Anxiety disorders can feel like a tangled web of "what-ifs" and physical symptoms, but breaking them down by their clinical "flavor" makes them much easier to manage. Since you're looking at the big three—GAD, Panic Disorder, and OCD—let's dive into how we spot them and, more importantly, how we help patients find some calm.

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Think of GAD as "free-floating" anxiety. These patients are professional worriers about everyday things (finances, health, family) for at least 6 months.

• Diagnosis (The "WATCHERS" Mnemonic):
  • Worry (excessive/uncontrollable)
  • Anxiety
  • Tension (muscle)
  • Concentration difficulty
  • Hyperarousal (irritability)
  • Energy loss (fatigue)
  • Restlessness
  • Sleep disturbance
• Treatment:
  • First-line: SSRIs (Sertraline, Escitalopram) or SNRIs (Venlafaxine).
  • Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the gold standard.
  • Short-term: Benzodiazepines (only for acute relief while waiting for SSRIs to kick in).

2. Panic Disorder

This isn't just "feeling panicked"; it's the fear of the fear. It involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks followed by at least 1 month of persistent concern about having another attack or changing behavior to avoid them.

• Diagnosis: Look for the "autonomic storm"—palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, and that classic "feeling of impending doom."
• Treatment:
  • Acute Attack: Benzodiazepines (e.g., Alprazolam) work fast.
  • Maintenance: SSRIs are first-line.
  • Therapy: CBT focusing on "interoceptive exposure" (learning that the physical sensations aren't dangerous).

3. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is driven by Obsessions (intrusive, distressing thoughts) and Compulsions (repetitive behaviors performed to neutralize the anxiety from the obsession).

• Diagnosis: The symptoms must be time-consuming (>1 hour/day) or cause significant distress/impairment.
• Treatment:
  • First-line: High-dose SSRIs.
  • Second-line: Clomipramine (a TCA, but very effective for OCD).
  • Therapy: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—this is the specific type of CBT where patients face the obsession but are blocked from doing the compulsion.

I'll pull up some high-yield lessons and a comparison table to help you keep these distinctions sharp for your exams!