Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- The presence of excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of topics, events, or activities. Worry occurs more often than not for at least six months and is clearly excessive.
- The worry is experienced as very challenging to control. The worry in both adults and children may easily shift from one topic to another.
- The anxiety and worry are accompanied by at least three of the following physical or cognitive symptoms:
- Edginess or restlessness
- Tiring easily; more fatigued than usual
- Impaired concentration or feeling as though the mind goes blank
- Irritability (which may or may not be observable to others)
- Increased muscle aches or soreness
- Difficulty sleeping (due to trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness at night, or unsatisfying sleep)
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
Social anxiety disorder goes beyond nervousness or feeling socially awkward; it can be debilitating, harm relationships with loved ones, and hurt your career.
To be diagnosed with SAD…
- Your response must be completely disproportionate to the situation. For example, having a severe panic attack or vomiting before giving a work presentation.
- Your symptoms must be present for at least six months.
- Your symptoms must interfere with daily life, including work or other everyday activities. If your anxiety is so bad that you miss work and need to stay in bed, this means you need social anxiety treatment.
- You almost always experience this fear or anxiety in social situations.
- The fear and anxiety you feel cannot be due to the effects of a medication or drug, must not be better explained by another mental disorder, and cannot be related to a medical condition.
Panic Disorder
According to the DSM-5, to receive a diagnosis of panic disorder, a person must be experiencing recurrent unexpected panic attacks. These attacks typically occur out of the blue and involve a combination of physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms. Panic attacks often reach a peak within 10 minutes before gradually subsiding.
As outlined in the DSM-5, panic attacks are experienced through four or more of the following symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Chills or hot flashes
- Derealization or depersonalization
- Excessive sweating
- Fear of dying
- Fear of losing control or going crazy
- Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
- Feeling of choking
- Feelings of numbness or tingling sensations
- Heart palpitations or accelerated heart rate
- Nausea or abdominal pain
- Shortness of breath
- Trembling or shaking
Some Books On Anxiety
