Classifications of Anxiety

Although psychology considers there to be five broad categories of anxiety, not everyone with anxiety has just one type. The five classifications are:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Social Anxiety Disorder (also referred to as Social Phobia)

Within those five, there are countless sub-categories and examples of how they may present themselves in your life. You may even have more than one type of anxiety that falls into more than one category at a time. For example, Imposter Syndrome is often categorized as a Generalized Anxiety Disorder, but many people with Imposter Syndrome also have panic attacks. It can keep you from applying for a new job, a promotion, or even performing your current job well.

A woman who has suffered multiple miscarriages can have PTSD, Generalized Anxiety, and Panic Disorder. The fear of conceiving again only to lose the baby can have negative effects on her marriage, current children, and even her motivation to try to have another baby. This can lead to the need for both relationship counseling and individual counseling.

Another example of someone with multiple anxiety disorders is a person who tries to go out to do what to many is a regular activity. This might be a trip to the grocery store or to a child’s birthday party, but the fear of interacting with a stranger is overwhelming to the point that you create a need to go back home and check that the door is locked multiple times before you can leave and then once you’ve overcome that, you are afraid you’ll stutter, sweat excessively, or even blush to the point of embarrassment that you fear going outside your safe space. This is an example of someone with both OCD and social phobia.