What does it mean to have an anxiety disorder?
Anxiety is your brain’s alarm system. It’s designed to keep you safe. In anxiety disorders, that system becomes overly sensitive—it starts reacting to situations that are not actually dangerous, and, over time, learns to treat everyday situations (like driving, social events, or being alone) as threats.
What are the different types of anxiety disorders?
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder – persistent, difficult-to-control worries about many different things
- Social Anxiety Disorder – strong feelings of fear in social situations, driven especially by fear of judgment/scrutiny
- Specific Phobias – intense fear of a specific object (e.g., snakes), feeling (e.g., emetophobia or fear of vomiting) or situation (e.g., tight spaces, flying in airplanes).
- Separation Anxiety Disorder – excessive fear of separation from attachment figures; more prevalent in children
- Selective Mutism – consistent failure to speak in specific social situations, despite the ability to speak in others
- Panic Disorder – recurrent, unexpected panic attacks with persistent fear of having another
- Agoraphobia – fear/avoidance of situations where escape may be difficult
What does an anxiety disorder look like in real life?
- Constant worry or overthinking that feels hard to shut off
- Frequent physical symptoms like a racing heart, tight chest, or stomach discomfort
- Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety
- Reassurance-seeking or “playing it safe”
How do anxiety disorders present in children?
Young children, especially, do not always experience anxiety as worries in their mind. For that reason, they cannot always articulate their experience to adults. Children are more likely to experience anxiety as vague symptoms in their body, such as headaches or tummy aches, that have no medical explanation. Or, they might experience strong reactions to anxiety-provoking situations, such as meltdowns during daycare or school dropoffs.
How are anxiety disorders treated?
For adults, research supports:
- Mild cases: Cognitive behavioral therapy alone may be sufficient.
- Several forms of psychotherapy are effective, ranging from humanistic/existential therapies to cognitive behavioral therapies. Regardless of method, exposure-based techniques are key to treating certain behaviors (e.g., avoidance).
- Moderate to Severe: Combination of medications and therapy is best.
- SSRIs and SNRIs are considered first-line medication options. Faster-acting options (“rescue meds”) may also be helpful but are not intended to be long-term solutions.
For children, research supports:
- Ages 6 and older: Cognitive behavioral therapy, usually involving exposure, first. Medication (usually SSRIs) might be added in moderate-to-severe cases or cases that do not respond well to therapy alone.
- Below age 6: Psychoeducation and parent training and support.
- Learn More: Why Parent Training? Isn’t this for my child?
