Common Anxiety Disorders
There are several different anxiety disorders. It is not sufficient to
be diagnosed with clinical anxiety or an anxiety disorder, because the
different anxiety disorders are treated differently. Each of the 7 most
frequently diagnosed anxiety disorders is described briefly below.
- Panic Disorder is characterized by feelings of intense fear or anxiety
that come on out of the blue, in situations where there is nothing to
fear. A panic attack is a fear reaction that occurs in situations that
typically do not provoke a fear reaction. The most common physical
symptoms of a panic attack are heart racing or pounding, chest pain,
shortness of breath or choking, dizziness, trembling or shaking, feeling
faint or lightheaded, sweating, and nausea. Before learning that what they
are experiencing is a panic attack, many people often worry that they
might die, lose control, or go crazy. The symptoms of a panic attack lead
many people to believe they may be having a heart attack or stroke so they
go to the emergency room after having a panic attack. About 2-3% of the
population has experienced panic disorder at some time in their lives.
More about panic disorder
- Agoraphobia frequently develops in persons with panic disorder. People
with agoraphobia avoid (or try to avoid) situations that they think might
trigger a panic attack, or situations from which they think escape might
be difficult if they have a panic attack. At the extreme, individuals with
agoraphobia do not leave the house. More commonly, individuals will avoid
certain situations such as crowded stores, driving on highways, being far
from home, waiting on lines, or being home alone.
More about agoraphobia
- Specific Phobia, as the name implies, is characterized by extreme fear
of specific objects. The most common specific phobia is fear of animals-especially
dogs, snakes, insects and mice. Other specific phobias are flying,
heights, enclosed places, deep water, and blood. As with all anxiety
disorders, specific phobia is diagnosed only when the fear is distressing
or causes impairment in your life. As many as I in 10 people have had a
specific phobia.
- Social Phobia is characterized by extreme anxiety about being judged
negatively by others in social situations. People with social phobia
believe that "all eyes are on them" and fear being embarrassed
or humiliated in front of others. The most common social phobia is public
speaking. Other social phobias are writing in public, eating in front of
others, going to parties, asking someone on a date, or talking in a
business meeting or classroom. Most people feel self-conscious and
somewhat anxious in these types of social situations, 1-loweiyer, in the
person with social phobia the anxiety is excessive and disrupts their
life. Social phobia is the most common anxiety disorder-about 10% of
Americans suffer from social phobia.
More about social phobia
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by repetitive and
intrusive thoughts or images that are unwelcome (obsessions), and/or
repetitive behaviors that you feel you cannot control (compulsions). Most
often the compulsive behavior is done to reduce the anxiety associated
with the obsessive thought (e.g. repeated hand washing because of fear of
germs, repeated checking the stove because of fear that the house might
bum down). Many people with OCD are aware that their obsessive thoughts or
compulsive behaviors are senseless and excessive, and therefore are
embarrassed to mention them. Once thought to be very rare, recent studies
suggest that as many as 2-3% of the population have OCD.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by chronic excessive
worrying about such things as health, money, work, the future, family,
being on time, etc. The anxiety is difficult to control, and associated
with such symptoms as concentration problems. insomnia, muscle tension,
irritability, and physical restlessness. About 3-5% of the population have
had generalized anxiety disorder.
More about generalized anxiety disorder
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs to some people who have
experienced traumatic events such as childhood physical or sexual abuse,
rape, wartime combat, physical assault, natural disasters, or serious
accidents. PTSD can also occur after witnessing a violent or tragic event.
The symptoms of PTSD are varied and include intrusive thoughts about the
event, nightmares, and flashbacks. Avoidance of persons, places, and
things that are reminders of the traumatic event is common. Some people
lose interest in usual activities, give up on goals for the future, feel
like they do not fit in with others, and have a general sense of emotional
numbness. People with PTSD often keep their guard up, get startled easily,
and have difficulty concentrating or sleeping. Recent research indicates
that up to 10% of the population has experienced PTSD at some point in
their lives.
More about PTSD
Treatment options
Back
| Anxiety Disorders
|
