Before we get into anxiety disorders we must define what constitutes a
mental disorder. We all have anxiety and fear responses, and we never
ever want to get rid of them or reduce their responses. In fact a good
amount of anxiety motivates us to get things done and be prepared for
upcoming tasks or events.
In order to have a mental disorder, an anxiety disorder for instance, it has to be chronic, causes distress (painful symptoms), disability (impairs your daily functioning), significantly increases risk of suffering death, pain, or important loss of freedom, and interfere with your current behaviors.
Since we are on the topic of mental disorders, it is important to understand that the term mental disorders does not classify the person, but it classifies the disorders a person has.
The following information is based on the Diagnostic Statistical Manual- IV (DSM-IV)
However, for the purpose of this site, some of the information was summarized or slightly altered.
The Anxiety Disorders are:
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
Agoraphobia
Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Disorder (PD) with/or without Agoraphobia
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
Specific Phobias (SP)
• Acute Stress Disorder: is characterized by symptoms similar to those of PTSD that occur immediately in the aftermath of an extremely traumatic event. The major difference between the two is that ASD should only last for no more than 30 days. See PTSD for complete symptoms list.
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): is characterized by the person re-experiencing the initial event or trauma (defined as witnessing or confronted by an event that threatened death or injury to self, or others, accompanied by the following summarized symptoms:
- The person felt intense fear, terror or helplessness.
- The traumatic event is recurrent in recollections, including images or perceptions
- Recurrent distressing dreams of the event.
- Acting or feeling as if the trauma is recurring now.
- Intense psychological distress in reacting t internal or external cues of the event.
- Physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external cues of the event.
- Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma
- Persistent symptoms of increased arousal.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): is characterized by at least 6 months of persistent and excessive anxiety and worry with the following summarized symptoms:
- Difficulty to control worry.
- Restlessness or feeling on edge
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
- The above symptoms are felt in more days than not for at least 6 months.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): is characterized by obsessions, which cause excessive anxiety and distress, and compulsions which serve to neutralize anxiety. OCD also includes the following summarized symptoms:
- Obsessions are defined by recurrent thoughts, images and impulses.
- The thoughts are not necessarily excessive thoughts about real life problems.
- The person tries to neutralize the obsessions by other thoughts or actions.
- The person is aware of the unreality of their thoughts lack of rationale.
- Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels compelled to do (hand washing, checking etc.)
- The behaviors are aimed to neutralize the obsessions.
• Panic Disorder (PD) with/or without Agoraphobia: is characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks, which the person gets concerned with. When Agoraphobia is present, the person avoids places and situations where the panic attacks occurred. Without Agoraphobia is when the panic disorder is not impacted by it. The symptoms of panic disorder are the same symptoms listed above under the Fight/Flight response. In addition, the person experiences panic attacks out of the blue, and continues to worry about having another one in the future.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): also known as Social Phobia: is characterized by anxiety due to exposure to social settings and situations where the person performs to others and often leading to avoiding the situation all together. The major symptoms are summarized as follows:
- Marked and persistent fear of social situations or performances
- Exposure to social situations would invoke fear or anxiety
- The person recognizes that the fear is excessive and unreasonable
- The situations are avoided due to the fear or anxiety
- This avoidance or anxiety interferes with the person's normal daily functioning
• Specific Phobias (SP): is characterized by fear or anxiety due to exposure to specific feared objects or situation, leading to avoidance behaviors. The following summarized symptoms may include:
- Marked and/or persistent fear that is excessive or unreasonable when exposed to specific feared objects
or situations.
- The person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable.
- The phobic object or situation may be avoided or endured with excessive.
- The fear or anxiety interferes with normal daily functioning.
- Types are: Animals (Dogs, Snakes, Spiders…), Natural Environment (Heights, Storms, Water…),
Blood-Injection-Injury Type,
Situational (Airplane, Elevators, Enclosed Places…), and
Other Types (Vomiting, Choking, Contracting Disease…).
In order to have a mental disorder, an anxiety disorder for instance, it has to be chronic, causes distress (painful symptoms), disability (impairs your daily functioning), significantly increases risk of suffering death, pain, or important loss of freedom, and interfere with your current behaviors.
Since we are on the topic of mental disorders, it is important to understand that the term mental disorders does not classify the person, but it classifies the disorders a person has.
The following information is based on the Diagnostic Statistical Manual- IV (DSM-IV)
However, for the purpose of this site, some of the information was summarized or slightly altered.
The Anxiety Disorders are:
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
Agoraphobia
Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Disorder (PD) with/or without Agoraphobia
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
Specific Phobias (SP)
• Acute Stress Disorder: is characterized by symptoms similar to those of PTSD that occur immediately in the aftermath of an extremely traumatic event. The major difference between the two is that ASD should only last for no more than 30 days. See PTSD for complete symptoms list.
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): is characterized by the person re-experiencing the initial event or trauma (defined as witnessing or confronted by an event that threatened death or injury to self, or others, accompanied by the following summarized symptoms:
- The person felt intense fear, terror or helplessness.
- The traumatic event is recurrent in recollections, including images or perceptions
- Recurrent distressing dreams of the event.
- Acting or feeling as if the trauma is recurring now.
- Intense psychological distress in reacting t internal or external cues of the event.
- Physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external cues of the event.
- Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma
- Persistent symptoms of increased arousal.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): is characterized by at least 6 months of persistent and excessive anxiety and worry with the following summarized symptoms:
- Difficulty to control worry.
- Restlessness or feeling on edge
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
- The above symptoms are felt in more days than not for at least 6 months.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): is characterized by obsessions, which cause excessive anxiety and distress, and compulsions which serve to neutralize anxiety. OCD also includes the following summarized symptoms:
- Obsessions are defined by recurrent thoughts, images and impulses.
- The thoughts are not necessarily excessive thoughts about real life problems.
- The person tries to neutralize the obsessions by other thoughts or actions.
- The person is aware of the unreality of their thoughts lack of rationale.
- Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels compelled to do (hand washing, checking etc.)
- The behaviors are aimed to neutralize the obsessions.
• Panic Disorder (PD) with/or without Agoraphobia: is characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks, which the person gets concerned with. When Agoraphobia is present, the person avoids places and situations where the panic attacks occurred. Without Agoraphobia is when the panic disorder is not impacted by it. The symptoms of panic disorder are the same symptoms listed above under the Fight/Flight response. In addition, the person experiences panic attacks out of the blue, and continues to worry about having another one in the future.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): also known as Social Phobia: is characterized by anxiety due to exposure to social settings and situations where the person performs to others and often leading to avoiding the situation all together. The major symptoms are summarized as follows:
- Marked and persistent fear of social situations or performances
- Exposure to social situations would invoke fear or anxiety
- The person recognizes that the fear is excessive and unreasonable
- The situations are avoided due to the fear or anxiety
- This avoidance or anxiety interferes with the person's normal daily functioning
• Specific Phobias (SP): is characterized by fear or anxiety due to exposure to specific feared objects or situation, leading to avoidance behaviors. The following summarized symptoms may include:
- Marked and/or persistent fear that is excessive or unreasonable when exposed to specific feared objects
or situations.
- The person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable.
- The phobic object or situation may be avoided or endured with excessive.
- The fear or anxiety interferes with normal daily functioning.
- Types are: Animals (Dogs, Snakes, Spiders…), Natural Environment (Heights, Storms, Water…),
Blood-Injection-Injury Type,
Situational (Airplane, Elevators, Enclosed Places…), and
Other Types (Vomiting, Choking, Contracting Disease…).
SAD
CliniC
Stress, Anxiety, & Depression CliniC
Mind Over Matter: If you DO Mind, it Will Matter
West Los Angeles
Anxiety Disorders