Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Does your mind feel like it never switches off — always thinking "what if"? Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is excessive, hard-to-control worry about many everyday things — health, family, money, work — on most days for several months (ICD-11 6B00). The worry is out of proportion to the real situation and leaves you tense and exhausted.
How common is it?
About 3 in 100 adults each year; around 5–9 in 100 at some point in life. Women are affected about twice as often as men.
Who is at higher risk?
- Women
- People with a family history of anxiety or depression
- Naturally sensitive, perfectionist or "over-thinking" personalities
- People under long-term stress (caregivers, job insecurity, debt)
- Those with chronic illness
Signs & symptoms
- In your mind: worry jumping from one topic to another, imagining the worst, difficulty concentrating, mind going blank
- In your body: muscle tension, headaches, tiredness, racing heart, sweating, acidity or loose motions
- In your behaviour: restlessness, irritability, avoiding decisions, seeking reassurance, poor sleep
What causes it?
A mix of genes (about 30% inherited), an over-sensitive alarm system in the brain (amygdala) and chemical messengers such as serotonin and GABA, learned beliefs like "worrying keeps me safe," and ongoing life stress.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- I worry about everything, even small things, and can't stop.
- People tell me to relax, but my body never feels calm.
- I lie awake at night going over tomorrow's problems.
- This has been happening most days for months and is affecting work, sleep or relationships.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
We begin with a detailed consultation and standardised anxiety assessment. Treatment uses Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) to break the worry cycle, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindful relaxation to calm the body. Most people notice real change within 8–12 sessions; we provide a psychiatrist if medication is needed.
Panic Disorder & Panic Attacks
Have you suddenly felt your heart pounding, chest tightening and a terrifying sense that you might die — with no clear reason? That is a panic attack. Panic disorder means these attacks keep coming unexpectedly and you live in fear of the next one (ICD-11 6B01).
How common is it?
About 2–3 in 100 adults each year. Many people first visit a cardiologist or emergency room, convinced it's a heart attack.
Who is at higher risk?
- Women
- People aged 20–35
- Those going through major stress or loss
- Heavy caffeine, smoking or cannabis use
- Family history of panic
Signs & symptoms
- In your body: pounding heart, chest pain, breathlessness, choking feeling, dizziness, trembling, tingling, hot or cold flushes
- In your mind: fear of dying, losing control or "going mad"; feeling unreal or detached
- In your behaviour: avoiding places where attacks happened; always carrying water, medicines or a companion "just in case"
What causes it?
A highly sensitive alarm system in the brain, genetic tendency, and the habit of reading normal body sensations (a faster heartbeat) as danger — which triggers more fear and more symptoms.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- My ECG and tests are normal, but I keep feeling I'm having a heart attack.
- I'm scared to travel alone in case it happens again.
- I constantly check my pulse.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
CBT for panic — understanding the panic cycle, breathing retraining, changing catastrophic thoughts, and gradually facing feared sensations and places in a safe, guided way. Panic disorder responds very well to therapy, often within 10–15 sessions.
Agoraphobia
Has your world slowly become smaller — avoiding buses, malls, markets or even leaving home alone? Agoraphobia is intense fear of places where escape may be hard or help may not be available if panic strikes (ICD-11 6B02).
How common is it?
About 1–2 in 100 adults each year; it often develops after panic attacks.
Who is at higher risk?
- People with panic disorder
- Women
- People who have faced a frightening event in public
- Those with an anxious temperament
Signs & symptoms
Fear of public transport, crowds, queues, open or closed spaces; needing a companion to go out; in severe cases becoming housebound.
What causes it?
Usually begins with panic attacks; avoidance brings short-term relief, which teaches the brain that these places are dangerous — so the fear keeps growing.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- I only go out if someone is with me.
- I plan my day around avoiding crowds.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
Graded exposure with a personalised fear ladder, CBT and therapist-supported outings. We start with online sessions if leaving home feels impossible.
Specific Phobias
Do you panic at the sight of a lizard, a needle, heights or an aeroplane — even though you know it's not really dangerous? A specific phobia is an intense, unreasonable fear of a particular thing or situation that you go out of your way to avoid (ICD-11 6B03).
How common is it?
About 2–6 in 100 people in Asia and Europe, and up to 8–12 in 100 in the US. Most phobias begin in childhood.
Who is at higher risk?
- Children and women
- People who had a frightening experience
- Children who saw a parent react with fear
Signs & symptoms
Instant panic, racing heart, sweating or trembling on facing the fear; fainting in blood or injection phobia; avoiding doctors, travel or certain places.
What causes it?
A frightening past event, learning fear by watching others, and the brain's natural readiness to fear things like heights, animals and blood.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- I've skipped a blood test or a flight because of fear.
- I plan routes to avoid dogs.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
Step-by-step exposure therapy with relaxation training. Many phobias improve within 4–8 sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Is anxiety a real illness or just overthinking?
Anxiety disorders are recognised medical conditions in ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR. They involve changes in brain chemistry and the stress system, not just "weak thinking."
Can anxiety be cured without medicine?
Yes, for many people. CBT is the most researched treatment for anxiety and works well on its own for mild to moderate anxiety.
How do I know if it's anxiety or a heart problem?
Always get a medical check-up first. If ECG and tests are normal and symptoms come with fear and racing thoughts, anxiety or panic is likely.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Do you dread speaking in class or meetings, fear saying something "stupid," or replay conversations for hours afterwards? Social anxiety disorder is an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed or rejected by others (ICD-11 6B04). It is much more than shyness.
How common is it?
About 7 in 100 adults in the US each year and about 1–2 in 100 in many other countries. It usually starts between ages 8 and 15.
Who is at higher risk?
Signs & symptoms
What causes it?
A sensitive temperament, genes, painful social experiences, and a habit of focusing inward on how you look and sound instead of on the conversation.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
How Mind Detox Centre helps
CBT for social anxiety — changing self-critical beliefs, dropping safety behaviours, practising real situations step by step — plus assertiveness and social-skills training.