Wize University Psychology Textbook > Psychological Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
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Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are the most commonly-diagnosed category of disorder in the DSM-V. While we have all experienced anxiety at certain points, it must be excessive and difficult to control for it to reach the level of a disorder.
Anxiety itself can be described through 4 components: cognitive (negative thoughts and beliefs), physiological (increased heart rate, sweating), emotional (negative feelings), and behavioural (i.e. avoidance of source of anxiety).
The DSM-V outlines different types of anxiety disorders:
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - persistent, intense anxiety occurring for at least 6 months caused by different sources/stressors (personal relationships, school, work, future plans, past events, etc.)
2. Panic Disorder - the individual experiences frequent, intense panic attacks that involve physical symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling of impending doom)
- Also often involves the fear of future panic attacks and social withdrawal
3. Phobic Disorder - intense, irrational fears about a specific situation, object, or animal
- These can include phobias of dogs, spiders, elevators, heights, water, or public speaking
- The fear is often so intense that people entirely avoid situations or places that could expose them to the object
- Agoraphobia is the fear of public places or situations that are difficult to escape from (i.e. a crowded sports stadium)
4. Social Anxiety Disorder - formerly classified as a social phobia, this involves intense fears of social situations or situations where you may be judged negatively by others
Causes of anxiety disorders:
- Genetics - identical twins are much more likely to both have anxiety disorders than fraternal twins, suggesting a strong genetic component
- Overactive threat response - research indicates that those with anxiety disorders may have autonomic nervous system and amygdala responses that overactivate in response to perceived threats
- Environment and life events - past trauma and highly stressful life events have been associated with the development of anxiety disorders
- Negative thought patterns and cognitive appraisals - this can lead to otherwise neutral or non-threatening stimuli (i.e. sweating) being interpreted as negative or a threat (i.e. sign of an impending panic attack)