Quick guide to anxiety disorders

Well-known Anxiety Disorders

Other Anxiety Conditions/Disorders/Phobias

Well-known Anxiety Disorders

Simple or Specific Phobias

A phobia is an irrational fear of an object/situation etc. that would not normally trouble most people. As the name suggests, simple/specific phobias are phobias that are about specific objects, situations etc. They can be quite distinct in nature and easily identified. For example, fear of spiders, fear of thunderstorms, fear of heights. Any phobia may produce a state of panic when the sufferer is confronted with the phobic object/situation. A wide variety of physical symptoms are experienced such as nausea, increased heartbeat and jelly legs. For this reason, many people with simple or specific phobias enter into a pattern of avoidance which can vary enormously in severity from someone who would not want to touch a spider, to someone who cannot even look at a picture of a spider in magazines, and therefore has to vet everything they come into contact with. The latter demonstrates just how debilitating even a simple phobia can be.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is a very complex phobia usually manifesting itself as a collection of inter-linked phobias. For example many agoraphobics also fear being left alone (monophobia), dislike being in any situation where they feel trapped (exhibiting claustrophobia type tendencies) and fear travelling away from their 'safe' place, usually the home. Some agoraphobics find they can travel more easily if they have a trusted friend or family member accompanying them, however this can quickly lead to dependency on their carer. The severity of agoraphobia varies enormously between sufferers from those who are housebound, even room-bound, to those who can travel specific distances within a defined boundary.

Social Phobia

Social or public situations of any kind may induce this disorder which is often expressed as a fear of being the centre of attention, or of others noticing the sufferer's anxious behaviour. Social phobia can also be classed as 'specific social phobia' i.e. when there is social phobia only in specific social situations, e.g. public speaking. The fear of behaving in an embarrassing or humiliating way can lead to a complete withdrawal from social contact, as well as avoidance of specific social situations such as public toilets, eating out etc. The physical manifestations of this phobia include blushing, shaking and sweating etc.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

This can be defined as a disorder in which the sufferer feels in a constant state of high anxiety. The anxiety experienced is not as a result of any specific trigger, but those with this condition feel that they are on edge all the time for no specific reason. GAD is often accompanied by depression. GAD is sometimes called 'free-floating' anxiety condition.

Panic Disorder

The common thread between most anxiety disorders is the panic attack. However, when panic attacks are experienced out of the blue without an apparent trigger, this is classified as panic disorder. Sufferers of panic disorder often feel fine one minute, and yet the next may feel totally out of control and in the grips of a panic attack. Panic attacks produce very real physical symptoms from a rapid increase in heartbeat to a churning stomach sensation. These physical symptoms are naturally unpleasant and the accompanying psychological thoughts of terror can make a panic attack a very scary experience. For this reason, sufferers start to dread the next attack, and quickly enter into a cycle of living 'in fear of fear'.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

This disorder can be looked at in two parts; obsessions - these are repetitive, obtrusive, unwanted thoughts that are experienced and result in unreasonable fears, and compulsions - acts or rituals carried out in response to fears generated by obsessions. The classic OCD condition is that of compulsive hand washing in response to an irrational fear of germs/contamination. Sufferers of this disorder feel less anxious once they have carried out a compulsion. It is possible to experience obsessive thoughts only and not have the desire to carry out a compulsion. Examples of compulsions are excessive cleaning, counting, checking, measuring, and repeating tasks or actions. Trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling) may also be classified under the general umbrella of OCD. Examples of obsessions are worrying excessively about death, germs, illness - usually AIDS, cancer, etc. (this can also be classified as an 'Illness phobia',) having undesirable sexual thoughts, fearing causing harm to others.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) / Dysmorphophobia

This disorder has also been nicknamed 'Imagined Ugliness Syndrome' for sufferers of the condition have an irrational preoccupation with a perceived body defect, either present in themselves or in others; the latter being dysmorphophobia by proxy. BDD sufferers cannot accept that their fears of their perceived body defect are out of all proportion, and frequently seek plastic surgery/other measures in an attempt to rectify the perceived problem.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is an anxiety disorder which may develop following exposure to any one of a variety of traumatic events that involve actual or threatened death, or serious injury. The event may be witnessed rather than directly experienced, and even learning about it may be sufficient if the persons involved are family members or close friends. Sufferers may experience flashbacks, panic attacks and heightened awareness.

Trichotillomania

The main feature of trichotillomania is the recurrent pulling out of the individual's own hair which results in noticeable hair loss. Having pulled out hair from any area of the body, the tension and anxiety that sufferers of trichotillomania experience is relieved.

Other Anxiety Conditions/Disorders/Phobias

Emetophobia - (vomit phobia)

Emetophobia is a term used to describe the fear of vomiting/being sick, and is also used to describe those who fear seeing others being sick. Emetophobes often fear being sick in public, being near people who are ill with tummy bugs etc., eating out or eating food known to carry a higher than average risk of food poisoning.

Monophobia - (fear of being alone)

Monophobics typically fear being left alone as they worry about having a panic attack and having to cope alone without their "support" person. This phobia is often associated with agoraphobia and panic disorder.

Choking phobia, Globus Hystericus & Swallowing phobia

These phobias result from anxiety which results in tension affecting the throat area. Sufferers have difficulties in swallowing, and often describe themselves as "having a lump in the throat".

Depersonalisation Disorder (DD)

Depersonalisation is the experience of feeling unreal, detached, and often, unable to feel emotion. It is a phenomenon characterised by a disruption in self-awareness and emotional numbness. Many people experience depersonalisation during a panic attack and this is often characterised as the peak level of anxiety.

Claustrophobia - (fear of confined spaces/being trapped)

This is the fear of confined spaces/being shut in an enclosed space. Sufferers of this phobia fear that they will experience a terrifying panic attack if ever they are placed in a situation where they feel enclosed/confined.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

This condition is also known as the "Winter Blues" because those who suffer with it feel down, depressed, experience loss of energy, changes in appetite/sleep patterns during the winter months. The condition is believed to be due to the lower light levels that are around during winter.

Toilet Phobia

This term is used to describe a wide variety of fears associated with toilets, urination and defecation. Sufferers may: be unable to urinate/defecate; fear that they may soil/wet themselves and consequently worry about being too far from a toilet; fear using public toilets because of anxieties around the cleanliness of toilets, or fear that others may be scrutinising them whilst urinating (especially common amongst men).

Injection Phobia - (Trypanophobia)

Trypanophobic sufferers feel panic, revulsion and symptoms of anxiety at the thought of an injection, let alone the sight of a syringe and needle. Sufferers may pass out during the course of having an injection because of intense anxiety.

Sexual Phobias

Sexual phobias are often very complex phobias covering many different aspects of sexual relationships. Types of sexual phobia may include:

  • Fear of losing control of yourself & bodily functions
  • Fear of being inadequate
  • Fear of infection
  • Fear of becoming pregnant
  • Fear of intimacy
  • Fear of having abnormal gentials

Erythrophobia - (blushing phobia)

Sufferers find that their blushing is not controllable, and is often severe enough to apparently be noticed by others. The attention that sufferers receive as a consequence of blushing creates more nervousness, and in turn more blushing. This particular phobia is associated with social phobia.