What Are the Different Kinds of Anxiety?

 It’s normal to feel anxious sometimes — extremely nervous, uneasy, or even afraid. But when you have an anxiety disorder, your anxiety feels beyond your control. And it’s surfacing so often that it makes it hard for you to function. When anxiety gets really bad, you even might not be able to do things you used to enjoy.

There are several different kinds of anxiety, which is important to know because they are treated differently. Below are some of the most common types. Worrying about things that other people don’t seem to worry about can feel embarrassing and isolating — but the good news is, there are effective treatments for all kinds of anxiety.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) worry about a variety of everyday things. You might wake up in the morning and worry that you will have a bad day or, conversely, worry about things that happened yesterday, the week before, or further in the past. You might also worry excessively about getting perfect grades, being good enough in sports, or not making mistakes. Perfectionism, or the fear of not living up to expectations, is common in people with GAD.

Social Anxiety

People with social anxiety are extremely worried about being judged by other people. They’re not just shy — their fear of being embarrassed or negatively perceived is so strong that they will go out of their way to avoid social interactions, sometimes even skipping work or school, because of it. Social anxiety isn’t just about a fear of performing, like giving a presentation. It can make you too anxious to eat or drink at a restaurant because other people can see you.

Panic Disorder

People with panic disorder have sudden episodes of intense anxiety called panic attacks. A panic attack is extremely disorienting and can make you feel like the world isn’t real. Physically, it can feel like a heart attack — chest pains, dizziness, trouble breathing — it can even feel like dying. To be clear, a panic attack is not a heart attack, and it is not fatal. But the experience of having one can be so scary that people will worry excessively about having another one and avoid a place where they had a panic attack in the past.

OCD

OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is a kind of anxiety in which you are plagued by unwanted worries, thoughts, or impulses called obsessions. Obsessions are very upsetting and hard to control. They often include worries that something bad will happen to you or someone you know if you don’t do something to prevent it. To calm their worries, people with OCD develop compulsions — repetitive actions they feel compelled to perform. These can include counting to a certain number, repeatedly washing hands, lining things up, or asking others for reassurance over and over again (say, “Are you sure this is safe?” or “Am I bad person?”).

Specific Phobia

People with specific phobias have an extreme and uncontrollable fear of a specific thing. Common phobias include flying, small spaces, bugs, certain animals, and blood (seeing it or getting a shot at the doctor’s office, for instance). Phobias can be especially frustrating because you probably know that your fear of a certain thing is out of proportion to any harm it might cause you — and yet you still feel like you can’t control it.

And that’s what’s tough about all kinds of anxiety — feeling like it’s beyond your control. The good news is that there are a number of therapies and medications designed to help people manage their anxiety and take charge of their fears. A doctor or mental health professional can help you find the best treatment plan.