For example, people with agoraphobia feel terrified of being in crowded situations or public places, or any situation where help is not immediately available. Their anxiety may become so intense that they fear they will faint, have a heart attack or lose control. These people often avoid any situation in which escape may be difficult (e.g., in an airplane), impossible or embarrassing. In some cases, people with agoraphobia may become house-bound for years.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is another type of anxiety disorder. A compulsion or compulsive act becomes a way of coping with the anxiety created by an obsession, which is a recurring unpleasant thought. For example, a recurring thought such as "I am dirty" may lead to repeated acts of hand-washing as a means of dealing with the obsession and the resulting anxiety. Washing one's hands provides a momentary respite from the anxiety of the obsessive thought, but since the relief is usually short-lived, the compulsive behaviour is often repeated over and over. People caught in this cycle may wash their hands repeatedly until the skin is rubbed raw.
Other compulsive acts include repeatedly checking that a door is locked or that a stove is switched off. Common obsessions include recurring thoughts of specific images, numbers or words.
Some people who have survived a severe and often violent physical or mental trauma may have a sense of reliving the trauma many years later. They may develop post-traumatic stress disorder, which involves re-experiencing traumatic events such as a car crash, rape or a life-threatening robbery through nightmares, night terrors or flashbacks.
Among the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are numbing one's self emotionally, experiencing an overall sense of anxiety and dread or feeling plagued by guilt about one's own survival. War veterans are particularly vulnerable to this form of anxiety which can affect one's memory and ability to concentrate and sleep.
Though people with clinical anxiety often feel trapped in a cycle of fear, anxiety disorders are among the most successfully treated forms of mental disorder, according to ADABC. Many people benefit from cognitive-behavioural therapy which is based on the idea that people can alter their emotions and even improve their symptoms by re-evaluating their attitudes, thought patterns and interpretations of events. An effective treatment plan may also include medication, self-help groups, and relaxation techniques. Also beneficial is education about the nature of anxiety, its effects on the body and the role it can play as part of a healthy survival instinct. With time, most people can learn to identify the early signs of a fear episode and manage their symptoms before they develop into full-blown anxiety.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
- generalized anxiety disorder
- panic disorder
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- social phobia
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
- agoraphobia
- specific phobias
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca)
