Anxiety Disorders October 25th
Types of Anxiety Disorders
• Phobias
• Panic Disorder (PD)
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Acute Stress Disorder
Disorder / DescriptionPhobia/Specific/Non-specific / Fear and avoidance of objects or situations that do not present any real danger.
Panic Disorder / Recurrent panic attacks involving a sudden onset of physiological symptoms, such as dizziness, rapid heart rate, and trembling, accompanied by terror and feelings of impending doom; sometimes accompanied with agoraphobia, a fear of being in public places.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder / Persistent, uncontrollable worry, often about minor things.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / The experience of uncontrollable thoughts, impulses, or images (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions).
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder / Aftermath of a traumatic experience in which the person experiences increased arousal, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, and anxiety in recalling the event.
Acute Stress Disorder / Symptoms are the same as those of post-traumatic stress disorder, but last for four weeks or less.
Prevalence (past year)
-In Ontario
• 16% of women and 9% of men suffered from anxiety disorders
• highest one-year prevalence rates found in women 15 to 24 years of age
In Canada
• 4.7% of 15 years of age or older met diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder
– 1.6 % panic disorder
– 0.7 agoraphobia
– 3.9 % social anxiety disorder
• 11.5% reported symptoms of anxiety
– 3.7% panic disorder
– 1.5% agoraphobia,
– 8.1% social anxiety disorder
– Anxiety disorders are more common in women than in men across all age groups and decrease with age
Overview: As a group, anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive anxiety in the absence of any real threat, or by behaviours designed to avoid situations that would trigger the experience of anxiety.
· Anxiety consists of diffuse, vague, unpleasant feelings of fear and apprehension. Anxiety states result in physical, cognitive, and behavioural symptoms:
Physical Symptoms / Cognitive Symptoms / Behavioursrapid heartbeat / irritability / avoidance of anxiety-producing situations
dizziness / fear of losing control / exaggerated startle response
short of breath / exaggerating danger / clinging, dependent behaviour
shaking/trembling / agitated behaviour
nausea/loss of appetite
· The diagram below provides a brief overview of anxiety disorders:
The various anxiety disorders differ from one another along several dimensions: behaviour or symptoms involved (including use of avoidance), duration of anxiety, severity of anxiety, and triggers for anxiety. The table below provides a summary and overview of the disorders emphasizing these dimensions.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder / Panic Disorder / Phobias / Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Acute Stress Disorder and PTSDDuration of anxiety / MORE than 6 months / Minutes to hours (for a panic attack) / Lifetime, in many cases. / Lifetime, in many cases. / Acute Stress Disorder - 2 days to 4 weeks;
PTSD - 1 month to a lifetime
Behaviourals/ Symptoms / Chronic worry, excessive startle response, chronic muscle tension / Recurrent panic attacks, may be accompanied by avoidance of situations linked to panic attacks (agoraphobia) / Anxiety in the presence of the feared situation. Avoidance of the feared situation. / Obsessions and compulsions / Numbing, flashbacks, nightmares.
Severity of Anxiety / Mild to moderate / Extreme / Anxiety is severe during exposure to the feared situation. / Mild to severe. / Severe.
Always remember this is the typical interaction between nature/nurture.
Phobia/Specific/Non-specific / Fear and avoidance of objects or situations that do not present any real danger.
Panic Disorder / Recurrent panic attacks involving a sudden onset of physiological symptoms, such as dizziness, rapid heart rate, and trembling, accompanied by terror and feelings of impending doom; sometimes accompanied with agoraphobia, a fear of being in public places.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder / Persistent, uncontrollable worry, often about minor things.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / The experience of uncontrollable thoughts, impulses, or images (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours’ or mental acts (compulsions).
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder / Aftermath of a traumatic experience in which the person experiences increased arousal, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, and anxiety in recalling the event.
Acute Stress Disorder / Symptoms are the same as those of post-traumatic stress disorder, but last for four weeks or less.