According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), anxiety disorders are now classified under three separate categories. These include anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and trauma and stressors-related disorders. All these three categories have different disorders under them.
Anxiety Disorders
This subhead categorizes disorders like generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder or social phobia, separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, specific phobias, and agoraphobia.
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): People battling GAD worry too much on an everyday basis. They worry about work, their personal health, social interactions and routine circumstances. The constant fear and anxiety they feel might interfere with their school or work outcomes and even affect their relationships. When this irrepressible worry is observed for a minimum period of six months, it may be diagnosed as GAD.
The symptoms of GAD are manifested as feelings of restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration, muscle tension, getting easily tired, difficulty in controlling feelings of worry and disturbed sleep patterns.
- Panic disorder: People with panic disorder experience persistent and unanticipated panic attacks several times during a fixed time interval. Panic attack can lead to feelings of fear that can peak within a few minutes. Attacks can be unexpected or arise due to a trigger which could be an object, a person or a situation. People struggling with a panic disorder might devote a lot of time in avoiding situations and behaviors that may trigger an attack.
During a panic attack, a person might experience heart palpitations, elevated heartbeat, and an increased heart rate. A person might tremble and sweat a lot. They may feel choked and totally out of control.
- Social anxiety disorder or social phobia: People struggling with social anxiety disorder might fear social interactions and falsely believe that they are being judged. This fear can be so crippling that one might start avoiding people and start living in a shell of their own.
Fear of interacting with people can be manifested as sweating, trembling and even panic attacks. These people put a lot of effort in avoiding people and situations that exacerbate their anxiety. They often face difficulty in making and retaining friends and acquaintances.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
This subhead contains disorders like OCD, hoarding disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, excoriation disorder, and trichotillomania.
- Obsessive compulsive disorder: A person dealing with an OCD obsessively completes some rituals or behavior and repeats them often. Such an obsession can affect their work, relationships, and day-to-day life. Those with OCD might think that something bad will happen if they do not perform their rituals. They are unable to control their behaviors, thoughts, or the rituals they follow diligently.
Trauma and stressor-related disorders
This classification includes disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder, disinhibited social engagement disorder, reactive attachment disorder, and acute stress disorder.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A mental illness, PTSD manifests when one experiences or witnesses any traumatic event. The traumatic event might cause nightmares, flashbacks, extreme anxiety, and irrepressible thoughts about the event. Millions of people across the globe experience traumatic events and find it hard to adjust to their surroundings or cope for a few days. However, when the disturbing symptoms persist for months or even years, one might be diagnosed with PTSD.