Anxiety Disorders

People suffer from a variety of anxiety disorders, each with their own set of symptoms and recommended treatments. These disorders are clustered on a spectrum of overall anxiety, with some that affect the overall quality of life and others that are very specific. At one end of the spectrum is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Individuals who suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder will experience a overall tensions or anxiety that with their ability to lead a normal life. Even the smallest things incite low levels of anxiety, even when there is no apparent reason or this worry or stress. People with this disorder worry about all aspects of their life - money, family, work, their health and the health of family and friends.

People who suffer from GAD will find it impossible to relax and will find that they are often tired and irritable. People with GAD often suffer from other types of mental health problems, such as depression, and will often be substance abusers.

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.

Yet another anxiety disorder is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Symptoms include having irrational thoughts that cause the person great anxiety. They obsess about things such as germs and constantly wash their hands. Or they may check the stove over and over in fear of having left it on. These people also know that they are acting in irrational ways, but without medication or other medical attention, they will be unable to stop behaviors.

People suffering from OCD will often develop rituals that they carry out in a compulsive manner. Many times these compulsive rituals will take the person over an hour or two to complete each day creating a great deal of upheaval in their life.

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.

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