An Introduction to Anxiety
Mild anxiety is something we all experience at one time or another. Nervous or anxious behavior when we are speaking in front of a large group or even meeting someone for the first time is common for most of us. Stressful events may often cause us to worry, feel helpless or may even bring on jittery feelings of panic. For many people, these mild forms of anxiety are temporary, and often pass within a few minutes. They are not debilitating and don't adversely affect our general quality of life.
For the 19 million people with anxiety disorder, however, these feelings of nervousness, anxiousness, stress, restlessness and panic can be overwhelming. By definition, anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic, relentless and severe feelings of fear. The anxiety experienced as a result of this fear may last for days, months or even years at a time.
There are six sub-types of anxiety disorder that include:
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Panic Disorder
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Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder
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Specific Phobias
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
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and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Defining the Different Types of Anxiety
The symptoms associated with the different types of anxiety often co-occur, or cross-over, in individuals that experience the disorder regularly. Understanding the different types of anxiety, and the symptoms associated with them will help the individual find effective coping techniques and long-term treatment.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder affects about 2.5 million American each year. Panic is twice as common in women as it is in men. Panic disorder is characterized by feelings of terror that strike suddenly without warning. As a result of the terror and fear, the body reacts with what is commonly referred to as a panic attack. Symptoms of panic attacks may including rapid heart beat, sweating, weakness or dizziness. During a panic attack, the sufferer experience feelings of impending doom and loss of control over reality. In between panic attacks, the individual may experience intense anxiety as a result of worrying about when and where the next attack might occur. Panic Attack Resources
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety)
Social phobia is one of the most common forms of anxiety. Though shyness and feelings of discomfort in public places are staples of social anxiety, those with the DSM classified disorder experience overwhelming and excessive self consciousness in normal social situations. When in front of others, those with social anxiety experience intense feelings of being judged by others. The thought of failing and being embarrassed or humiliated pervades their life. People with this disorder tend to avoid crowds, social gatherings and public settings where they may become the focus of attention. Often, people who display signs of social anxiety may also experience symptoms of panic disorder, namely panic attacks, as a result of their fears. Social Anxiety Resources
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
GAD is a chronic anxiety condition that can fill an individual's life with exaggerated worry, tension and fear. In many cases, there is no single trigger or cause that provokes the feelings of intense fear. People with GAD may have excessive worry about money, family and work. They may often feel like a disaster is about to occur. Symptoms of this disorder include fatigue, headaches, muscle tensions, muscle aches, irritability, sweating, heart palpitations and a lump in the throat. Generalized Anxiety Resources
Specific Phobias
A specific phobia is define as an intense and often irrational fear of a situation or of a physical or perceived object that poses little or no actual danger. The two most common types of specific phobias are a fear of flying and a fear of heights. Other common forms of specific phobias include a fear of dogs, spiders or other threatening animal. To date, there are over 1000 classified specific phobias. Irrational Fears and Phobias
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD can develop as a result of a terrifying or frightening event. For those with post traumatic stress disorder, constant thoughts and memories of the even plague their thoughts. They may begin to feel emotionally detached from friends and loved ones. PTSD is often diagnosed in war veterans, car crash survivors, mugging and rape victims. PTSD can include symptoms of irritability, aggressive behavior and loss of pleasure in things once enjoyed.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
OCD is a serious disorder that involves anxious thoughts (obsessions) that seem to be out of the scope of control for the individual experiencing them. Individuals with OCD are constantly plagued by unwelcome, and sometimes fearful thoughts. As a result, the sufferer begins to engage in rituals (compulsions) to cope with these thoughts. The compulsions, however, only add to the problem, as the irrational thoughts or fears are never addressed. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Treating Anxiety Related Disorder
Over many decades of research, medical experts have identified a variety of methods to help people with anxiety disorders to cope. While some of these treatment methods may only alleviate the symptoms of the disorder, others are designed to provide long-term relief.
Medications are among the most popular anxiety treatment options. Some medications, like SSRI's, SNRI's and MAOI's target the production of specific neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, GABA and norepinephrine, all of which have been associated with chemical imbalance, which is considered by many to be the cause of anxiety disorders. Other psychotropic medications target the central nervous system, to help relax the symptoms of anxiety that include nervous or restless behaviors, and stress. While prescription drugs can provide some level of relief, the National Institute of Mental Health says that they are not a long-term cure.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy, another form of anxiety treatment, originally started as a complementary and alternative medicine in the 1950's and 1960's. This technique addresses anxiety disorder with two components, the cognitive and the behavioral. The cognitive side of CBT helps to control the unwanted thoughts and irrational fears associated with anxiety. The behavioral side address the actions that may result from these feelings. For example, behavior therapy may help someone with social anxiety to feel more comfortable and not withdraw from social settings by exposing them to potentially stressful situations.
Other alternative medicine techniques that include yoga, diet and nutrition, as well as meditation and spirituality have also been shown to help those with anxiety disorder to find pleasure and relief. These are usually practiced by a professional counselor, therapist or CAM doctor.
Anxiety disorder is severe and debilitating. Learning more about the condition with an experienced professional is the first step to finding relief. Prior to beginning any treatment, it is recommended that the individual speak with a medical professional about their anxiety disorder.
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Learn more about these and other emotional disturbances, including self help guides, clinical studies and information about nutritional herbal blends that can help.
Only a qualified medical professional can diagnose an anxiety disorder like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Panic Disorder, Phobia, PTSD or OCD.
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