Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Vindhya BellamKonda, M.B.B.S [2]
Overview
Overview
The most common symptoms of anxiety disorders is inappropriate worry about multiple factors, restlessness, fatigue, insomnia, and impairment in functioning of the individual. As per DSM-V criteria, these symptoms must be present for a duration of at least six months and not explained by any other mental or medical disorder.
Symptoms
Symptoms
The following table enlists symptoms of various anxiety disorders:
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| Disorder
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Symptoms
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|---|
| Generalized anxiety disorders
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- Excessive worry about multiple life events for a period of at least six months. The worry is disproportionate compared to the actual stressor
- The anxiety is associated with three or more of the following symptoms:
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| Separation anxiety disorder
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- More common in children
- Recurrent excessive worry when anticipating or experiencing separation from home or major attachment figures
- Persistent worry about losing major attachment figures or about possible harm to them
- Repeated nightmares involving theme of separation
- Physical symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain and other GI symptoms such as nausea and vomiting when separation from major attachment figures is anticipated.
- The disturbance has major limitation on functioning in social, occupational or academic setting
- The disturbance is not explained by any other mental disorder
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| Panic disorder
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| Social anxiety disorder
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- Excessive anxiety about social situations where the individual is worried about scrutiny by others
- Excessive anxiety in social situations such as having a conversation, parties, performing in front of a crowd(e.g.,Public speaking)
- Avoidance of social situations
- The anxiety significantly impairs functioning in all aspects of life
- The anxiety is not due to any other mental, medical or substance abuse
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| Agoraphobia
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- Fear of places or circumstances , where an individual perceives as difficult to escape
- Marked fear of the following situations:
- Being in open spaces
- Being outside alone
- Being in closed spaces(e.g., Cinemas, shops), which the individual perceives escape is difficult in case of an emergency
- Being in crowded places (e.g., public transportation, buses, trains)
- The disorder causes significant disturtbance in important areas of functioning
- The disorder is not explained by any other mental disorder
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| Substance/medication induced anxiety disorder
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| Selective mutism
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- Failure to speak in certain situations in which there is an expectation for speaking(e.g., school) but is able to speak at home
- The failure to speak is not due to lack of knowledge or language impairment
- The duration lasts atleast a month
- The disorder does not occur during the course of autism spectrum disorder , schizophrenia or any other psychotic disorder
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| Specific phobia
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- Persistent fear of a certain object or situation(e.g., fear of heights, fear of animals)
- The fear or avoidance behavior lasts atleast for six months
- The fear is out of proportion to the actual stressor
- The fear causes significant functional impairment
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| Anxiety due to another medical condition
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| Unspecified anxiety disorder
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References
References
Hamilton JL, Potter CM, Olino TM, Abramson LY, Heimberg RG, Alloy LB (2016). “The Temporal Sequence of Social Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Following Interpersonal Stressors During Adolescence”. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 44 (3): 495–509. doi:10.1007/s10802-015-0049-0. PMC 4701637. PMID 26142495.
Kouros CD, Quasem S, Garber J (2013). “Dynamic temporal relations between anxious and depressive symptoms across adolescence”. Dev. Psychopathol. 25 (3): 683–97. doi:10.1017/S0954579413000102. PMC 4586116. PMID 23880385.
