Anxiety disorders are characterized by the presence of excessive fear and anxiety related symptoms. They differ from normal transient anxiety and fear because they are uncontrollable and persistent (typically lasting 6 months or more). Most anxiety disorders develop in childhood and tend to persist if left untreated. Anxiety disorders are diagnosed only when the symptoms are not associated with the effects of a substance or drug or with another medical condition.

Anxiety disorders are more frequent in males than in females, with a ratio of 2:1.

Types of anxiety disorders:

• Panic disorder: the person experiences repeated feelings of sudden intense anxiety, fear or terror that reach a peak within a few minutes (known as panic attacks), accompanied by the worry about having additional attacks and other mental and behavioral changes;
• Agoraphobia: people with this condition fear situations or places where they might feel trapped and the difficulty of immediate easy escape to a safe place;
• Specific phobia: in this condition, the person fears specific objects or situations such as being closed in, animals, heights, flying, the sight of blood or injury; or any situation that may lead to vomiting, choking or developing an illness;
• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia): involves high levels of anxiety, fear and avoidance of social situations due to feelings of embarrassment, self-consciousness and concern about being judged or viewed negatively by others;
• Selective mutism: it is characterized by the inability to speak in a series of social situations or with specific people;
• Generalized anxiety disorder: is characterized by a persistent and excessive anxiety and worrying about various domains, that the individual finds difficult to control;
• Separation anxiety disorder: the individual is anxious about separation from attachment figures; even though symptoms develop during the childhood, they can be expressed also during adulthood;
• Anxiety disorder due to another medical condition: panic attacks and generalized anxiety can be directly caused by a physical health problem;
• Substance/medication-induced anxiety disorder: is characterized by symptoms of intense anxiety or panic and is caused by the use of a substance or a medication;

‍Other specific, or unspecified, anxiety disorder: are terms for anxiety or phobias that don't meet the exact criteria for any other anxiety disorders but are significant enough to be distressing and disruptive.

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