Anxiety Disorders

Disorders characterized by an enduring feeling of apprehension, fear, or unease that disrupts everyday life. Several types of anxiety disorders, which together represent the most common psychological disorders in the United States, can be identified. (1) Phobia is characterized by an intense, irrational fear of an object or situation that that is not proportional to the object's potential. Examples of specific phobias include fears or avoidance of heights, blood, animals, and air travel. Social phobia is characterized by anxiety or fear in social situations, often involving fear of being criticized or disliked by others. Agoraphobia is characterized by a fear of being away from a safe place (typically the home) and is often associated with the fear of having a panic attack in an unfamiliar place. (2) Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by an excessive and long-lasting anxiety that is not restricted to particular objects or situations and often accompanies other psychological problems (such as depression or substance abuse). (3) Panic attacks are marked by intense heart palpitations, pressure or pain in the chest, dizziness, perspiration, and faintness. Anxiety also forms the basis for (4) obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which obsessive thoughts or acts (e.g., checking locks, washing, repeating words, etc.) are carried out to avoid some dreaded outcome. (5) Posttraumatic stress disorder follows a traumatic and threatening event and is characterized by anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and especially flashbacks (in which the person may reexperience the traumatizing event). Causes for anxiety disorders include biological factors (heredity for the disorder or a predisposition) as well as psychological factors (especially environmental stressors and learning experiences). Treatment options include behavioral and cognitive therapy and anxiolytics (antianxiety drugs). For more information, see Bouton, Mineka, and Barlow (2001).