Explanation of Different Types of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by chronic anxiety that persists for at least six months but is unaccompanied by panic attacks, phobias, or obsessions. You simply experience persistent anxiety and worry without the complicating features of other anxiety disorders.

To be given a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, your anxiety and worry must focus on two or more stressful life circumstances (such as finances, relationships, health, or school performances) a majority of days during a six-month period. It's common, if your dealing with GAD, to have a large number of worries, and to spend a lot of your time worrying. Yet you find it difficult to exercise much control over your worrying. Moreover, the intensity and frequency of the worry are always out of proportion to the actual likelihood of the feared events happening. Physical symptoms may include, fatigue, restlessness-feeling keyed-up, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, difficulties with sleep.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:

Post-traumatic stress disorder develops when a person has experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury. This person re-experiences the event through distressing recollections, dreams, flashbacks, or heightened anxiety when exposed to situations or objects that resemble or symbolize the traumatic event. This person also tends to avoid things associated with the trauma and to experience a numbing such as an inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma, diminished interest or participation in significant activities, and detachment or estrangement from others. Additional symptoms can include difficulty falling or staying asleep, irritability, difficulty concentrating, hypervigilance, and an exaggerated startle response.

Agoraphobia:

Agoraphobia is the fear of being in particular places or situations that are away from one's area of security, that is, one's safe place or person. This disorder usually begins full-blown with a panic attack while victims are away from home--on the way to work, standing in line in the grocery store, or driving on the highway. There is no "common" place or circumstances where an attack will happen, but attacks usually occur away from home or apart from someone who the sufferer depends upon.

Along with the panic attack and it's debilitating physical symptoms, agoraphobia victims feel an internal sensation of impending doom. They fear their anxiety reaction will continue to get worse until they finally "go to pieces" or end up screaming and hysterical in front of others. They especially fear loss of control or making fools of themselves in public. When the sufferers retreat, usually to their homes, the panic symptoms subside. Other than the memory of the extreme discomfort, sufferers quickly return to their original state, although many do feel "drained" for some time afterwards.

Escaping to home teaches sufferers that their houses are secure, safe places. Home then becomes their "area of security." The attacks also become associated with the situations or places where they occurred-a learning process known as classical conditioning. Sufferers develop a "learned response" in reaction to their fear. First, people have a fearful reaction to one particular store, bridge, or roadway. Then their reaction generalizes to all stores, bridges, or roadways. As time goes on, the sufferers' fears become more widespread and more pronounced.

In my case, the fear reaction started in the grocery store, then eventually spread to driving, freeways, etc. Gradually, sufferers withdraw from all situations they expect will cause the uncomfortable, unpleasant feelings of anxiety and the awful physical sensations that accompany the attacks. Agoraphobia is developing.

PAD Without Agoraphobia:

Panic disorder without agoraphobia involves unexpected panic attacks accompanied by worry about the return of panic and persistent fears of life-threatening illnesses, losing control, or "going crazy." Common symptoms include dizziness, feelings of unreality, palpitations, shaking, sweating, and nausea.

PAD With Agoraphobia:

Panic disorder with agoraphobia: All the above, plus anxiety when entering or avoidance of situations where a panic attack might occur and where escape is a problem or help would not be available. Common situations include crowds, bridges, tunnels, travel, waiting in lines, be alone.

For more information on causes and symptoms of anxiety disorders click here.