There are many types of anxiety disorders and people will often have symptoms of more than one . Common anxiety disorders are:

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

People who have GAD feel anxious on most days for at least six months. Generally, they worry about real issues such as finances, illness or family problems - to the point where it can affect their everyday lives. At times their worry is so great they:

• feel edgy/restless 
• feel tired
• have difficulty concentrating
• develop muscle tension (sore back, neck or jaw, headache)
• find it hard to fall/stay asleep.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder affects approximately 5 per cent of people in Australia at some time in their lives.

Phobia

When a person has a phobia, they feel very fearful about particular objects or situations. Common phobias include:

• social phobia - fear of social situations such as parties and meetings
• agoraphobia - fear of open spaces such as parks and big shopping centres
• claustrophobia - fear of small spaces such as lifts, aeroplanes and crowded rooms
• zoophobia - fear of animals
• acrophobia - fear of heights
• mysophobia - fear of dirt and germs in places such as toilets and kitchens.

People often have more than one phobia. Approximately 9 per cent of people in Australia experience a phobia at some time in their lives. Phobias are twice as common in women as in men and can start at any age.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder gets its name because people who experience it have ongoing unwanted/intrusive thoughts and fears that cause anxiety - often called obsessions. These obsessions make people feel they need to carry out certain rituals in order to feel less anxious and these are known as compulsions.

Common obsessions are:

• fear of forgetting to do things e.g. turning off appliances or locking doors
• fear of being contaminated by things that are unclean e.g. dirty cutlery, crockery, food, keys, door handles and toilets
• fear of not being able to do things in an exact or orderly way
• fear of becoming sick, having an accident or dying
• intrusive thoughts about violence, accidents or sex.

Common compulsions may include:

• concerns about personal hygiene, resulting in constant washing of hands or clothes, showering or brushing of teeth 
• constantly cleaning, tidying or rearranging in a particular way things at home, at work or in the car
• constantly checking that doors and windows are locked and appliances are turned off
• continually seeking reassurance by repeatedly asking questions of family and friends 
• hoarding items such as newspapers, books, food or clothes.

In the short term, giving in to these compulsions can make people with OCD feel less anxious. However, the anxiety returns and with it comes the need to carry out the ritual again... and this cycle continues.

OCD affects 2 to 3 per cent of people in Australia at some time in their lives.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD involves bursts of anxiety that happen after a person experiences a major emotional shock following a stressful event i.e. a trauma. PTSD can be brought on by being involved in or witnessing distressing situations such as:

• war
• a major accident
• a natural disaster (bush fire, hurricane or cyclone)
• violence and sexual, physical, emotional or verbal abuse 
• being neglected - not being nurtured enough or being abandoned
• trauma associated with having a chronic illness (e.g. being isolated in hospital for long periods, experiencing unpleasant medical procedures).

The symptoms of PTSD include: 

• flashbacks e.g. upsetting intrusive thoughts about a distressing event
• nightmares
• difficulty sleeping 
• loss of interest in activities the person used to find enjoyable
• feeling on edge/irritable 
• being very alert and easily startled
• difficulty concentrating 
• finding it hard to remember parts of the traumatic event.

Approximately 8 per cent of people in Australia are affected by PTSD at some time in their lives.

Panic Disorder

A panic attack is an intense feeling of anxiety that seems like it cannot be bought under control. Panic attacks can include short bursts of: 

• feeling anxious 
• feelings of dread e.g. that something bad is going to happen
• breathing difficulties e.g. shortness of breath
• feeling lightheaded and/or nauseous
• having tingles or chills
• trembling or shaking
• having chest pains or a tight feeling in the chest.

For many people, panic attacks happen only occasionally when they are stressed. For others however, an initial attack can lead to fears of another attack at a later stage. This can result in a vicious cycle where the person is constantly worried about the next attack.

These reactions can lead to people having thoughts such as: "I must be going crazy." or "Something bad is going to happen.". Focusing on these thoughts and the cycle of fear and worry can make a panic attack more likely.

About three out of 10 people will experience at least one panic attack at some point in lives.

If a person has a panic attack at least four times a month, they may be diagnosed as having a panic disorder. Around 3 per cent of the population has a panic disorder.

Are anxiety disorders common?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in Australia. Nearly one in 10 people will experience some type of anxiety disorder in any one year - around one in 12 women and one in eight men. One in four people will experience an anxiety disorder at some stage of their lives.