Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by chronic, ongoing worry, despite their being no real cause for such concern. It is twice as common among women as among men. Those who suffer from GAD are afraid of something, yet they cannot state just what that something is. Others would characterize them as constant worriers. The sufferer seems unable to relax and find it extremely difficult to concentrate on one thing for any length of time. Physical manifestations of their anxiety, including headaches, heart palpitations, dizziness, and insomnia are common. These physical complaints, combined with the intense, long-term anxiety, make it difficult to cope with normal daily activities.

Panic Disorder

Panic is the body’s normal response to danger. Imagine yourself walking across a highway. You suddenly notice a car speeding directly toward you. Instant physical and chemical changes in your body enable you to sprint to safety.

But now imagine this same feeling of panic with no apparent cause. Panic attacks are produced when panic deceives the brain into thinking there is imminent danger. Only those who have experienced such attacks can fully grasp their intensity. Panic disorder is like an adrenaline rush that screams through your body for five minutes or an hour or a day and then departs as quickly and mysteriously as it came, leaving you limp, exhausted and dreading the next one.

Panic attacks usually begin in young adulthood and affect more women than men. What causes them? There is no clear answer. Some say that sufferers are biologically predisposed because of an abnormality in the brain’s limbic system. Many feel that this condition can be inherited, while others claim that the brain’s chemistry is altered by stress-inducing factors.

In some cases the attacks are induced by memories of traumatic experiences, such as war, rape, or child abuse. Yet, not all panic attacks are induced by trauma.

Phobia

THE word “phobia” refers to an intense, unrealistic fear of an object, an event, or a feeling. Unlike generalized anxiety disorder, a phobia involves a specific stimulus that triggers the phobia. There are hundreds of known phobias, but experts usually arrange them in three categories. Simple phobias focus on an object or a situation, such as insects, animals, flying, and being in closed spaces. Agoraphobia usually occurs in conjunction with panic attacks. The sufferer fears having a panic attack to the extent that he or she avoids all places and situations where previous attacks occurred. Social phobias are characterized by a fear of being embarrassed in public settings, such as speaking before an audience.

People with phobias generally acknowledge that their fears are irrational. However, they simply lack the ability to control them.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by recurring, unwanted thoughts or obsessions and/or actions or compulsions. Obsessions are distressing, repetitive thoughts or images that the individual often realizes are senseless. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that the person feels forced or compelled into doing, in order to relieve anxiety. Examples of common compulsions are hand washing, counting, checking that doors are locked and cleaning. The sufferer performs these actions in the hope that the compulsive desires will lessen. Any relief, however, is temporary.