7 Types of Anxiety Disorders and How to Get Treatment

We all know what it’s like to feel anxious. You might get sweaty palms before a first date or a racing heart while giving a public speech. These uneasy feelings – restlessness, tension, or worry – are natural responses to life stressors. 

However, when these feelings persist and disrupt daily life, it may signal an anxiety disorder. While only a healthcare professional can provide a diagnosis, understanding how anxiety manifests can help you start a conversation with a provider. 

From generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to specific phobias, knowing common signs can be the first step toward finding the right support.

What Are Anxiety Disorders?

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions, prevalent worldwide. While occasional nervousness is a natural part of life, an anxiety disorder can benefit from evidence-based care.

Different Types of Anxiety Disorders

There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with unique symptoms and impacts on daily life. While many people mean generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) when they say “anxiety,” there are several other conditions recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5-TR*). We’ll outline the seven most common types below. 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

GAD is often characterized by persistent, excessive worry about everyday areas like work, school, or relationships.

• Common Experiences: Physical tension, restlessness, or a constant sense of being “on edge.”
• The Impact: Individuals with GAD experience these symptoms most days, making it difficult to relax or focus.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, sudden surges of intense fear that can peak within minutes. 

• Common Experiences: Common sensations include palpitations (racing heart), trembling, shortness of breath, or a sense of impending doom.
• The Impact: Because these attacks are unpredictable, individuals may experience ongoing worry or behavior changes that disrupt daily life.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder involves intense, persistent fear of social situations where one might be scrutinized or embarrassed, often leading to avoidance and distress.

• Common Experiences: Overwhelmed by the idea of being embarrassed or watched, often leading to significant stress in social settings.
• The Impact: Can often lead to avoiding social gatherings or enduring them with intense discomfort, which can interfere with personal and professional relationships

Specific Phobia

Specific phobias are characterized by disproportionate fear of a particular object or situation, triggering immediate anxiety and avoidance disproportionate to the actual risk.

• Common triggers: These often include things like animals (snakes or spiders, for example), heights, flying, or blood. 
• The Impact: Encountering a trigger can cause an immediate anxiety response, leading people to go to great lengths to avoid the object or situation entirely. 

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia involves an intense fear of situations where escape might be hard, or help may be unavailable if things go wrong.

• Common Experiences: These may include fear of public spaces (such as public transit or crowded places), open or enclosed spaces, or being outside alone.
• The Impact: Many feel the need for a trusted companion when leaving the house, or in some cases, may avoid leaving home altogether.  

Separation Anxiety Disorder

People with separation anxiety disorder, children and adults, experience excessive fear about being away from attachment figures like parents or a spouse.

• Common Experiences: Constant worry that something bad will happen to a loved one while they are apart.
• The Impact: This can lead someone to go to great lengths to avoid separation, causing problems at home, at work, or at school.

Selective Mutism

Typically beginning before age five, selective mutism involves a consistent failure to speak in specific social settings (such as school) despite the ability to talk comfortably in other settings (such as at home).

• • Common Experiences: It is not a refusal to speak, but rather a persistent inability to do so in specific environments.
  • The Impact: If left unaddressed, the resulting isolation can affect a child’s social development and participation in school.

What Are the Signs of an Anxiety Disorder?

While everyone experiences stress, anxiety disorders are characterized by symptoms that remain intrusive, continuous, and disproportionate to the actual threat. Each disorder has specific diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association), but common red flags include:

• • Excessive Worry: Feeling on edge with uncontrollable thoughts about the future or even daily events.

• Concentration Issues: Difficulty focusing or feeling like your mind goes “blank.” 

• Fear: Intense fear or avoidance of specific situations, places, or social interactions.

• • Sense of Dread: A persistent feeling of impending doom or that something “bad” will happen.
  • Sleep Disruptions: Struggling to fall asleep, staying asleep, or oversleeping due to exhaustion.

• Appetite Changes: Eating significantly more or less than your usual baseline.

• • Unexplained Ailments: Physical symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, or muscle tension not explained by a medical condition. 
  • Irritability: Frequent mood swings or a “short fuse” for frustration

• Restlessness: A constant feeling of being “activated” or unable to sit still.

A qualified mental health professional can determine whether these symptoms reflect an anxiety disorder, depression, or another condition. While self-help tools can support coping, it is crucial to seek professional care if symptoms persist or interfere with quality of life.

Risk Factors and Prevention

Anxiety disorders often arise from multiple factors. They usually result from a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Knowing what increases risk helps you recognize concerns early and take proactive steps toward support.

Recognizing Risk Factors

Several factors may increase vulnerability to anxiety disorders, including:

• Family history: Genetics can play a role, especially if anxiety or related conditions run in your family.
• Traumatic experiences: Past trauma, abuse, or prolonged stress can sensitize the nervous system.
• Chronic stress: Ongoing pressure from work, relationships, finances, or health reduces emotional resilience.
• High stress sensitivity: Some people have stronger emotional or physical reactions to stress.

Noticing these risk factors does not mean anxiety is inevitable, but it highlights the importance of paying attention to early symptoms.

Noticing Early Warning Signs

Early signs of anxiety can appear both mentally and physically. These may include:

• Persistent worry or racing thoughts
• Muscle tension or unexplained aches
• Difficulty concentrating or feeling mentally “foggy.”
• Trouble sleeping or feeling constantly on edge

Taking these symptoms seriously, rather than pushing through them, can make a meaningful difference.

Building Resilience and Preventive Skills

Healthy coping strategies can reduce symptoms and help prevent anxiety from worsening. Many people benefit from:

• Stress-management practices like paced breathing or grounding exercises
• Regular physical activity, which supports nervous system regulation
• Mindfulness or meditation, to improve emotional awareness and calmness.

Getting Professional Support Early

For individuals with trauma histories or a strong family risk, working with a mental health professional can be especially helpful. Therapy provides tools to:

• Build emotional regulation skills.
• Process underlying stressors or trauma
• Strengthen long-term coping strategies.

Early support can prevent symptoms from becoming more severe and help restore balance and well-being. Reaching out is not a sign of weakness; it is a proactive step to protect your mental health.

What Are the Treatment Options for Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are treatable. Evidence-based care can reduce symptoms and improve functioning. The following options are widely supported by research.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT has one of the strongest evidence bases for anxiety. It teaches how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact, and how to test and reframe unhelpful thoughts to reduce symptoms.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Research suggests mindfulness practices can ease anxiety. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), an approach that uses mindfulness skills to help people manage anxiety and stay present.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy gradually and systematically confronts feared situations or cues, helping people reduce avoidance and fear responses over time.

Anti-Anxiety Medications

Medications can also help. It is important to work closely with a healthcare provider to find the right balance. 

Antidepressants: Often the first line of long-term medical treatment for anxiety and co-occurring mood symptoms, these can help to regulate neurotransmitters and generally carry few risks of dependency. 

Anti-Anxiety Medications: During intense anxiety attacks, prescribed medications like benzodiazepines (such as Xanax or Klonopin) may offer short-term relief when self-calming does not work.

These medicines can lead to tolerance and dependence, so they are used cautiously and for short durations. 

The goal is not just to “stop” anxiety, but to provide individuals with a toolkit of skills and resources so that anxiety no longer controls their lives. 

Residential Anxiety Treatment in Colorado

If you or a loved one is looking for intensive support to manage anxiety, our residential treatment center can help. At All Points North Lodge, we provide a comprehensive approach to addressing anxiety disorders, along with other mental health and co-occurring addiction concerns, in a restorative, natural setting. To learn more or schedule a consultation, contact our admissions specialists.

 

*The DSM-5-TR is a clinical reference manual used by licensed mental health professionals to diagnose mental health conditions. It is not intended for self-diagnosis. If you have concerns about anxiety symptoms, a qualified healthcare provider can help determine the appropriate diagnosis and level of care.

 

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Only a qualified healthcare professional can diagnose anxiety disorders. If you notice these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, consult a licensed mental health provider.