Anxiety disorder is one of the most common aberrant behaviours worldwide. It is a state of being concerned, apprehensive, or uneasy about something with an uncertain outcome. Anxiety affects everyone but when it interferes with daily functioning such as job performance or social relationships, it becomes a disorder.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

• Separation anxiety
• Selective mutism
• Specific phobias
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Panic disorders
• Agoraphobia

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is a disorder in children marked by excessive and inappropriate anxiety about being separated from one's home, caretakers, or attachment figures. Symptoms should last at least four weeks in children and adolescents, and six months or longer in adults. For example, consider a baby who constantly cries whenever the mother is out of sight.

Selective Mutism

Selective mutism is a developmental condition in which an individual actively refuses to speak. It happens in a certain circumstance and starts between the ages of 3 and 6 years.

Specific Phobias

A phobia is an intense dread of a specific object, activity, or scenario. The worry or anxiety lasts for at least 6 months. Animals like snakes and spiders, as well as natural environments like heights and water, are examples of specific phobias.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by persistently high levels of anxiety and worry over a variety of life events. For example, Evelyn is a final-year student who has been given a research task with the deadline approaching. With a GPA of 3.59, she hopes to graduate with honours. The research assignment will determine whether she achieves her aim. Evelyn is continuously concerned, asking herself questions such as "what if I am unable to submit the assignment on time?" "what if I do not perform well in the assignment?" and "would I even receive first-class honours?" As her anxiety becomes excessive and overwhelming, she begins to worry about minor issues that do not exist now but are probable or unlikely to occur in the future. Hence, she also wonders, "What if I take the wrong job path?" "What if in 20 years I don't have enough funds to take care of myself?" etc.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder involves fear or worry about one or more social situations in which the individual may be scrutinized by others.

Panic Disorders

Here, the individual has frequent panic attacks or experiences terror.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is a severe or illogical dread of visiting open or crowded locations such as markets, leaving one's home, or being in places from which escape is impossible (e.g., being in a bus).

Causes

Biological Factors

These have an impact on all types of human behaviour. It could be related to a person's heredity, endocrine system, malnutrition, or any physical harm sustained as a child. People who are anxious, for example, have lower GABA levels.

Behavioural Model

This occurs as a result of erroneous thinking, which leads to the development of maladaptive behaviour.

Cognitive Model

A cognitive model approximates one or more human cognitive processes used for comprehension and prediction. People who suffer from anxiety, for example, tend to think illogically and make broad generalizations.

Treatment

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Usually, CBT is regarded as the "gold standard." It seeks to assist you in identifying and challenging problematic thinking, as well as learning practical self-help skills, and to decrease suffering by assisting clients in developing more adaptive cognitions and behaviours. Exposure treatment, systematic desensitization, reframing beliefs, and problem resolution are some cognitive behavioural therapy strategies to help the client decrease, manage, and control anxiety.

Biochemical Treatments

These involve medications such as anti-anxiety pills which are given to clients to help them minimize, manage, and control the disorder.