Demystifying Anxiety: Key Definitions You Need to Know
If you have ever been confused about anxiety terms or what they mean, here is a breakdown of the most commonly used terms related to anxiety.
Anxiety- excessive worry about a real or imagined threat.
Anxiety disorder- Anxiety disorders are defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Diagnosis includes generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, selective mutism, phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent worry that is out of proportion to the actual event; focus on worst-case scenarios; difficulty handling uncertainty; feeling on edge and irritable. Worry causes impairment in daily functioning (ex. avoidance). GAD is the most common anxiety disorder diagnoses.
High Functioning Anxiety- Excessive worry in tandem with high performance, organization, and appearing calm to others. High functioning anxiety can manifest as perfectionism, highly organized, overachievers, and detail orientated. High-functioning anxiety is not a recognized diagnosis.
Social Anxiety- A fear or worry that others will criticize and judge the individual, causing avoidance of social settings. The anxiety causes the individual distress and impacts their daily functioning.
Phobias are persistent fears of a specific object, situation, or activity. Common phobias include Agoraphobia (fear of places that are difficult to escape), Arachnophobia (fear of spiders), Acrophobia (fear of heights), and Aerophobia (fear of flying).
Anxiety attack- Stressors that trigger an anxiety attack typically build gradually, causing worry and restlessness. This is not an official diagnosis.
Panic attack- A brief, unexpected episode of intense anxiety and fear that causes intense physical reactions.
Panic Disorder- Recurring panic attacks. Not everyone who experiences panic attacks has or develops panic disorder.
Panic attack- A brief, unexpected episode of intense anxiety and fear that causes intense physical reactions.
Separation anxiety disorder- excessive fear or anxiety about being separated from an attachment figure
Selective Mutism- An inability to speak due to fear, anxiousness, or embarrassment
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by uncontrollable and repetitive thoughts that cause distress and compulsive behaviors to reduce anxiety caused by the thoughts. OCD was once included in the anxiety disorder section of the DSM. The current edition now includes a new section- Obsessive Compulsivity and Related Disorders. Other disorders in this section include body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, excoriation disorder (skin picking), trichotillomania (hair pulling), and olfactory reference syndrome.
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