According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the five common types of anxiety disorders are:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): People with GAD often feel excessive worry or anxiety (without a specific cause) for most days of the week for at least 6 months. People may feel restless, exhausted, irritable, have muscle tension, sleep issues, or concentration problems. These feelings may also impact someone in various areas of their life- such as school, social interactions, or work.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): People with OCD may experience recurring and obsessive thoughts- and/or compulsive, repetitive behaviors. Engaging in these cycles may provide temporary relief. However, not performing these rituals lead to extreme stress and anxiety. These obsessions may even intensify and interfere with one's daily life.
Panic Disorder:Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder where unexpected and frequent episodes of intense fear occur alongside physical symptoms. These symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, immense distress, dizziness, heart palpitations, etc. Panic disorders can impact a person's life, especially if they constantly worry about when the next attack will happen- or if they put all their energy into trying to avoid an attack.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):People who have gone through/seen a traumatic event (and have trouble healing from that experience) often develop PTSD. One may experience flashbacks or try to avoid situations that remind them of their trauma (which can lead to feelings of intense fear or anxiety).
Phobia Related Disorders:People with a phobia experience intense fear or aversion to specific objects or situations. While it is perfectly reasonable to feel fear, with phobias, the fear people experience can often feel out of control than what the situation calls for. Some people may have specific phobias (aka simple phobias), which means that they feel intense anxiety towards specific objects or situations- such as flying, heights, blood, injections, etc.
There is also social anxiety disorder (aka social phobia). Individuals may feel intense fear or anxiety (or excessive self-consciousness) towards social/performance situations. This phobia can impact someone’s social life, especially if they always try to avoid any/all social situations.