The Different Types of Anxiety Disorders

There are 5 major types of anxiety disorders. They are all classified according to the types of symptoms that are exhibited, although they do have some shared manifestations.

1.   Generalized Anxiety Disorder

This one is quite common and is caused by generally high levels of tension, stress and worry. These will usually come about from every day living, and will be caused by things such as a highly stressful job, a bad relationship, shortage of finances and so on. The reason why it's so common is because a lot of people today live life with these kinds of tensions everyday, but they don't seem to realize that the resulting anxiety can become much more serious.

Its manifestations are everyday feelings of illness, but not quite. You will have headaches, stomach aches, poor concentration, palpitations and many more, but they are never quite serious enough to send you to a doctor. You will know that something is wrong when eventually you are not able to function normally at all.

2.   Panic Disorder

This disorder is less common than generalized anxiety disorder, and its manifestation is much more intense. It comes suddenly and without warning, and one will feel unable to breath, you will sweat, your heart will beat really fast and you will tremble among other symptoms. Sufferers report feeling confused and a sense of doom - feeling as though they were going to die.

The reason why these reactions happen has not quite been found out. Some people will suffer panic attacks often, while for many others, it can be a single episode in life that never repeats. Panic disorder, because it causes panic attacks, can lead one to develop agoraphobia; where you are afraid to be in a certain place because you worry you may get a panic attack.

3.   Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

This is rarer still than the two above, and it's precisely as the name describes. One becomes obsessive and has compulsions that they can't seem to control. The obsessions are rather different from other obsessions, say hobbies that other people would have. One can have a compulsive fear of germs so that they are constantly cleaning and are afraid of catching the germs of others. The compulsions are also uncontrollable - someone may develop a certain way of getting into their house so that they only step on certain tiles on the floor. The cause for this disorder has not been established, but medication and behavioral therapy seem to help.

4.   Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

This one can be rather serious because sometimes sufferers can harm themselves in an attempt to get out of their pain. It is usually experienced by people who have been through a deeply traumatic event; like rape, war, a shooting, a bombing and anything else that can leave someone deeply scarred. They have flashbacks of the event and they keep seeing it as it happens. They suffer insomnia because when they try to sleep they relive what happened.

They tend to become emotionally withdrawn and sometimes have a deep sense of self loathing because they think that they are to blame for what happened. They will usually be irritable and can react physically when reminded of the trauma.

5.   Phobias

These types of anxiety disorders are many and varied, but they are still classified as anxiety disorders especially if they go so far as to affect the every day living of a person.

Fortunately, all anxiety disorders can be treated either through behavioral therapy or through medication or a combination of both. If you feel that you may be suffering from any of these types of anxiety disorders listed here, do not hesitate to seek help.