What are the Different Types of Anxiety Disorders, and How do I Differentiate Them? 

Have you ever felt a sudden rush of fear out of nowhere? Your heart starts to pound like it’s about to blast out of your chest. Your palms are sweating profusely. Your mind starts to race, as it fills up with different scary scenarios? 

Have you perhaps found yourself dodging certain situations because they trigger intense feelings of fear and dread? The mere thought of an event makes you shudder and shut down… 

These are just some of the manifestations of anxiety disorders, a common but often misunderstood mental health condition. It’s a mental health condition that will affect 28% of Australians at least once in their life. 

In this article, we’ll share with you the different types of anxiety disorders people experience. This will help you understand the emotions you (or the people around you) feel. We’re writing this with the hopes that through our knowledge and expertise, you can find proactive solutions for these disorders.

What are Anxiety Disorders? 

Before we go through the different types of anxiety disorders, let’s define it first. 

We identify anxiety disorders as mental health conditions characterised by excessive feelings of fear, worry, or apprehension. This is typically experienced on a regular basis through a period of time. 

They go beyond the normal jitters we all feel from time to time and can significantly disrupt our everyday life. 

While it's normal for us to experience occasional anxiety and fear, such as before a job interview or during a challenging situation, anxiety disorders involve persistent and overwhelming feelings that interfere with one’s daily life.

Anxiety disorders are a complex mental health issue because they have different types which have different manifestations, symptoms, causes, and treatments. 

What are the different types of anxiety? 

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

People typically describe Generalised Anxiety Disorder as living in a constant state of "what if." 

Imagine living in a constant state of worry. A life where the smallest uncertainties can trigger an avalanche of anxious thoughts. Where every little mistake feels like drastic consequences are coming. This is the reality for people living with GAD. 

They experience excessive worry about a wide range of topics, including work, health, family, and finances. Usually, these worries can be exaggerated.  

The most common distinction of Generalised Anxiety compared to other types of anxiety disorders is how it masks itself as normal thoughts in our lives. They’re nothing extreme like other anxiety disorders. But what makes them terrible is they keep us in a constant state of stress and worry. 

So how would you know if you have GAD? 

Monitoring your thoughts is a great way to take notice of your inner-dialogue. One suggestion might be to keep a journal of your thoughts for a couple of days. Ideally a week. Monitor and record the thoughts you get throughout the day. Then at the end of the day, observe and evaluate the thoughts that you’ve captured. 

If you see that many of your thoughts are worries (big or small) – “what if I get laid off?” “what if I left the lights on?” “What if my partner is cheating on me?” “what if this unknown number is the hospital?” – then it’s possible that you’re experiencing GAD, and you should consult with a trained professional such as the registered psychologists at MeHelp Psychology. 

When untreated, prolonged Generalised Anxiety Disorder can lead to other mental health challenges. That’s because the constant pattern of worry creates a negative mental loop that our mind adopts. This is why seeking treatment for GAD is important. 

Phobias

Unlike generalised anxiety which has you worrying about every single thing, phobias are usually focused on one thing. But, they are intense, irrational fears of objects, situations, or activities. 

Although almost everyone has fears (because it’s a survival mechanism), phobias provoke an extreme reaction. This often prompts people with phobia to go to great lengths to avoid the things they fear. 

For example, while most people would feel disgusted or nervous at the sight of blood, people with phobias might experience a panic attack when exposed to blood. In extreme cases, people who even just think about their phobias experience adverse reactions. This makes certain events paralysing for people with phobia. 

Common phobias include agoraphobia (fear of open or crowded spaces), claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces), and social phobia (fear of social situations). 

Social Anxiety Disorder 

Social Anxiety Disorder, also known as social phobia is a type of phobia. 

The main characteristic of Social Anxiety Disorder is having an overwhelming fear in social situations. Typically, people who have social anxiety feel afraid of social interactions – meeting new people, attending parties, doing presentations. 

In extreme cases, even going out in public for basic errands like doing the groceries, shopping, and walking outside can be extremely stressful for people experiencing social phobia.

This anxiety disorder roots itself at the fear of being judged, rejected or scrutinised by others. People with this condition experience intense anxiety and self-consciousness in social settings.

Unlike other phobias, social anxiety can paralyse a person’s life greatly because they tend to avoid important interactions. It’s important to know that social interactions are an important pillar to our mental health. 

This is why, when untreated, Social Anxiety Disorder can lead to a cycle of avoidance and isolation. This might incite feelings of loneliness and depression. That’s why seeking treatment is important, as it can help break this cycle and improve one’s quality of life. 

If you find yourself (or a loved one) withdrawing from social interactions more often than usual, then it might be helpful to reach out to a registered trained professional. Our team at MeHelp are open to hearing you out, and helping you cope with the anxieties you’re experiencing. 

Panic Disorder

A common misconception people have is that panic disorders and panic attacks are the same. They are not. They are just closely related. 

“A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes. During a panic attack, you may experience rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, or feelings of impending doom. These can occur in response to specific triggers or seemingly out of the blue.” Dr. Daniel White, one of our experts at MeHelp states. 

Panic disorders on the other hand is what we call the condition wherein people experience recurrent panic attacks. 

People with panic disorder might experience panic attacks several times a week – and in severe cases, several times a day. In addition to the panic attacks, people with panic disorder may also develop anticipatory anxiety. This is when they constantly fear having another attack. This fear can lead to significant changes in behaviour as they may avoid situations or places where they fear an attack might happen.

This avoidance can significantly impact a person's ability to live a normal life. That’s because it limits their social, occupational, and recreational activities.

When left untreated, Panic Disorder can lead to severe complications. This includes the development of other anxiety disorders, depression, or substance dependency. It can also increase the risk of suicide. 

That’s why seeking treatment is essential to manage symptoms and regain control over your life. Our team of licensed experts at MeHelp Psychology can help you navigate your panic attacks and anxieties. Just book a consultation with us.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

People can develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after experiencing a traumatic event. Although popular amongst soldiers and war veterans, regular people can also experience PTSD. That’s because all of us can experience drastic events in our lives. Events like physical abuse from a family member, a car accident, or a global pandemic. 

Essentially, this condition can affect anyone who has gone through a distressing situation that threatened their life or safety, or the life and safety of others. 

In fact, PTSD is a common mental issue experienced by Australians. Research shows that 11% of Australians will experience PTSD at least once in their lives. Individuals with PTSD may experience a range of symptoms that can severely impact their daily lives.

One of the primary symptoms of PTSD is the presence of intrusive memories. These are unwanted and distressing recollections of the traumatic event. They can surface any time, even without a trigger. These memories might be so vivid that they make you feel as though we are reliving the traumatic event again. 

Nightmares related to the traumatic event are also common, disrupting sleep and leading to further emotional exhaustion.

Aside from intrusive memories, people with PTSD often experience intense negative emotions when exposed to reminders of their trauma. This could include objects, sounds, sights, smells, or even certain dates or locations associated with the traumatic event. 

To cope with this distress, people may go to great lengths to avoid these reminders. This can result in significant changes to their routine, such as steering clear of specific places, people, or activities that they once enjoyed.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

People with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) typically have recurring intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (compulsions). 

Their obsessions are usually fears and anxieties about different things. So to cope with these unwanted feelings, they develop certain rituals to alleviate anxiety or prevent perceived harm (compulsions). 

These compulsions can significantly interfere with one’s daily life, work, relationships, and self-esteem.

For example, a person might develop the compulsion to knock on a door thrice before opening a door or entering a room. This compulsion might stem from a fear that they’ll catch something unsightly if they enter the room without knocking thrice first. 

Here’s an interesting fact about OCD. Did you know that research suggests that up to 30% of the world’s population has mild OCD? This means almost a third of the world has an obsession and compulsion to a mild degree. This can manifest in simple routines like triple checking all the switches before leaving the house for the fear of leaving the lights on.

Mild OCD tends to be harmless to people because their compulsions do not disrupt their daily life. However, when the obsessions and compulsions become extreme and interruptive in our daily life, then it becomes concerning. That’s because extreme OCD can disrupt our lives (and the lives of the people around us) to the point that it’s holding everyone back. 

Takeaway

Admitting that you have anxiety disorder is hard.  Because for the longest time, it meant being weak, broken, or damaged. But that’s not true. 

Having an anxiety disorder means you are a human who experienced certain events in your life that caused you to develop a defence mechanism to protect you. And that came in the form of an anxiety disorder. 

Although getting over anxiety disorders (whichever one you have) may seem like a steep uphill climb, overcoming it is possible. There are a lot of scientific advances in psychology and psychiatry that make it possible to overcome anxiety disorders.

So remember, seeking assistance is not a sign of weakness but a courageous step towards a better life. If you or your loved ones are experiencing what you think are anxiety disorders, reach out to our team at MeHelp Psychology for a consultation.

References

• A Place of Hope. (n.d.). What does mild OCD look like and how can it affect your life? Retrieved June 11, 2024, from https://www.aplaceofhope.com/what-does-mild-ocd-look-like-and-how-can-it-affect-your-life/
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• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (n.d.). Stress and trauma. Retrieved June 11, 2024, from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health/stress-and-trauma
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• Australian Bureau of Statistics. (n.d.). National study of mental health and wellbeing. Retrieved June 11, 2024, from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/latest-release

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