Panic Disorder
Those with panic disorder experience recurring panic attacks followed by frequent fears of having panic attacks. These attacks, which may happen unexpectedly (ie out of the blue) or with forewarning (ie in response to a feared situation) are characterized by:
- Pounding heart
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Shortness of breath
- A feeling of choking
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Nausea or abdominal distress
- Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
- Feelings of unreality (derealization) or being detached from oneself (depersonalization)
- Fear of losing control or going crazy
- Fear of dying
- Numbness or tingling sensations (paresthesias)
- Chills or hot flushes
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Individuals with GAD worry constantly about a number of things in their lives. The worries are difficult to control, causing them to lose sleep, become irritable, experience muscle tension and/or find it hard to concentrate on tasks that require sustained focus.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Feeling nervous before a public speaking event or meeting new people is a common experience for everyone. For those with social anxiety disorder, any social interaction is endured with intense distress or the anxiety becomes so overwhelming that they may avoid the social encounter altogether. This disorder often starts in childhood or adolescence, sometimes after an isolated event (e.g. moving, being bullied) or other times, gradually worsening over time.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Most commonly diagnosed in children and less frequently in adults, separation anxiety disorder is characterized by:
- recurrent excessive distress at the thought of or when experiencing separation from home or major attachment figures (eg parents, primary caretakers, etc)
- persistent and excessive worries about losing a major attachment figure or experiencing an event that causes separation from a major attachment figure
- refusal to leave home, go to school/work because of fear of separation
- fear of being alone