|
Anxiety disorders cover a very broad scope when it comes to categorizing them. Anxiety disorder includes panic attacks/disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS), social anxiety disorder, phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder. Although all of these falls within the medical and psychological spectrum of anxiety disorder each one is by far one in the same.
Panic attacks give sufferers a feeling of terror that comes with no warning and could occur multiple times. It begins with a feeling of the throat closing or the inability to swallow, sweating palpitations, irregular heartbeat, and very often an urgent feeling of having to leave wherever you are at, no matter what the cost. Unfortunately, those who suffer from a panic attack relate the place that the attack occurred to the attack itself and do not want to return to that spot again, fearing a repeat attack. The end result is creating a smaller and smaller world for one’s self. Some people that have panic attacks eventually become agoraphobic which means that in many cases they may not even leave their homes.
Obsessive compulsive disorder also falls into the anxiety disorder category. With this disorder people are compelled with thoughts that lead them to irrational repetitive behaviors. Some will wash their hands compulsively, some will check their alarm clocks possibly hundreds of times before bed, some will lock and unlock their doors numerous times before feeling satisfied only to return again and check more, many are paranoid of germs and limit where they go to avoid them. To these people such places as an emergency room at a hospital would be enough to send them into a full blown panic. Some will count each step, some will spell words backwards in their heads, this disorder manifests in many different ways.
Social anxiety disorder involves the constant worry that while they are in social settings something that could cause others to judge them or that they may embarrass themselves is overwhelming to say the least. The fear of being ridiculed keeps them either on fears edge or absent from most social venues.
Specific phobias are no stranger to most. The usual involves fear of heights, enclosed spaces, spiders, storms, or snakes. Most can function while even fearing these things and do not give much thought to them unless faced with situation. For those with full blown phobias the fear is much greater, so much in fact, that they will analyze events and situations to balance odds before even attending. For example, before someone with a severe phobia of heights would apply for a job, even if they desperately needed it, they would go and scope out the building to make sure that there was no more than one level.
Generalized anxiety disorder is mainly compromised of consistent worry and tension even when there is no reason at all for the worry. The worry here is that the constant worry will lead to more troublesome disorders in the future.
Read more Articles
|