Anxiety Disorders: Types, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment Options

Anxiety is adaptive in threat; anxiety disorders involve excessive, persistent fear/worry impairing function.

DSM-5 Anxiety Disorders

Disorder	Core Feature
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)	Excessive worry ≥6 months, multiple domains
Social Anxiety Disorder	Fear of negative evaluation in social/performance situations
Panic Disorder	Recurrent unexpected panic attacks + fear of recurrence
Specific Phobia	Fear of specific object/situation (heights, animals, blood)
Agoraphobia	Fear of situations where escape might be difficult
Separation Anxiety Disorder	Excessive fear of separation from attachment figures
Selective Mutism	Failure to speak in specific social situations

Common Symptoms

• Physical: Palpitations, sweating, tremor, dyspnea, nausea, dizziness, muscle tension.
• Cognitive: Catastrophizing, rumination, concentration difficulty.
• Behavioral: Avoidance, safety behaviors, reassurance seeking.

Etiology (Biopsychosocial)

• Genetic (heritability 30–50%).
• Neurobiology: Amygdala hyperreactivity, HPA axis dysregulation, GABA/serotonin/norepinephrine.
• Psychological: Cognitive biases (threat appraisal), conditioning.
• Environmental: Trauma, chronic stress, parenting style.

Evidence-Based Treatments

• CBT (gold standard): Cognitive restructuring, exposure, behavioral experiments.
• Medications: SSRIs/SNRIs first-line; benzodiazepines short-term only.
• Combined: Superior for moderate-severe.
• Lifestyle: Exercise, sleep hygiene, caffeine/alcohol reduction, mindfulness.

Early intervention prevents chronicity and comorbidity (depression, SUD).