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Anxiety disorder
Anxiety is no fun. Whether it be a touch of stage fright, to an incapacitating severe anxiety disorder, we all suffer from it
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Author: Helen Peters
Anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorders vary as to symptoms and treatments. No matter the type, anyone suffering from one or more, knows how debilitating they can be. One such disorder is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Those who are afflicted with GAD are unable to lead a normal life. They are constantly tense and worried, apparently without valid reasons. They constantly fret about things such as money or health and everything in between.
Individuals who experience GAD find it virtually impossible to let down their guard and relax. As a result, they are often tired, stressed and irritable. Not uncommonly, some people with GAD will also suffer from additional mental health problems, including depression, substance abuse or addictive behaviors.
Another type of anxiety disorder is a panic disorder. People who suffer from a panic disorder will have frequent panic attacks that cause them to have an overwhelming and unnatural fear that they are in some type of danger. During a panic attack these people may experience certain types of phobias that include a specific phobia to a certain condition, social phobia, or agoraphobia. All of these phobias are an unnatural, uncontrollable, and most times unstoppable fear of a certain situation, object, or action. People that have this type of anxiety disorder will go to any length to avoid the source of their phobia.
A person that has a social phobia will avoid many types of social situations that make them afraid and cause a panic attack. This includes meeting new people or speaking in public. Agoraphobia will cause a person to be fearful of being in a situation where they may have difficulty in escaping or where they may feel some type of embarrassment. In extreme cases of agoraphobia a person may have great difficulty in leaving what they think is the safety of their home. When a person with an anxiety disorder has a specific phobia they will be afraid of a particular object such as dogs or spiders. They often are aware that their fear is unnatural and unwarranted but will still be unable to overcome their feelings of fear.
Another type of anxiety disorder is an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). With this type of anxiety disorder a person will have frequent thoughts that are irrational but that will cause great anxiety anyway. These obsessions include worrying that they forgot to turn off the stove or an unnatural obsession with cleanliness and germs. Most times people with this type of anxiety disorder are aware of their compulsion but are unable to control their irrational behavior without the help of medication under the care of a doctor.
OCD sufferers sometimes establish certain rituals that turn into compulsive behavior. These rituals can take hours to complete causing distractions in their lives and those
around them.
Anxiety of any type causes great distress. However, effective treatments and management are available, so if you, or your loved ones, are suffering, don't be afraid to seek professional help from a doctor, psychologist or other professional therapist.
Helen Peters is the owner of Free Anxiety, a fantastic resource for information about anxiety. For more articles on anxiety why not visit www.freeanxiety.com/articles |
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