9B: Anxiety Disorders, OCD, & PTSD

Specific Phobia

An intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation that causes significant distress and avoidance, even though the danger is minimal or nonexistent.

Acrophobia

An irrational and excessive fear of heights that can cause significant distress and avoidance of situations involving heights

Arachnophobia

An intense, irrational fear of spiders and other arachnids

Agoraphobia

An intense fear of specific social situations, including using public transportation, being in open spaces, being in enclosed spaces, standing in line or being in a crowd, or being outside of home alone.

Panic Disorder

A disorder marked by unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person may experience terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations; attacks are recurrent and strike suddenly

ataque de nervios

A culturally-bound syndrome, primarily associated with Hispanic cultures, characterized by a sudden outburst of intense emotional distress, often including symptoms like trembling, shouting, and feelings of loss of control. 

Social Anxiety Disorder

Disorder characterized by an intense fear and avoidance of social situations; extreme anxiety in social settings where others might judge them; may avoid going out at all

Taijin Kyofusho

<span>A culturally-specific anxiety disorder prevalent in Japanese culture, characterized by an intense fear of offending others through perceived bodily defects or inappropriate behavior, often leading to social withdrawal.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A chronic mental health condition characterized by excessive, persistent, and uncontrollable worry and anxiety about a wide range of everyday situations. 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A disorder characterized by recurrent and persistent and intrusive thoughts, followed by repetitive behaviors the individual feels driven to perform.

Hoarding Disorder

A mental health condition characterized by an excessive accumulation of items and an inability to discard them, despite their lack of value or utility

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, insomnia, and/or jumpy anxiety that continues for four weeks or more after a traumatic event.

Obsessions

Intrusive thoughts or images that cause significant anxiety or distress, commonly seen in OCD.

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce anxiety or prevent a feared event; often associated with OCD.