Panic Disorder: Characterized by panic attacks, sudden feelings of terror that strike repeatedly and without warning. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Repeated, intrusive and unwanted thoughts or rituals that seem impossible to control. Accompanied by physical symptoms, such as fatigue, trembling, muscle tension, headache, or nausea. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Chronic, exaggerated worry about everyday routine life events and activities, lasting at least six months almost always anticipating the worst even though there is little reason to expect it.

Finding ways to feel safe, re-teach your body and mind to readjust to feelings of safety, and working through bad experiences can help. For people who have been through trauma, those thoughts and protective behaviors continue even when danger is gone. When we’re feeling attacked it makes sense to be on guard and not trust others. Anxiety disorders may develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.įor people who experience trauma, anxiety is a way that the brain and body has reacted to the traumatic experience – sometimes as a protective measure. New research shows that anxiety disorders run in families, and that they have a biological basis, much like allergies or diabetes and other disorders. While most individuals will experience some form of anxiety in their lives, there is still research being done on the causes of anxiety disorders. Anxiety in anxiety disorders is characterized by feelings of apprehension or unexplained thoughts of impending doom. It’s normal to feel stressed about a final exam or job interview. Stress is a normal, proportional reaction to a stressful situation or external pressures.

Anxiety infographic