Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about a number of different things. People with GAD may anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues (Anxiety and Depression Association of America).
For more information, please see: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over (National Institute of Mental Health).
For more information, please see: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
People with panic disorder have sudden and repeated attacks of fear that last for several minutes or longer. These are called panic attacks. Panic attacks are characterized by a fear of disaster or of losing control even when there is no real danger (National Institute of Mental Health).
For more information, please see: Panic Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event (Mayo Clinic).
For more information, please see: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Many traumatic events (e.g., car accidents, natural disasters, etc.) are of time-limited duration. However, in some cases, people experience chronic trauma that continues or repeats for months or years at a time. In 1988, Dr. Judith Herman of Harvard University suggested that a new diagnosis, complex PTSD, was needed to describe the symptoms of long-term trauma (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs).
For more information, please see: Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia) is a mental health condition. It is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This fear can affect work, school, and your other day-to-day activities (National Institute of Mental Health).
For more information, please see: Social Anxiety Disorder
The file below lists some stress facts vs anxiety facts.
From a physician and post-traumatic stress disorder specialist comes a nuanced cartography of PTSD, a widely misunderstood yet crushing condition that afflicts millions of Americans.
