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C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 41 with social phobia may be unable to manage a job, school, or relationships. Specific phobias—A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no real danger. Some common phobias include fear of air travel, blood, certain animals, closed-in places, and heights. • Separation anxiety: This condition is usually associated with young children, but it is also seen in adults. It is often missed because it occurs with other anxiety disorders or depression. Treatment for other disorders, that does not specifically address separation anxiety for these patients, may not be successful. • Selective mutism: This describes a condition in which a person can speak freely and normally in some settings, but in others he or she cannot. It is frequently seen alongside social phobia. It appears to be triggered by anxiety, but can also have a physiological component, as tight muscles around the throat may physically inhibit the ability to speak. HOW IS ANXIETY IDENTIFIED AND MEASURED? One of the greatest challenges in identifying and then treating anxiety disorders has been creating a way to identify them that is accurate and sensitive—that is, a true reflection of how or whether a diagnosis fits a person's situation. This information is typically gathered by using questionnaires. The challenge, however, is in creating a survey that is both specific and short; making a patient fill out a long form with each appointment (or even before and after each appointment) is simply not feasible. Several anxiety scales have been developed to detect the presence and severity of anxiety disorders. These surveys are often administered along an arc of time to see how the condition progresses and if treatment strategies are successful. Some of these surveys are proprietary and available only through paying a fee. The best-known, most-used, and most consistently validated one of these anxiety scales is the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). It collects information on how a DSM-5 HEADINGS Three closely related groups of disorders used to be discussed under the heading of anxiety. They have now been separated, although it is recognized that they can occur together in the same person. • Anxiety disorders include the conditions discussed in this article. • Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs) used to be considered subtypes of anxiety disorders, but they are now recognized as discrete conditions. They include body dysmorphic disorder, hair-pulling disorder, hoarding disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and skin-picking disorder. • Trauma and stressor- related disorders (TSRDs) also used to be classified as anxiety disorders, but are now recognized as freestanding conditions. They include acute stress disorder, adjustment disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and others. All of these labels include qualifiers that describe situations where the conditions are related to drug use or abuse, or other factors, as well as where they overlap each other.