ANXIETY DISORDERS

Anxiety Disorders are blanket terms covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fear and anxiety.  Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a common chronic disorder characterized by long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any one object or situation.  The single largest category of Anxiety Disorders is that of Phobic Disorders, which includes all cases in which fear and anxiety is triggered by a specific stimulus or situation.  Agoraphobia is the specific anxiety about being in a place or situation where escape is difficult or embarrassing or where help may be unavailable.  Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD); also known as social phobia) describes an intense fear of negative public scrutiny or of public embarrassment or humiliation.  Obsessive –Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder primarily characterized by repetitive obsessive distressing, persistent, and intrusive thoughts or images) combined with compulsions (urges to perform specific acts or rituals).  Separation Anxiety Disorder (SepAD) is the feeling of excessive and inappropriate levels of anxiety over being separated from a person or place.  Children as well as adults experience feelings of anxiousness, worry and fear when facing different situations, especially those involving a new experience.