Definitions of Anxiety Disorders
From the DSM-5:
Anxiety disorders includes disorders that share features of excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances. Fear is the emotional response to real or perceived imminent threat, whereas anxiety is anticipation of future threat… Panic attacks feature prominently within the anxiety disorders as a particular type of fear response.
From the American Psychological Association’s Glossary of Psychological Terms:
Anxiety: An intense emotional response caused by the preconscious recognition that a repressed conflict is about to emerge into consciousness.
Anxiety disorders: Mental disorders marked by physiological arousal, feelings of tension, and intense apprehension without apparent reason.
From the National Institute of Mental Health:
For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The feelings can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships.
Types of Anxiety Disorders (from the DSM-5):
Separation Anxiety Disorder: ‘The essential feature of separation anxiety disorder is excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from home or attachment figures.’
Selective Mutism: ‘When encountering other individuals in social interactions, children with selective mutism do no initiate speech or reciprocally respond when spoken to by others. Lack of speech occurs in social interactions with children or adults.’
Specific Phobias: ‘A key feature of this disorder is that the fear or anxiety is circumscribed to the presence of a particular situation or object, which may be termed the phobic stimulus.’
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): ‘The essential feature of social anxiety disorder is a marked, or intense, fear or anxiety of social situations in which the individual may be scrutinized by others.’
Panic Disorder: ‘Panic disorder refers to recurrent unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes…’
Agoraphobia: ‘The essential feature of agoraphobia is marked, or intense, fear or anxiety triggered by the real or anticipated exposure to a wide range of situations.’
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: ‘The essential feature of generalized anxiety disorder is excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) about a number of events or activities.’
Related Post:
My New Friend, Mr. Hobman: An Intern’s Experience Working with Anxiety – Administrative Intern Ben Auerbach talks about his experience with his first real job as an intern at ITA and how he deals with his anxiety through his work. During his time here, Auerbach meets a new friend during his time at ITA; his name is Mr. HOBMAN. (Mr. HOBMAN is a mnemonic Auerbach created.) With the usage of Mr. HOBMAN, Auerbach offers help for those who also struggle in the workplace.
References:
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Anxiety Disorders (189-226). Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
Gerrig, R. J., & Zimbardo, P. G. (2002). In Glossary of Psychological Terms. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/research/action/glossary.aspx?tab=1
Anxiety Disorders (2016, March). In National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml
Disclaimer: Due to the nature of this post, this information is meant to be informative and not a diagnosis for anxiety disorders. If you believe you or someone you know have anxiety, please seek out a doctor or professional for a proper diagnosis.