Anxiety Disorders PDF

DSM-5 Anxiety Disorders Criteria: Separation Anxiety Disorder Someone has separation anxiety disorder when he or she experiences high levels of distress when separated from a caregiver. This distress is so extreme it interferes with functioning and social interactions. Most of the people who have t...

DSM-5 Anxiety Disorders Criteria: Separation Anxiety Disorder Someone has separation anxiety disorder when he or she experiences high levels of distress when separated from a caregiver. This distress is so extreme it interferes with functioning and social interactions. Most of the people who have the disorder are children and adolescents. There are, however, some rare cases where adults develop it. Clinical features: 3 of the following: recurrent distress when anticipating separation from attachment figure, persistent, excessive worry about losing attachment figures, worry about experiencing an untoward event that causes separation from a major attachment figure, persistent reluctance or refusal to go out away from home, refusal to sleep away from home, repeated nightmares involving the theme of separation and repeated complaints of physical symptoms Not better explained by: resistance to change seen in autism spectrum disorder, psychotic disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder disorder, or illness anxiety disorder. Duration: 4 weeks or more Selective Mutism: Related to Separation Anxiety Disorder is selective mutism in children, an anxiety disorder where a child experiences an inability to speak in certain social settings such as school. More than 90% of children with selective mutism also have social anxiety, according to the Selective Mutism, Anxiety and Related Disorders Treatment Center. Clinical features: Consistent failure to speak in specific social situations despite speaking in other situations, disturbance interferes with school and work, the failure to speak is not attributable to a lack of knowledge or comfort with the spoken language Not better explained by: communication disorder and does not occur exclusively during the course of autism spectrum disorder schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder Duration: 1 month Specific Phobia: People with specific phobias avoid places, situations, objects, and even types of people — clowns, for example — even if there is no threat or danger. Phobias do not necessarily stem from trauma involving the object in question. They usually develop suddenly and without obvious explanation. Simply thinking about a phobia can cause anxiety. Clinical features: Fear or anxiety about a specific object/situation, the object almost always provokes the immediate fear or anxiety and is actively avoided or endure with intense fear. Anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger the fear or anxiety and causes clinically significant distress or impairment. Not better explained by: agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder Post dramatic stress disorder separation anxiety disorder social anxiety disorder  Duration: 6 months or more Social Anxiety Disorder With social anxiety disorder, people have an intense fear of others judging them in social or performance situations. They are terrified of potential embarrassment or humiliation. The anxiety can be extreme to the point of inhibiting the ability to socialize, date, or travel. Clinical features: Marked fear or anxiety about social situations in which the individual is exposed to scrutiny by others, fear of negative evaluation, the social situations almost always provoke fear, the fear is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the social situation, the fear is persistent Not better explained by: panic disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and autism spectrum disorder Duration: 6 months or more Panic Disorder: Panic disorder involves experiencing panic attacks that appear out of nowhere and occur unexpectedly. The attacks are so intense they create anxiety about experiencing them in the future. Clinical features: Sudden intense fear or discomfort accompanied by palpitations, sweating shortness of breath, choking, numbness, tingling, derealization, and fear of losing control. In addition, there is persistent worry about additional panic attacks and a maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks. Not better explained by: substance use, medical problem, specific phobia, OCD, PTSD, or separation anxiety disorder Duration: 1 month or more Agoraphobia: Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder in which people fear and avoid places or situations that might cause them to panic or feel trapped, helpless, or embarrassed, according to the Mayo Clinic. They fear an actual or anticipated situation such as using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line, or being in a crowd. Agoraphobia often occurs with panic disorder, so many mental health organizations list them together. For example, if panic attacks happen in a specific place, the sufferer might avoid that place and develop agoraphobia. In extreme cases the sufferer could perceive anywhere outside his or her home as a space of anxiety. Clinical features: Marked fear or anxiety about two of the following situations: using public transportation, being in open spaces, being in enclosed places, standing in line, or being in a crowd being outside of the home alone. These situations are feared because escape might be difficult. The situations always provoke fear or they are avoided. Fear is out of proportion to actual danger. Not better explained by: specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and separation anxiety disorder Duration: 6 months or more Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD involves a constant and intense feeling of anxiety regarding anything. People with GAD struggle to control their worries. They tend to anticipate some sort of disaster, despite a lack of evidence. Clinical features: Excessive anxiety and worry that is difficult to control accompanied by one of the following symptoms: restlessness, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability muscle tension, and sleep disturbance. Not better explained by: substances, medical condition, body dysmorphic disorder schizophrenia, and delusional disorder. Duration: 6 months or more