Six Major Anxiety Disorders Analysis

An anxiety disorder is not just a feeling of worry or anxiety, it is a disorder which prohibits a person from carrying out a normal life. Out of all the disorders, anxiety disorders seem to be the most intricate due to the various types of anxiety disorders and their varying symptoms. The six major anxiety disorders include separation anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, social phobia (social anxiety), panic disorder with and without agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety. In “Chapter 6: Anxiety Disorders” by Kaitlyn Gallo, Johanna Thompson-Hollands, Donna Pincus, and David Barlow, the authors elaborate on the impact prevalence and etiology play on the six major anxiety disorders. The authors’ first address the anxiety disorder which impacts “… approximately one half of children seen …show more content…
For this reason, many scientists have argued changing social phobia to social anxiety disorder. Social phobia is the “…fear [of] being humiliated, embarrassed, or judged negatively in social situations” (Gallo et al). In order to cope with these feelings, many patients avoid situations which provoke these intense feelings of fear or anxiety. Examples of situations include activities such as “…speaking, performing, eating, drinking, or writing...” in front of a large or small group of people (Gallo et al.). Symptoms a person with social phobia may experience include “muscle twitches, blushing, heart racing, [and] sweating…” (Gallo et al.). Prevalence of social phobia is seen in late adolescence and is diagnosed more in women than in men. While people who have social phobia cannot or have a hard time participating in social situations, they are faster at identifying angry faces. Researchers say that people with social phobia are quicker to notice angry facial emotions due to their “…overly reactive response to these cues” (Gallo et