Anxiety can present itself in many different forms. You may have heard people talk about things such as social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder. It can be confusing and overwhelming just trying to work out what type of anxiety you may be experiencing, or if there are multiple anxieties you are experiencing. Ultimately, you don't really need to know before you start therapy - if you feel anxious then you feel anxious, and it's likely that you just want to feel better. However, if you are interested, I have some information below about the different types of anxiety and mood disorders. 

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

People with GAD often feel excessively worried about a variety of things such as health, work, social interactions, and everyday routine life circumstances. This worry is often hard to control and can interfere with daily activities. 

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is characterised by uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviours (compulsions) that a person feels the urge to repeat over and over. Common compulsions include excessive hand washing, arranging items in a particular way, or repeatedly checking things in order to try and prevent something unwanted from happening.  

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Social Anxiety

Social anxiety disorder involves intense fear or anxiety about social or performance situations where a person may be scrutinised by others. It can be so severe that it interferes with everyday activities.

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Panic Disorder

People with panic disorder have recurrent unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden period of intense fear that may include palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, numbness, or a feeling of impending doom.

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

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Health Anxiety

Health anxiety, also known as hypochondria, is characterised by excessive worry about having a serious illness. Individuals with health anxiety often misinterpret normal body sensations as signs of serious illness, leading to frequent medical visits and constant self-examination.

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Depression

Depression is more than just feeling sad. It includes a range of symptoms like persistent low mood, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt.

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Psychosis - click here for more information on psychosis

Psychosis is the name used when people experience a set of symptoms, such as delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not), or suspicious thoughts that others mean to cause them harm (sometimes referred to as paranoia).  For more detailed information on psychosis, click the link above.

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Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is characterised by extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behaviour, and the ability to think clearly.