An analysis of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety, panic and social anxiety

Abstract

Objective: To analyze anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic and social anxiety. Bibliographic review: Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness with 61.5 million people affected. These comprise separation anxiety and selective mutism, specific phobias, social anxiety disorder (SAD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), as well as panic disorder (PD). SAD is characterized by persistent fear of social situations due to anticipation of negative judgment by others, while GAD is characterized by excessive worry coupled with disproportionate fear in everyday situations, and PD is composed of unexpected panic attacks that have rapid onset and are short-lived. Final considerations: Anxiety disorders are phenomena that lead to a great loss of quality of life, arising from worry and excessive fear in the face of certain situations. The main anxiety disorders are: social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. The treatment of these conditions is done through pharmacotherapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, benzodiazepines and psychotherapy with cognitive behavioral therapy.