What Are the Types of Anxiety Disorders?
There are several recognized types of anxiety disorders, including:
Panic disorder: People with this condition have
feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. Other symptoms of a panic attack include sweating, chest pain, palpitations (unusually strong or irregular heartbeats), and a feeling of choking, which
may make the person feel
like he or she is having a heart attack or "going crazy."
Social anxiety disorder: Also called social
phobia, social anxiety disorder involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. The worry often centers on a fear of being judged by others, or behaving in a
way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule.
Specific phobias: A specific phobia is an
intense fear of a specific object or situation, such as
snakes, heights, or flying. The level of fear is usually inappropriate to the situation and
may cause the person to avoid common, everyday situations.
Generalized anxiety disorder: This disorder involves excessive, unrealistic worry and tension, even if there is little or nothing to provoke the anxiety.
What Causes Anxiety Disorders?
The exact cause of anxiety disorders is unknown; but anxiety disorders --
like other forms of mental illness -- are not the result of personal weakness, a character flaw, or poor upbringing. As scientists continue their research on mental illness, it is becoming clear that many of these disorders are caused by a combination of factors, including changes in the brain and environmental stress.
Like other brain illnesses, anxiety disorders
may be caused by problems in the functioning of brain circuits that regulate fear and other emotions. Studies have shown that severe or long-lasting stress can
change the way nerve cells within these circuits transmit information from one region of the brain to another. Other studies have shown that people with certain anxiety disorders have changes in certain brain structures that control memories linked with strong emotions. In addition, studies have shown that anxiety disorders run in families, which means that they can at least partly be inherited from one or both
parents,
like the risk for heart disease or
cancer. Moreover, certain environmental factors -- such as a trauma or significant event --
may trigger an anxiety disorder in people who have an inherited susceptibility to developing the disorder.
