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ANXIETY DISORDERS:

Anxiety, worry, and stress are all a part of most people's life today. But simply experiencing anxiety or stress in and of itself does not mean you need to get professional help or you have an anxiety disorder. In fact, anxiety is a necessary warning signal of a dangerous or difficult situation. Without anxiety, we would have no way of anticipating difficulties ahead and preparing for them.

Anxiety becomes a disorder when the symptoms become chronic and interfere with our daily lives and our ability to function. People suffering from chronic anxiety often report the following symptoms:

  • Muscle tension

  • Physical weakness

  • Poor memory

  • Sweaty hands

  • Fear or confusion

  • Inability to relax

  • Constant worry

  • Shortness of breath

  • Palpitations

  • Upset stomach

  • Poor concentration

These symptoms are severe and upsetting enough to make individuals feel extremely uncomfortable, out of control and helpless.

Anxiety disorders fall into a set of separate diagnoses, depending upon the symptoms and severity of the anxiety the person experiences. The anxiety disorders discussed in this series on anxiety are:

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General Anxiety/Panic Disorders   A person with general anxiety disorder lives in a state of constant nervousness. People with this disorder usually overreact to any type of stress. Typically, individuals have trouble making decisions and when they actually do this usually only causes additional worries. Sufferers of general anxiety tend to have panic attacks. Some theorists think that this disorder is caused by a learned anxiety. For example, being nervous once about something and learning to avoid that something.
Phobias   A phobia is a fear of a specific stimulus of a situation. The sufferer of a phobia usually knows that the fear is irrational but cannot do anything about it. Phobia has three sub-classes: simple phobia, social phobia, and agoraphobia.

Simple phobias  A simple phobia is a fear of a specific thing or situation. A person may have one phobia but be normal in all other aspects. However, in serious cases, a person may have multiple phobias that interfere with their everyday life.

Social phobias  Individuals with this class of phobia have an extreme fear of social situations and of embarrassing themselves. The most common types of this phobia are public speaking and eating in public.

Agoraphobia  This is the most common phobia that people seeking professional help have.  It is also the most difficult to cure. This type of phobia creates an irrational fear of unfamiliar situations. People with agoraphobia avoid open spaces, crowds, traveling, and in extreme cases do not even leave their home.
 
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders   "An obsession is the persistent intrusion of unwelcome thoughts, images, or impulses, that cause anxiety. A compulsion is an irresistible urge to carry out certain acts or rituals that reduce anxiety. "These two things are often linked together. Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder know that their behavior is irrational and repugnant but are unable to resist. The resistance only causes them to become anxious and only the carrying out of the act will relieve that anxiety. Compulsion has many forms, but the two most common are washing and checking. The obsessive-compulsive disorder is related to the phobias in that both cause severe anxiety and a patient may suffer from both disorders.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder  Post-traumatic stress disorder is caused by a traumatic event that overwhelms a person and ruins their ability to cope with a situation. It can cause flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, and/or guilt. It is usually extremely long lasting.

 

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