Anxiety disorder can take many forms. It can affect many areas of our lives and prevent us from living in a way that would satisfy us.
The most common anxiety is a phobia, a strong and irrational fear of a situation or an object. Spiders always comes to mind: Arachnophobia. This specific phobia can be attached to any animal or object. Dogs, snakes, rats, water, germs, electors the list goes on.
Phobias can develop at any time or age of life. Social phobia can develop during childhood out of extreme shyness for example. Once phobias are established they will not go away without help.
Generalized anxiety disorder is a general state of anxiety which lasts over a period of time. 6 months or so. It is not attached to any situation or thing. The suffer finds daily tasks difficult. Concentration is difficult and decision making is affected. Other physical symptoms could be present like sweating under the arms, clammy palms of the hands, churning upset stomach and even diarrhea.
Panic disorder is an intense form of anxiety which occurs suddenly without warning. The symptoms usually lead the suffer to feel like they are going to die. These attacks occurred out of the blue for no reason. This makes them more terrifying and can often lead to agoraphobia. The sufferer does not want to risk an attack to do not leave the house. This could have a serve affect on social and fun activities.
Obsessive compulsive disorder. Germs seem to be the main object of this anxiety disorder. The compulsion to wash is what we see in this case and the obsessive thoughts of contamination and decease make the suffer anxious and uneasy. The washing behavior an attempt to alleviate the worry. Other forms we see with this disorder include; fear of harm yourself or others, intrusive sexual thoughts or religious issues. The behaviors can include repeated and ritualized touching
Post Traumatic Stress disorder can happen to people who have experience a serve traumatic life event. This can include; war, rape, physical assault or finding a dead body. The main symptoms include disturbing thoughts and images of the event returned in the suffers head. Nightmares about the event or feeling and acting like the event is re happening.
Treatment of anxiety disorders can take a few forms. The first step is to become educated and informed about the disorder. Learning how to manage stress, anger and depression is also a strategy. Cognitive training is useful to help deal with repeating unwanted thoughts and managed exposure to a phobia is also useful.
In my next article I will begin to outline more full treatment and management options.
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