Anxiety disorders

You can experience anxiety in lots of different ways. If your symptoms fit a patten, your doctor might say you have a specific anxiety disorder. But it's also possible to struggle with anxiety without ever getting a diagnosis.

We're here to explain some of the different anxiety diagnoses.

I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder when I was 19, and suddenly the world made sense.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

You might get a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder if you:

• Are anxious most days
• Have felt anxious most days for at least a few months
• Feel anxious about everyday things or lots of different things

Because you're worried about a lot of things, you might find it hard to know what's making you feel anxious. Or it might feel like everything is.

Generalised anxiety disorder can be a broad diagnosis. So you might experience it very differently to someone else with the same diagnosis.

Panic disorder

You might get a diagnosis of panic disorder if you have a lot of panic attacks. The panic attacks might not have a clear cause or trigger.

Panic disorder can also mean you're often anxious about having another panic attack. This anxiety might cause a panic attack.

See our page on panic attacks for more information.

Phobias

A phobia is when you experience extreme fear or anxiety about a specific situation or object. Like spiders, or being in closed spaces.

Phobias can include agoraphobia. This is a fear of things that involve going outside.

See our pages on phobias for more information.

Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder is when you experience intense anxiety in social situations. Or when you think about social situations. It could include fear around things like:

• Interacting with people and having conversations, either in a group or individually
• Doing things around people, like eating or drinking
• Performing in front of other people, like giving a speech

Social anxiety is more than just feeling nervous or shy about these things. It can be very overwhelming and impact your day-to-day life.

You might be anxious about what people will think about you in these situations. Or you might worry something bad will happen during them.

Separation anxiety disorder

Separation anxiety disorder is when you feel very anxious about being away from someone you're very close to. Normally someone you live with or spend a lot of time with. Like your children, a partner, or a carer.

Your anxiety might make you feel very distressed when this person isn't around. This might be because you worry that something bad will happen to them. Or something bad will happen to you.

Feeling this way can make it hard for you to live your day-to-day life. And it can be hard for the person you're anxious about too.

Other diagnoses related to anxiety

Some other mental health diagnoses are closely related to anxiety. They are not anxiety disorders. But they might have a lot of similar symptoms. Or make you feel very anxious.

They include:

Mixed depressive and anxiety disorder

This is when you have symptoms of both anxiety and depression. But don't fit one more clearly than the other.

Having other mental health problems might also make you feel anxious.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

You may get a diagnosis of OCD if your anxiety problems involve having repetitive thoughts, behaviours or urges.

See our pages on OCD for more information.

Health anxiety

This means you have obsessions and compulsions relating to illness. These include researching symptoms or checking to see if you have them. Health anxiety is related to OCD.

You can find out more about health anxiety on the Anxiety UK website.

Body dysmorphia

This means you experience obsessions and compulsions relating to your physical appearance.

See our pages on body dysmorphia for more information.

Perinatal anxiety or perinatal OCD

Some people develop anxiety problems during pregnancy or in the first year after giving birth.

See our pages on perinatal anxiety and perinatal OCD for more information.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

You might develop anxiety problems after going through something you found traumatic. PTSD can involve having flashbacks or nightmares. These can feel like you're re-living all the fear and anxiety you felt at the time of the traumatic events.

See our pages on PTSD and complex PTSD for more information.

How do I get an anxiety disorder diagnosis?

If you're having anxiety symptoms, the first step would be to see your GP.  Our page on how to get help from your GP explains:

• How to make an appointment
• Tips on talking to your doctor
• What might happen next

Our page on how mental health problems are diagnosed also has more information.

Some of us find getting diagnosis a helpful way of understanding ourselves. Others of us might prefer not to label our experiences. 

But it's important to remember you don't need to have a diagnosis to get support.