With Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD, worry feels like a constant presence, touching on various aspects of life. When you have GAD, you often feel anxious about health, work, relationships, or everyday matters—sometimes with no clear reason. This relentless anxiety can be hard to control, leaving you feeling tense, drained, and unable to relax. Your mind might frequently cycle through "what-ifs" and worst-case scenarios, making it hard to focus.

Example: Sarah worries about her job performance and her family’s health. Even a delayed text stirs anxiety, making her imagine the worst. The constant worry leaves her exhausted, on edge, and struggling to enjoy life.

Social Anxiety Disorder, or SAD, brings an intense fear of social situations where you feel judged or might feel embarrassed. With social anxiety, you often worry about saying or doing something that could lead to scrutiny or criticism. This type of anxiety disorder can cause you to avoid social gatherings and performance situations, even though you might have much to contribute. After interacting with others, you may replay the event, doubting your every word and action, which can make your anxiety worse.

Example: Mark dreads team meetings, fearing judgment from his colleagues. He keeps quiet, avoids eye contact, and later replays everything he said, questioning his every move.

Panic Disorder involves sudden, intense episodes of excessive fear called panic attacks, often accompanied by physical symptoms like a pounding heart or difficulty breathing. Because of the unpredictability of these attacks, you might start to fear specific places or activities, restricting your life to avoid potential triggers.

Example: Lisa had her first unexpected panic attack in a grocery store, with a racing heart and shortness of breath that felt like a heart attack. Now, she avoids the grocery store and similar places, making her world feel smaller.

OCD involves recurring, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) aimed at alleviating your feelings of severe anxiety. Obsessions might include fears about contamination, harm, or order, while compulsions like hand-washing, checking, or counting feel necessary, even if they disrupt your daily life.

Example: Alex worries constantly about germs. He spends hours washing his hands, anxious that he hasn’t cleaned enough. This ritual exhausts him, yet he can’t break the cycle despite knowing his fears are excessive.

Agoraphobia is the fear of situations where escape may be difficult or help unavailable, often triggered by having a panic attack in public. When you have agoraphobia, you would avoid crowded places, public transit, or even leaving your home, creating a life limited to your comfort zone.

Example: After a traumatic event on a crowded subway, James started avoiding public places. Now, even thinking about leaving home causes excessive anxiety, affecting his social life, career, and relationships.

Separation Anxiety Disorder is a mental disorder that causes intense worry about being apart from your loved one, like a partner or family member. This fear can lead to frequently checking in and needing constant reassurance, which makes separation challenging, even for short periods.

Example: Emily feels anxious every time her partner leaves for work, fearing something terrible might happen. She checks in repeatedly, and if there’s no immediate response, she panics. This habit strains their relationship and makes it hard for her to focus on her own life.

Phobias are extreme fears of specific objects or situations, like flying, heights, or certain animals. When you have phobias, you may go out of their way to avoid triggers, which can interfere with your life and limit your enjoyment of new experiences.

Example: Jenna has a severe fear of heights. She avoids tall buildings and has missed out on vacations that involve heights. Her persistent fear has held her back from both career opportunities and social activities she’d otherwise love.