Anxiety is one of several categories of psychological disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5. There are several types of anxiety within the anxiety category and they each have their own criteria and symptoms for diagnosis. Below are some links to information and other reference material about the most common anxiety conditions.
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) refers to ongoing fear and worry about many things. The fear will often change and as one fear resolves, it is typically replaced by another. This fear is usually present from childhood though it might not have been recognised at the time. Often the person catastrophises about what might happen.
- Click here for an interview with Georgie Dent who is interviewed by Mia Freedman in the No Filter podcast about her extreme anxiety starting in early adulthood with the onset of endometriosis and Crohn’s while also working at a law firm. She did not recognise the toll on her mental health until she began collapsing with vertigo and was admitted to the Currumbin Clinic in Queensland for in patient care.
- Click here for an inside look at the book Feel the Fear – a good book on managing anxiety
- Click here for online information and workbooks to learns skills to manage anxiety
- Panic Disorder (with or without Agoraphobia) is a condition where anxiety escalates to a point where the person feels like they will die – panic attacks. It is usually short lived in the intense phase (maybe up to 20 minutes) but the recovery from this experience can take up to 48 hours as a panic attack can feel like having run a marathon.
- Click here to listen to an interview with Elisa Black on Richard Fidler Conversations podcast about the development of panic attacks and the ineffectiveness of avoidance as a strategy to manage.
- Click here for online information and workbooks to learns skills to manage panic disorder
- Click here to listen to an interview on how modern life created anxiety for author Matt Haig and how he recovered.
- Click here for information on how to differentiate anxiety/panic attack from a heart attack
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) refers to obsessive thoughts which usually have a theme and compulsions or behaviours to counter the obsessive thoughts. Unfortunately OCD tends to be the most difficult form of anxiety to treat and sufferers usually benefit from medication.
- Obsessions are typically about
- Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt or contaminating others
- Fear of losing control and harming yourself or others
- Intrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts and images
- Excessive focus on religious or moral ideas
- Fear of losing or not having things you might need
- Order and symmetry: the idea that everything must line up “just right”
- Superstitions; excessive attention to something considered lucky or unlucky
- Compulsions include
- Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switches
- Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safe
- Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxiety
- Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning
- Ordering or arranging things “just so”
- Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fear
- Accumulating “junk” such as old newspapers or empty food containers
- Click here for an inside look into the book Because we are Bad – an account of living with OCD
- Click here for online information and course to learn skills to manage OCD (there is a small fee)
- Obsessions are typically about
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) refers to difficulty coping or feeling overwhelmed in social situations or in groups of people. It is characterised by a fear of being judged by others and inhibits your lifestyle. Social anxiety can also be associated with shyness or introversion.
- Health Anxiety refers to the constant irrational obsessive fear of a possible medical diagnosis to explain bodily symptoms. Typically. sufferers will frequently check symptoms on google and visit doctors regularly seeking reassurance with diagnostic tests such as xrays, ltrasounds and MRI scans. The reassurance only lasts a short time before further reassurance is required.
- Click here for online information and workbooks to learn skills to manage health anxiety
- Mia Freedman who discusses her own health anxiety with Sallyanne Atkinson from the Queensland Brain Institute.
- Phobia refers to extreme and irrational fears of the natural environment (eg: water), animals (eg: snakes), medical treatments (eg needles) or other generic situations (eg elevators). Phobias sometimes have a recognisable origin but often it is difficult to ascertain how it developed.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) refers to the symptoms that can arise after experiencing a traumatic event such as a motor vehicle accident, assault, war or natural disaster. Symptoms can be confusing and are often debilitating. The earlier you seek treatment the better. There are many valid treatments for PTSD in addition to EMDR and Prolonged Exposure which are highlighted below.
- Click here for a free online assessment of trauma symptoms
- Click here for information about Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) – a good recognised treatment for PTSD
- Click here for a video illustrating how EMDR works
- Click here for information about Prolonged Exposure – a good recognised treatment for PTSD
- Click here for a video illustrating how Prolonged Exposure works (using a war analogy)
- Click here to listen to the PTSD effects for a victim of the 911 twin tower collapse. This episode also addresses how addictive behaviours can develop as a way of coping with PTSD.
- Complex PTSD refers to long term, severe prolonged or repeated trauma. Click here for more information on CPTSD.
- click here for a website dedicated to recognising, understanding, assessing and treating childhood trauma.
Treatments for anxiety vary but can include the use of medication, consultation with a psychologist who will provide psycho-education about anxiety, tools and strategies to manage anxiety as well as support groups.
There are also free online courses including the Centre for Clinical Interventions or Mindspot or Moodgym which provide online workbooks and activities for a range of mental health conditions including anxiety. These programs are not for people requiring immediate support. If you are feeling suicidal, contact your local crisis support line.
This is an excellent investigation into different experiences of anxiety with comedian Celia Pacquola. You may need to create a (free) account with SBS to watch this free to air documentary.
Finally, if you are at the point where you wish to challenge your anxiety, you may find this charming TED talk an interesting insight and inspiration on how to start.
Here are some general links to anxiety that may interest you
A six minute video explanation of the psychology of anxiety (based on Kierkegaard – Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic and author)
Information from The Anxiety Centre on anxiety types, symptoms and tests
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