Anxiety Disorder Classification (part-1)

Acute Stress Disorder

Client with acute stress disorder will develop three or more of these dissociative symptoms:
  • Subjective sense of numbing
  • No emotional responsiveness
  • Feeling dazed
  • Depersonalization
  • Derealization
  • Amnesia
Duration of acute stress disorder would be 2 days to 4 weeks.


Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Client with generalized anxiety disorder will develop three off the four categories:


  • Autonomic hyperactivity: palpitations, sweating, cold clammy, urinary frequency, pallor or flushing, lump in throat, rapid respiration, and tachycardia.
  • Motor tension: restlessness, trembling, inability to relax, fatigue.
  • Apprehensiveness: dread, worry, fear, insomnia, rumination, and inconcentrate.
  • Hypervigilance: felling edgy and distractibility.
These symptoms persist for at least 6 months.


Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsession is preoccupation with persistent intrusive thoughts. Compulsion is repeated perfomance of rituals designed to prevent some anxiety. Client with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with have obsession symptoms, compulsion symptoms, or both.

The client will be in anxiety condition if obsessions or compulsions are resisted and from feeling powerless to resist the thoughts or rituals.


Panic Disorder

Panic disorder means the recurrent unexpected anxiety attacks. It happens suddenly with intense apprehension and dread.
Client with panic disorder will develop at least four of the following symptoms:
  • Dyspnea
  • Dizziness
  • Chest discomfort
  • Hot or cold flashes
  • Tingling of hands or feet
  • Feeling of unreality
  • Palpitation
  • Syncope
  • Diaphoresis
  • Trembling
  • Fear of losing control, going crazy or dying

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