Anxiety Disorders

ANXIETY DISORDERS:

There are five main categories of anxiety disorders.  They are panic disorders, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and generalized anxiety disorder.  Three key features interconnect these disorders.  They are:

The person’s anxiety interferes with her life and work.

The person feels extreme tension and worry when there is no logical reason for him to feel that way.

The person will sometimes employ extreme measures to avoid situations that produce the anxiety.  It is this need to maintain control and the fear of losing it that impairs her ability to function normally.

            Anxiety disorders are real, common, and very treatable in most cases through medication and psychotherapy.  Since there are many medications available to treat these disorders, if the first drug is not working the patient can switch to another one. To understand these disorders better, a brief description of each will follow below.

PANIC DISORDER:

            When experiencing a sudden panic attack, the client may honestly think he is having a heart attack or some other medical emergency.  He may have chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, chills, trembling, stomach pains, nausea, sensations of choking, numbness, hot flashes, a pounding heart, and a fear of dying.  These attacks can occur over and over unless they are properly diagnosed and treated.  A person who is not diagnosed correctly may go from doctor to doctor to try and find out what is wrong with her.  Once they believe nothing can be done for them, they might stop seeking help altogether.  At this point, they may try and hide their symptoms by avoiding whatever triggers the attacks.  The trouble with avoidance is that it can create additional problems on top of the panic attacks.

PHOBIAS:

A phobia is a deep-rooted fear that is irrational, distressing, and disrupts a person’s life.  There are three main types of phobias.

Specific phobias - This is an extreme fear of a particular object or situation that is harmful under most conditions.  These types of phobias include claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), acrophobia (fear of heights), and fear of animals.  Many of the people suffering from specific phobias understand that their fears are illogical, but they cannot overcome these without therapy.  Some specific phobias do not have much of an impact on the person’s ability to function, but others can make it impossible for him to have a normal life.

Social phobias - This is the fear of being watched, embarrassed, or humiliated while doing something in public.  The fear of public speaking is one such phobia.  Some people literally panic when they have to get up in front of a crowd.  Others experience extreme fear about eating or writing while people are watching them.  Social phobias do not include the shyness and mild discomfort that many people feel when they have to do something in public.   With social phobias, the reaction is so intense that the person simply cannot perform the task.  If untreated, these phobias can devastate a person’s life.

Agoraphobia - This is the fear of being in a place where escape might be difficult, such as standing in a crowded room or standing in a line.  Untreated agoraphobia can prevent a person from leaving his house, and having to go somewhere creates extreme emotional distress.  A person will sometimes develop agoraphobia after one or more severe panic attacks.

Post-traumatic stress syndrome  (PSTD) - Some people who survive a disaster or have a very traumatic experience cannot clear the images of the event from their minds.  They suffer from flashbacks, nightmares, and lack of sleep.  They will experience the event over and over again in their minds and feel the same physical symptoms they felt at the time of the incident.  Most people will have some lingering anxiety after a traumatic event, but for those suffering from PTSD, it will last far longer than normal.  When exposed to situations that remind them of the initial trauma, they will feel the same sensations they experienced the first time.  Some individuals will recover from PTSD within a few months without treatment.  Others, however, need treatment to recover from the trauma.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - People with OCD find that their lives are consumed by obsessions that they cannot control without treatment.  They may develop irrational fears about germs and dirt, among other things.  They may spend several hours a day dealing with their obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Some of the coping mechanisms they use to address these obsessions may include repetitive rituals such as:

Constant hand washing.

Checking and rechecking things like a door lock to see if it is locked.

Following rigid procedural rules.

Hoard things.

Untreated OCD can make it impossible for a person to have a normal life.

Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD) - A person suffering from this disorder will have a six month period or more where she experiences persistent feelings of tension and worry that are unfounded or unrelenting.  They may worry about their health or that of loved ones, be concerned about finances, or worry about their jobs.  They may worry about life in general or may focus on a specific concern.  Many GAD suffers also experience physical symptoms like fatigue, trembling, muscle tension, headaches, irritability, or hot flashes.  Many people with GAD also have additional mental health problems such as depression, another type of anxiety disorder, or suffer from substance abuse.