Focus on Mental Health

8 Types of anxiety

Separation anxiety

Usually first diagnosed in infants, children or adolescents. It is characterized as developmentally inappropriate and excessive anxiety occurring upon separation or threat of separation from significant attachment.

Generalised anxiety

Characterized by nervousness, physical symptoms and worry across multiple domains of the individuals ’ lives (e.g. finances, health, work, well-being of loved ones). The worry is persistent and difficult to control.

Social anxiety

Also known as social phobia, is characterized by marked fear of social and performance situations that often result in avoidance. The individuals fear that they will do or say something that results in humiliation or embarrassment; and fear that they will benegatively evaluated. Social situations are often avoided or endured with marked anxiety.

Panic disorder

Characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks. The attacks or prospect thereof results in a concern or worry about additional attacks and change in behaviour in order to avoid such attacks.

Selective mutism

Failure of the individual (mostly children) to speak in nearly all social situations, despite normally developed speech, evidenced by normal speech when with parents.

Specific phobia

Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation (e.g. heights, dark, blood, flying, enclosed spaces).

Obsessive compulsive

Characterized by the presence of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted repetitive thoughts that usually contain themes of harm and danger, and lead to severe anxiety. In order to lessen the anxiety, the individuals then perform rituals or acts that are known as compulsions.

Trauma and Stressor

This consists of several disorders which cause clinically significant impairment in functioning following exposure to trauma or stressful situations. Included under this category are Reactive Attachment Disorder, Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder). The specific disorder will be diagnosed following a clinical evaluation.