| ANXIETY disorders are psycho-somatic conditions | | | | within three months after the event but can also |
| that fill the person's mind with fear and uncertainty. | | | | appear years later. |
| Near 40 million Americans aged 18 years and above | | | | - Social Anxiety Disorder: This is also called Social |
| suffer from some kind of anxiety disorders in a given | | | | Phobia and happens to people who are excessively |
| year. It should however be noted that anxiety or worry | | | | self-conscious in social environments. Symptoms |
| that can be attributed to a specific external event | | | | include blushing, reticence, trembling, nausea, etc. This |
| (such as a first date or the first time one has to speak | | | | kind of disorder may be specific to a certain situation |
| in public) is NOT an anxiety disorder in medical | | | | or may be generalized in almost any situation outside |
| parlance. These kinds of worries or anxieties last for a | | | | of the family. |
| short while. For a worry, anxiety or fear to be clinically | | | | - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): The person |
| diagnosed as an anxiety disorder, the condition must | | | | has persistent thoughts or obsessions that produce |
| last a minimum of six months and aggravate with the | | | | anxiety and resorts to abnormal rituals to alleviate the |
| passage of time. In many cases, anxiety disorders | | | | anxiety. An example of such a ritual could be washing |
| arise in connection with one or more mental or physical | | | | hands over and over again, or repeatedly checking |
| ailments including abuse of alcohol of narcotic drugs. | | | | things, without reason. This problem often comes with |
| Symptoms: There are several types of anxiety | | | | eating disorders. |
| disorders, with different and sometimes overlapping | | | | - Specific Phobias: The main symptom of this disorder |
| symptoms, with different intensities. Yet, all the | | | | is excessive fear of something without adequate |
| symptoms of all types of anxiety disorders center on | | | | justification, e.g., fear of dogs, heights, water, flying, etc. |
| excessive fear and dread. | | | | - Generalized Anxiety Disorders: This is a condition in |
| Types: The following are some of the principal and | | | | which the person is excessively and abnormally |
| common types of anxiety disorders and their | | | | worried of day-to-day matters even though there is no |
| symptoms: | | | | reason for such fear; e.g., fear of losing job, money, |
| - Panic Disorder: Sudden attack of terror fears, | | | | status, etc. Trembling, twitching, hot flashes, sweating, |
| perspiration, weakness, pounding heart, dizziness. The | | | | headaches, fatigue, etc are common external |
| person may feel chilled and may experience a vomit | | | | symptoms. |
| sensation, chest pain, etc. A fear of impending | | | | Treatment: All types of anxiety disorders are treatable |
| catastrophe engulfs the person's mind. | | | | by a combination of medicines and psychotherapy. |
| - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): This | | | | The medicines usually prescribed are one of the many |
| happens after a traumatic event happens to a person | | | | anti-depressant drugs. However, since these drugs |
| or to someone else who may be a loved one or a | | | | come with potentially serious side-effects (some of |
| stranger. The event could be rape, murder, serious | | | | which could be fatal), the physician - preferably a |
| physical harm, etc. PTSD symptoms usually appear | | | | psychiatrist - must be consulted. |