The 10 different types of anxiety

Anxiety takes 10 different forms. Here's what they are and why they matter.

1. General Anxiety

The feeling that something bad is going to happen. It's not.

2. Social Anxiety

Feeling anxious in social situations. This is the most common form of anxiety and it's often caused by a childhood trauma of some sort.

3. Panic Anxiety

Feeling like you are going to die when you are having a panic attack.

4. Relationship Anxiety

Feeling anxious about your relationship with someone else, usually a partner or family member.

5. Obsessive-Compulsive Anxiety

Feeling like you have to do certain things over and over again because you fear something bad will happen if you don't do them.

6. Performance Anxiety

Feeling anxious about doing something where your performance can be evaluated by others. Like public speaking, for instance.

7. Phobia Anxiety (specific phobias)

Having an irrational fear of something (like spiders or airplanes) that causes anxiety when you are around that thing or even think about it.

8. Medical or Physical Anxiety (aka hypochondria)

Feeling anxious about having a disease even though there are no symptoms and doctors can't find anything wrong with you.

9. GAD - Generalized Anxiety Disorder (aka chronic worrying)

Anxiety every day for at least 6 months straight without any particular trigger or event causing it.

10. PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (caused by war, abuse, etc.)

Anxiety caused by flashbacks triggered by events that remind you of the original trauma that caused the PTSD