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Anxiety Disorders
General
Anxiety Disorder
Generalised
anxiety disorder (GAD) is much more than the normal anxiety people
experience day to day. It's chronic and exaggerated worry and
tension, even though nothing seems to provoke it. Having this
disorder means always anticipating disaster, often worrying
excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, though,
the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint. Simply the thought of
getting through the day provokes anxiety.
Panic
Disorder
Panic
attack symptoms include: pounding heart, chestpain, lightheadedness,
dizziness, nausea, stomach problems, flushes or chills, shortness of
breath or a feeling of smothering or choking, tingling or numbness,
shaking or trembling, feelings of unreality, terror, a feeling of
being out of control or going crazy, fear of dying, or sweating.
Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder
The
disturbing thoughts or images are called obsessions, and the rituals
performed to try to prevent or dispel them are called
compulsions.There is no pleasure in carrying out the rituals you are
drawn to,only temporary relief from the discomfort caused by the
obsession.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is characterised by anxious
thoughts or rituals you feel you can't control. If you have OCD, as
it's called, you may be plagued by persistent, unwelcome thoughts or
images, or by the urgent need to engage in certain rituals.
Depression
or other anxiety disorders may accompany OCD. And some people with
OCD have eating disorders. In addition, they may avoid situations in
which they might have to confront their obsessions. Or they may try
unsuccessfully to use alcohol or drugs to calm themselves. If OCD
grows severe enough, it can keep someone from holding down a job or
from carrying out normal responsibilities at home, but more often it
doesn't develop to those extremes.
Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that follows a
terrifying event. Often, people with PTSD have persistent frightening
thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb,
especially with people they were once close to.
Ordinary
events can serve as reminders of the trauma and trigger flashbacks
or intrusive images. A flashback may make the person lose touch with
reality and reenact the event for a period of seconds or hours or,
very rarely, days. A person having a flashback, which can come in the
form of images, sounds, smells, or feelings, usually believes that
the traumatic event is happening all over again.
Phobias
Phobias
occur in several forms. A specific phobia is a fear of a particular
object or situation. Social phobia is a fear of being painfully
embarrassed in a social setting. And agoraphobia, which often
accompanies panic disorder, is a fear of being in any situation that
might provoke a panic attack, or from which escape might be difficult
if one occurred.
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