| Introduction
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| | accompanied by a spouse or other trusted
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| Anxiety disorders are serious medical
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| | person.
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| illnesses that affect approximately 19
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| | Basically, these people avoid any
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| million American adults. These disorders
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| | situation in which they would feel
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| fill people's lives with overwhelming
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| | helpless if a panic attack were to occur.
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| anxiety and fear. Unlike the relatively
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| | When people's lives become so restricted,
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| mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful
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| | as happens in about one-third of people
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| event such as a business presentation or
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| | with panic disorder, the condition is
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| a first date, anxiety disorders are
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| | called agoraphobia . Early treatment of
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| chronic, relentless, and can grow
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| | panic disorder can often prevent
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| progressively worse if not treated.
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| | agoraphobia.
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| Effective treatments for anxiety
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| | Panic disorder is one of the most
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| disorders are available, and research is
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| | treatable of the anxiety disorders,
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| yielding new, improved therapies that can
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| | responding in most cases to medications
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| help most people with anxiety disorders
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| | or carefully targeted psychotherapy.
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| lead productive, fulfilling lives. If you
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| | You may genuinely believe you're having a
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| think you have an anxiety disorder, you
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| | heart attack, losing your mind, or are on
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| should seek information and treatment.
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| | the verge of death. Attacks can occur at
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| This brochure will
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| | any time, even during sleep.
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| - help you identify the symptoms of
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| | Depression
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| anxiety disorders,
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| | Depression often accompanies anxiety
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| - explain the role of research in
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| | disorders and, when it does, it needs to
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| understanding the causes of these
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| | be treated as well. Symptoms of
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| conditions,
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| | depression include feelings of sadness,
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| - describe effective treatments,
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| | hopelessness, changes in appetite or
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| - help you learn how to obtain treatment
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| | sleep, low energy, and difficulty
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| and work with a doctor or therapist, and
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| | concentrating. Most people with
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| - suggest ways to make treatment more
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| | depression can be effectively treated
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| effective.
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| | with antidepressant medications, certain
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| The anxiety disorders discussed in this
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| | types of psychotherapy, or a combination
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| brochure are
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| | of both.
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| - panic disorder,
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| | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
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| - obsessive-compulsive disorder,
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| | "I couldn't do anything without rituals.
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| - post-traumatic stress disorder,
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| | They invaded every aspect of my life.
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| - social phobia (or social anxiety
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| | Counting really bogged me down. I would
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| disorder),
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| | wash my hair three times as opposed to
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| - specific phobias, and
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| | once because three was a good luck number
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| - generalized anxiety disorder.
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| | and one wasn't. It took me longer to read
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| Each anxiety disorder has its own
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| | because I'd count the lines in a
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| distinct features, but they are all bound
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| | paragraph. When I set my alarm at night,
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| together by the common theme of
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| | I had to set it to a number that wouldn't
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| excessive, irrational fear and dread.
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| | add up to a "bad" number.
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| The National Institute of Mental Health
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| | "Getting dressed in the morning was tough
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| (NIMH) supports scientific investigation
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| | because I had a routine, and if I didn't
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| into the causes, diagnosis, treatment,
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| | follow the routine, I'd get anxious and
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| and prevention of anxiety disorders and
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| | would have to get dressed again. I always
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| other mental illnesses. The NIMH mission
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| | worried that if I didn't dosomething, my
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| is to reduce the burden of mental illness
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| | parents were going to die. I'd have these
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| through research on mind, brain, and
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| | terrible thoughts of harming my parents.
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| behavior. NIMH is a component of the
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| | That was completely irrational, but the
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| National Institutes of Health, which is
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| | thoughts triggered more anxiety and more
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| part of the U.S. Department of Health and
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| | senseless behavior. Because of the time I
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| Human Services.
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| | spent on rituals, I was unable to do a
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| Panic Disorder
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| | lot of things that were important to me.
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| "It started 10 years ago, when I had just
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| | "I knew the rituals didn't make sense,
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| graduated from college and started a new
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| | and I was deeply ashamed of them, but I
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| job. I was sitting in a business seminar
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| | couldn't seem to overcome them until I
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| in a hotel and this thing came out of the
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| | had therapy."
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| blue. I felt like I was dying.
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| | Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD,
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| "For me, a panic attack is almost a
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| | involves anxious thoughts or rituals you
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| violent experience. I feel disconnected
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| | feel you can't control. If you have OCD,
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| from reality. I feel like I'm losing
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| | you may be plagued by persistent,
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| control in a very extreme way. My heart
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| | unwelcome thoughts or images, or by the
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| pounds really hard, I feel like I can't
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| | urgent need to engage in certain rituals.
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| get my breath, and there's an
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| | You may be obsessed with germs or dirt,
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| overwhelming feeling that things are
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| | so you wash your hands over and over. You
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| crashing in on me.
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| | may be filled with doubt and feel the
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| "In between attacks there is this dread
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| | need to check things repeatedly. You may
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| and anxiety that it's going to happen
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| | have frequent thoughts of violence, and
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| again. I'm afraid to go back to places
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| | fear that you will harm people close to
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| where I've had an attack. Unless I get
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| | you. You may spend long periods touching
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| help, there soon won't be anyplace where
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| | things or counting; you may be
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| I can go and feel safe from panic."
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| | pre-occupied by order or symmetry; you
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| People with panic disorder have feelings
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| | may have persistent thoughts of
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| of terror that strike suddenly and
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| | performing sexual acts that are repugnant
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| repeatedly with no warning. They can't
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| | to you; or you may be troubled by
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| predict when an attack will occur, and
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| | thoughts that are against your religious
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| many develop intense anxiety between
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| | beliefs.
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| episodes, worrying when and where the
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| | The disturbing thoughts or images are
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| next one will strike.
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| | called obsessions, and the rituals that
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| If you are having a panic attack, most
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| | are performed to try to prevent or get
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| likely your heart will pound and you may
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| | rid of them are called compulsions. There
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| feel sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. Your
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| | is no pleasure in carrying out the
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| hands may tingle or feel numb, and you
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| | rituals you are drawn to, only temporary
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| might feel flushed or chilled. You may
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| | relief from the anxiety that grows when
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| have nausea, chest pain or smothering
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| | you don't perform them.
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| sensations, a sense of unreality, or fear
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| | A lot of healthy people can identify with
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| of impending doom or loss of control. You
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| | some of the symptoms of OCD, such as
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| may genuinely believe you're having a
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| | checking the stove several times before
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| heart attack or losing your mind, or on
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| | leaving the house. But for people with
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| the verge of death.
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| | OCD, such activities consume at least an
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| Panic attacks can occur at any time, even
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| | hour a day, are very distressing, and
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| during sleep. An attack generally peaks
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| | interfere with daily life.
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| within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may
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| | Most adults with this condition recognize
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| last much longer.
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| | that what they're doing is senseless, but
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| Panic disorder affects about 2.4 million
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| | they can't stop it. Some people, though,
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| adult Americans 1 and is twice as common
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| | particularly children with OCD, may not
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| in women as in men. It most often begins
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| | realize that their behavior is out of the
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| during late adolescence or early
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| | ordinary.
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| adulthood. 2 Risk of developing panic
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| | OCD afflicts about 3.3 million adult
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| disorder appears to be inherited. Not
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| | Americans. It strikes men and women in
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| everyone who experiences panic attacks
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| | approximately equal numbers and usually
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| will develop panic disorder-for example,
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| | first appears in childhood, adolescence,
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| many people have one attack but never
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| | or early adulthood. One-third of adults
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| have another. For those who do have panic
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| | with OCD report having experienced their
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| disorder, though, it's important to seek
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| | first symptoms as children. The course of
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| treatment. Untreated, the disorder can
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| | the disease is variable-symptoms may come
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| become very disabling.
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| | and go, they may ease over time, or they
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| Many people with panic disorder visit the
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| | can grow progressively worse. Research
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| hospital emergency room repeatedly or see
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| | evidence suggests that OCD might run in
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| a number of doctors before they obtain a
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| | families.
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| correct diagnosis. Some people with panic
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| | Depression or other anxiety disorders may
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| disorder may go for years without
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| | accompany OCD, and some people with OCD
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| learning that they have a real, treatable
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| | also have eating disorders. In addition,
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| illness.
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| | people with OCD may avoid situations in
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| Panic disorder is often accompanied by
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| | which they might have to confront their
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| other serious conditions such as
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| | obsessions, or they may try
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| depression, drug abuse, or alcoholism and
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| | unsuccessfully to use alcohol or drugs to
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| may lead to a pattern of avoidance of
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| | calm themselves. If OCD grows severe
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| places or situations where panic attacks
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| | enough, it can keep someone from holding
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| have occurred. For example, if a panic
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| | down a job or from carrying out normal
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| attack strikes while you're riding in an
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| | responsibilities at home.
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| elevator, you may develop a fear of
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| | OCD generally responds well to treatment
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| elevators. If you start avoiding them,
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| | with medications or carefully targeted
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| that could affect your choice of a job or
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| | psychotherapy.
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| apartment and greatly restrict other
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| | The disturbing thoughts or images are
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| parts of your life.
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| | called obsessions, and the rituals
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| Some people's lives become so restricted
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| | performed to try to prevent or get rid of
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| that they avoid normal, everyday
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| | them are called compulsions. There is no
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| activities such as grocery shopping or
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| | pleasure in carrying out the rituals you
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| driving. In some cases they become
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| | are drawn to, only temporary relief from
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| housebound. Or, they may be able to
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| | the anxiety that grows when you don't
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| confront a feared situation only if
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| | perform them.
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