Anxiety And Stress
Posts tagged Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Symptoms and treatment of anxiety – Part 13
May 8th
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. When a situation develops such as being late for work, stress levels rise, your heart rate increases along with your blood pressure; which is perfectly normal. Once you arrive at work, your stress level returns to normal. However, people with anxiety disorders do not go back to normal.
There are a number of different anxiety disorders which include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Phobia disorder
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Separation anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a constant feeling of worry. Those suffering from generalized anxiety disorder worry about things which may never happen. They are constantly plagued with fear about things that could go wrong; such as fear of the car not starting, getting stuck in traffic, not having enough to pay their bills, or even what to have for dinner.
Phobia disorder is an exaggerated fear of particular things like insects, or situations like getting lost in a crowd, and places such as bridges or tall buildings. Persons suffering from phobias tend to go to extreme measures to avoid or get away from the things they fear. They could go so far as to jump from a moving vehicle to get away from an insect.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has to do with constantly thinking bad thoughts. The obsessions compel the person to perform certain rituals in an attempt to rid themselves of the unpleasant thoughts. Rituals such as obsessive hand washing or cleaning seems to get their minds off disturbing thoughts.
Social anxiety disorder is an extreme fear of social situations. Fear of embarrassment or rejection overwhelms them to the point of isolation. While it is common to experience a bit of reluctance in certain social situations, a person with social anxiety can become totally overwhelmed and fearful, going to extremes trying avoid it.
Separation anxiety disorder affects children who experience a strong fear of being separated from a parent. It is quite normal for a child to experience a certain amount of anxiety when separated from a parent, but the fear usually decreases as the child ages.
Persons suffering from anxiety disorders, may also suffer anxiety attacks which are far more intense than a raised stress level. Anxiety attacks, otherwise known as panic attacks, flood them with profound fear and dread with an overpowering urge to escape, or hide.
Exercise seems to be very effective
A look at anxiety disorder symptoms
Aug 12th
You woke up late this morning because you had a hard time going to sleep last night. Your mind kept playing a scenario over and over again and no matter how hard you tried to stop it, you could not, there was no stop or pause button to be found. This morning you have a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach and you know if you try to eat it will immediately come back up. You overheard 2 co-workers talking about how unhappy the boss is with someone’s work and you just know they were talking about you. You are sure that the boss is unhappy with your last presentation and today you will face certain reprimand or even be fired for your lack of performance. A sense of dread overcomes you and you
contemplate calling in sick but if you do that, the boss just has another reason to fire you for missing so much work lately.
The above scenario depicts a person suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Anxiety and worry are a normal part of everyone’s daily life. We worry about how we’re going to pay the mortgage because there just isn’t enough money to pay all the bills that are due. We worry about our health, our children and their future. What makes the above described situation different from normal worry or anxiety is that you have no reason to believe the boss is unhappy with you. After your last presentation you were praised and your ideas were put into practice by your company. There is no basis for believing that your job is on the line.
According to www.helpguide.org, “GAD is about chronic, excessive worry concerning events that are unlikely to occur; it’s minor problems or concerns that wrap around your mind like kudzu and won’t let go.” Many people use the terms “anxiety attack” and “panic attack” interchangeably. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. NIMH lists 5 major types of anxiety disorders:
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
3. Panic Disorder
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
5. Social Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorders affect more than 40 million American adults each year and if left untreated can continue to escalate. The following are the symptoms for each of the 5 major types of anxiety disorders. While each type has different symptoms, a common thread throughout each of them is excessive, irrational fear and dread.
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER
GAD rarely occurs alone. Depression, substance abuse or other anxiety