Types of Anxiety Disorders
Below are some examples of mental problems which cause anxiety.
Phobias
A phobia is a fear that is out of proportion to the real danger posed by the thing that triggers it. They interfere with your ability to lead a normal life. Common specific phobias are fear of heights, spiders, mice, blood, injections or enclosed space (claustrophobia).
Social phobia is also one of the more common, but complex, phobias. If you are affected by this, meeting people causes anxiety, and you’re overly worried about what others think of you. One form of social phobia is severe anxiety about speaking or performing in public. It’s common to feel nervous in these situations, but people with social phobia find these activities impossible.
Agoraphobia, another common phobia, is a fear of various places and situations, such as crowds or public places, and is frequently associated with panic disorder (see below).
For more information, please see the separate Bupa health factsheet, Phobias.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
This anxiety disorder consists of recurring obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions are recurring thoughts or images about specific things that trigger feelings of disgust. Common obsessions include fears around germs, dirt or violence. Compulsions are thoughts or actions that people feel they must do or repeat. A compulsion is usually a response to ease the anxiety of an obsession. For example, repeatedly washing your hands to deal with an obsession about dirt.
For more information, please see the separate Bupa health factsheet, Obsessive compulsive disorder.
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder whereby sufferers live in “fear of fear”. This causes panic attacks - a sudden sense of anxiety that occurs without warning and with no apparent trigger. The symptoms of the anxiety (see Symptoms of anxiety) can be very severe and may feel like a wave of panic. Panic attacks usually last five to 10 minutes but they can last longer.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Anxiety can be a long-term disorder where you feel worried most of the time about things that might go wrong. This is called GAD.
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