Presenting Features Of Anxiety Disorders

Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder
• Disturbing persistent thoughts, impulses or images.
• Repetitive ritualised behaviour.
• Above must be time consuming and cause marked distress or impairment.

Panic Disorder
• Rapid & intense occurrences of anxiety or
• Rapid escalations in current levels of anxiety.
• Psychosomatic symptoms; e.g. breathlessness, palpitations etc.
• Catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily symptoms.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder
• Excessive worry occurring for at least a 6-month period.
• The worry should cause significant distress or impairment and should not be due to other
symptoms or substance abuse.
• Common symptoms include restlessness, sleep disturbance, irritability, muscle tension.

Phobias
A marked and persistent fear of phobic stimuli, which may include some social situations.
Characterised by avoidance of the feared stimuli and often significant distress.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A re-experiencing of a traumatic event or emotions associated with the event, often combined with avoidance of reminders of the event. PTSD may have acute or delayed onset.

Relationship Problems & Anxiety From Life Events
• Anxiety due to interpersonal difficulties, not accountable to other form of anxiety disorder.
• Anxiety arising from difficult life events, including apprehension of future events, e.g. loss
of job, moving house, divorce etc.

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