Types of anxiety Disorders

What is anxiety?

This is a natural emotion when we foresee the possibility we will be at risk in some way. It is less than fear and usually considered apprehension or worry. Most people rise to the challenge of the occasion and perform well. The additional adrenaline help some to perform better than average.

When is anxiety disordered?

If there is no real situation to justify feeling anxious, this is a sign of disorder. We should not worry without cause or, if there is a cause, the worry should be reasonable. If we panic at the first sign of a problem, this needs treatment.

What are the main types of anxiety disorder?

There are six classes of disorder:

• Generalized anxiety disorder. Here people feel anxious over long periods of time without there being any specific trigger events. It is a consistent background worry that comes to dominate behavior. When it begins to interfere with everyday life, treatment is justified.
• Social anxiety disorder. This is excessive anxiety tied to social situations in which you are expected to meet with other people. It usually appears as an overwhelming fear of embarrassment, a sense that other people will find you foolish or incompetent.
• Phobias. This is a specific and overwhelming fear of a particular situation, activity or animal. It can range from a fear of flying to fear of spiders, and can lead to real limitations on everyday life, e.g. agoraphobia is a fear of going outside.
• Panic disorder. This is an overwhelming terror that strikes suddenly with no warning. People who experience this level of panic describe it as feeling like a heart attack.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder. Here ritual patterns of behavior come to dominate everyday living. For example, a person might not be able to close a door without opening and closing it again three times to be satisfied it is really closed. The individual is unable to avoid going through these rituals. They are “compulsive”.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder. This develops as a response to an actual event that leaves the individual so traumatized that he or she relieves the moment time and time again. This produces an exaggerated vigilance as people watch out for a possible repetition of the event. It also numbs the normal emotions.

The treatment options are the use of medication like Valium to relieve the immediate feeling of anxiety, followed by counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy to teach coping strategies, encourage the use of relaxation techniques, and rebuild confidence.