for at least 6 months in response to a number of events, activities or situations
- The worry is difficult for the person to control
- The anxiety or worry has three or more of the following features (only one for children):
- Restlessness, feeling keyed up or on-edge
- Being easily fatigued, exhausted or drained
- Trouble concentrating, focusing, or mind going blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Problems sleeping (trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or feeling unrested after sleep)
- The symptoms aren’t better explained by another psychological disorder
- The symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in one or more area of life/functioning
- The symptoms aren’t better explained by a medical problem or the effects of a prescribed or non-prescribed substance
People often refer to GAD as free floating anxiety. But just because it’s can hard to pinpoint the cause or trigger of your anxiety doesn’t mean it can’t be more effectively managed. There are great therapy options for anxiety and the sooner it’s treated, the better.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is a condition where symptoms of anxiety are experienced in social settings or interactions. People affected by social anxiety disorder have a deep fear of being judged, embarrassed or perceived negatively by others. They often go to great lengths to avoid these feared social situations which can result in significant disruptions to their routine, impaired occupational functioning, and problems in their personal relationships.
When a person with social anxiety disorder is in a feared social situation, they experience high levels of anxiety, self-consciousness and discomfort. In some cases, these symptoms can escalate into a panic attack. Social anxiety disorder was previously classified as social phobia, and shares many of the same features as other specific phobias. Each year, 6.8% of adults in America struggle with social anxiety.2
The symptoms of social anxiety disorder include:3
- Significant fear or anxiety about at least one social situation where there is a possibility of being negatively judged by others (i.e. public speaking, meeting new people, etc.)
- The feared social situations almost always provoke anxiety
- The fear or concern is excessive and disproportionate to the actual threat or importance of the social situation or interaction
- The feared social situations are avoided or endured with great distress, anxiety or fear
- The fear, anxiety or avoidance persists for more than 6 months
- The symptoms are not better explained by another mental illness
- The symptoms are not better explained by the effects of a substance or another medical condition
- If another medical diagnosis is present, the symptoms have been determined to be excessive or unrelated to this condition
Panic Disorder
Panic attacks are intense symptoms of anxiety that often manifest as physiological changes like rapid heart rate and breathing, sweating, dizziness, or pain in the chest or stomach. Panic symptoms are intense, begin suddenly, and last for several minutes. Anyone can experience a panic attack in a stressful or scary situation, but they are much more common in people with existing anxiety disorders. Some people who experience panic attacks go on to develop panic disorder.
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks and intense fears of having another panic attack. The fear of future panic attacks becomes so consuming to people with panic disorder that it becomes debilitating, causing them to avoid situations where they fear they may have another attack. Panic disorder affects 2.7% of American adults in a given year.2
The symptoms of panic disorder include recurrent and unexpected panic attacks featuring 4 or more of the following symptoms:
- Heart palpitations
- Sweating
- Shaking or trembling
- Feeling hot or cold (hot flashes or chills)
- Feelings of choking
- Feeling smothered or short of breath
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Nausea, stomach pain or GI distress
- Feeling dizzy, lightheaded or unsteady
- Feeling afraid of dying
- Feeling afraid of losing control or “going crazy”
- Numbness or tingling sensations
- Derealization (not feeling in touch with reality) or depersonalization (not feeling attached to yourself)
Both of the following symptoms experienced for at least 30 days after a panic attack:
- Persistent concern about additional attacks or their consequences
- A significant maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks
The attacks are unrelated to a medical condition or the effects of a substance and the attacks are not better explained by another mental health condition.
Specific Phobias
When a person’s anxiety is limited to a specific trigger or situation, they may be suffering from a specific phobia. Phobias are particular fears that people have and could include certain things, places, activities or situations. Some of the most common phobias include a fear of flying, needles, public speaking, spiders (arachnophobia), or being in small spaces.
Almost everyone has at least one specific fear but this would not necessarily mean they meet the criteria for a specific phobia. Phobias are only diagnosed when a person’s fear is causing significant distress or impairment in their lives, keeping them from being able to function. Each year, 8.7% of American adults struggle with a specific phobia, making it one of the most common types of anxiety disorders.2
Specific phobias are characterized by the following symptoms:3
- Significant fear or anxiety about a specific situation (i.e. heights, public speaking)
- The feared situation almost always provokes anxiety
- The fear or concern is excessive and disproportionate to the actual threat
- The feared situation is either avoided or endured with great distress, anxiety, or fear
- The fear, anxiety, or avoidance persists for more than 6 months
- The symptoms are not better explained by another mental illness
- The symptoms are not better explained by the effects of a substance or another medical condition
- If another medical diagnosis is present, the symptoms have been determined to be excessive or unrelated to this condition
Other Types of Anxiety Disorders
In some cases, a person can present with symptoms of anxiety that do not clearly fit into any of the common categories listed above. In cases where symptoms of anxiety are causing someone distress or impairment but full criteria for a disorder is unmet, a person may be diagnosed with unspecified anxiety disorder. This diagnosis is used in situations where a person presents with atypical symptoms of anxiety that do not clearly fit within another pre-defined category.3
In addition to unspecified anxiety disorders, some people who struggle with anxiety have a less common anxiety disorder or even another kind of mental health condition that causes anxiety.
Some of the other disorders that can cause symptoms of anxiety include:3
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorders: Formerly classified as anxiety disorders, this category describes conditions like OCD, hoarding, and body dysmorphic disorder. These conditions are characterized by anxiety related to specific unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that a person copes with in maladaptive ways (compulsions).
- Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders: Also once classified as anxiety disorders, trauma and stressor-related disorders include conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorders. These conditions feature anxiety that begins in response to a stressful, scary, or traumatic experience.
- Selective Mutism: Selective mutism is an uncommon childhood anxiety disorder characterized by an inability or unwillingness to speak. Children with selective mutism have the ability to speak but do not, or they may only speak in certain situations or to certain people they know.
- Separation Anxiety: Separation anxiety is a condition where anxiety occurs in response to separating from specific people, even for short periods of time. Commonly associated with children who have trouble separating from caregivers (though it can occur in adults), people with separation anxiety often have a fear that something bad will happen to their loved one which will cause them to not return.
When & How to Get Help for Anxiety
Regardless of the kind of disorder a person has, anxiety is highly treatable. Often, people can greatly improve their symptoms in therapy, where they can learn effective ways of coping and managing their symptoms. Certain kinds of therapy have more evidence to support their efficacy in treating different kinds of anxiety disorders.
Licensed counselors, social workers, and psychologists often use the following evidence-based treatments for anxiety:1,4
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety
- Trauma-focused CBT
- Exposure therapy
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
In addition to therapy, people also sometimes benefit from medication for anxiety which can be prescribed by a psychiatrist, doctor, or other medical professional. People who are interested in finding a therapist or doctor to treat their anxiety often begin their search online using a free therapist directory, or by contacting their insurance company to get a list of in-network providers.
Final Thoughts on Types of Anxiety
Each year, almost 20% of Americans struggle with an anxiety disorder.1,2 Some of those people have yet to see major disruptions in their life due to their anxiety and describe their symptoms as high-functioning anxiety. But, left untreated, anxiety symptoms can get the best of anyone.
The good news is that many highly effective treatment options have been identified, researched, and have demonstrated success in improving anxiety (partly because of how common anxiety disorders are). In many cases, people are able to reduce symptoms of anxiety with counseling, which can help them learn more effective ways of coping and managing their symptoms. With treatment, it is possible for people with anxiety to substantially improve their quality of life.
For Further Reading
- Considering therapy? Read our review of the best online therapy options.
- Best Books on Anxiety for you to learn more and build resiliency
- Podcasts about anxiety to hear stories and learn from others
- MHA – Mental Health America
- MentalHealth.gov
Types of Anxiety Disorders Infographics
