Do I Have an Anxiety Disorder? How to Tell If You Have One
The list of very stressful medical conditions affecting millions of people around the world is an extremely long one.
One of the most common conditions affecting people can be classified as anxiety disorders.
This is a very broad generalisation, as these disorders affect people in many different ways.
The one thing that is known though, is that these conditions tend to get worse over time if a person doesn't have it treated.
Therefore, if you think you may have an anxiety disorder, talk to you doctor or health care professional and see what can be done.
This article will discuss the various types of anxiety disorders that exist today.
Panic Attacks A panic attack is one of the most common anxiety disorders today.
This is when a person has unexpected panic attacks repeatedly.
All people can panic, but when it happens on a daily or even hourly basis, it is definitely a problem.
However, there are medical cures and behavioural controls that can alleviate these.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop at any point in a person's life.
It tends to happen when the person experiences something very traumatic such as physical abuse, a natural disaster or being in a war.
A common symptom is a person having persistent horrifying thoughts or constant nightmares around the traumatic event.
Although the term is fairly new, it has been noted for nearly a hundred years in soldiers fighting in various wars, although is might have been termed 'Shell Shock'.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is also a common disorder.
People who suffer from this disorder have uncontrollable and even unwanted urges or compulsions to perform certain tasks, such as washing their hands every 5 minutes or flicking the light switch on and off a certain number of times each time they leave a room.
Although it may seem funny, people with this disorder find their lives severely affected to the point were they can barely leave their home.
Public ridicule is also a constant threat to a person's self-esteem.
Phobias Phobias are also considered a disorder.
Although most people have some sort of phobia (ie fear of spiders, heights, etc), some fears will affect their daily lives.
An example is the fear of small spaces, called claustrophobia.
Another serious phobia is the fear of being outside their home, called agoraphobia.
This is very debilitating as a person cannot even leave their home to be a productive member of society.
In general, phobias are usually irrational and extremely intense.
If a person has a phobia about an object, being in the same room as that object can lead to a severe panic attack.
Hypnotherapy can be a possible cure for the more severe phobias.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Some people suffer from a more generalised anxiety disorder where they simply have higher levels of nervousness but not necessarily experiencing panic attacks.
People with this condition are diagnosed with what is called GAD, or Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
Anxiety disorders affect all people around the world.
It doesn't matter how old you are, which country you live in, how much money you make, what your religion, race or gender is, you can be affected by some sort of anxiety disorder.
The good news is that there are medical cures for these conditions available.
Even better, there is more and more research going into these disorders.
The key is to identify the anxiety problem before it takes over your life.
A doctor or health care professional can treat you for the disorder, but it is vital that you are able to identify the problem in the early stages.
Even if you think you may have an anxiety disorder, it is better to have a doctor say you don't have the disorder instead of ignoring the problem until it becomes much much worse.
One of the most common conditions affecting people can be classified as anxiety disorders.
This is a very broad generalisation, as these disorders affect people in many different ways.
The one thing that is known though, is that these conditions tend to get worse over time if a person doesn't have it treated.
Therefore, if you think you may have an anxiety disorder, talk to you doctor or health care professional and see what can be done.
This article will discuss the various types of anxiety disorders that exist today.
Panic Attacks A panic attack is one of the most common anxiety disorders today.
This is when a person has unexpected panic attacks repeatedly.
All people can panic, but when it happens on a daily or even hourly basis, it is definitely a problem.
However, there are medical cures and behavioural controls that can alleviate these.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop at any point in a person's life.
It tends to happen when the person experiences something very traumatic such as physical abuse, a natural disaster or being in a war.
A common symptom is a person having persistent horrifying thoughts or constant nightmares around the traumatic event.
Although the term is fairly new, it has been noted for nearly a hundred years in soldiers fighting in various wars, although is might have been termed 'Shell Shock'.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is also a common disorder.
People who suffer from this disorder have uncontrollable and even unwanted urges or compulsions to perform certain tasks, such as washing their hands every 5 minutes or flicking the light switch on and off a certain number of times each time they leave a room.
Although it may seem funny, people with this disorder find their lives severely affected to the point were they can barely leave their home.
Public ridicule is also a constant threat to a person's self-esteem.
Phobias Phobias are also considered a disorder.
Although most people have some sort of phobia (ie fear of spiders, heights, etc), some fears will affect their daily lives.
An example is the fear of small spaces, called claustrophobia.
Another serious phobia is the fear of being outside their home, called agoraphobia.
This is very debilitating as a person cannot even leave their home to be a productive member of society.
In general, phobias are usually irrational and extremely intense.
If a person has a phobia about an object, being in the same room as that object can lead to a severe panic attack.
Hypnotherapy can be a possible cure for the more severe phobias.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Some people suffer from a more generalised anxiety disorder where they simply have higher levels of nervousness but not necessarily experiencing panic attacks.
People with this condition are diagnosed with what is called GAD, or Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
Anxiety disorders affect all people around the world.
It doesn't matter how old you are, which country you live in, how much money you make, what your religion, race or gender is, you can be affected by some sort of anxiety disorder.
The good news is that there are medical cures for these conditions available.
Even better, there is more and more research going into these disorders.
The key is to identify the anxiety problem before it takes over your life.
A doctor or health care professional can treat you for the disorder, but it is vital that you are able to identify the problem in the early stages.
Even if you think you may have an anxiety disorder, it is better to have a doctor say you don't have the disorder instead of ignoring the problem until it becomes much much worse.
