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Types of Anxiety Disorders

By: Chandler Vocht

Anxiety disorders vary as to symptoms and treatments. No matter the type, anyone suffering from one or more, knows how debilitating they can be. One such disorder is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Those who are afflicted with GAD are unable to lead a normal life. They are constantly tense and worried, apparently without valid reasons. They constantly fret about things such as money or health and everything in between.

Individuals who experience GAD find it virtually impossible to let down there guard and relax. As a result, they are often tired, stressed and irritable. Not uncommonly, some people with GAD will also suffer from additional mental health problems, including depression, substance abuse or addictive behaviors.

Another anxiety disorder present on the spectrum is panic disorder. People suffering from panic disorder will experience panic attacks, where they develop an overwhelming and unrealistic fear that they are in some type of danger. As a result of the panic attack these people may develop phobias specific to certain conditions, a social phobia or even agoraphobia. These phobias are unnatural, uncontrollable, and overpowering. People with the phobias will go to great extremes to avoid the situation or object.

Things that can cause a social phobic attack can be as simple as meeting someone new. Most of us are afraid of public speaking, but the socially phobic person takes that fear to the extreme. Feeling like you they can't escape a certain situation or that they may be embarrassed defines agoraphobic people. There are extreme cases when they won't leave their homes, seeing the whole world as unsafe. In cases of specific phobias, a person may have an unnatural and exaggerated fear of snakes or even dogs. Many who suffer from these anxiety disorders even know that they have unfounded fears, but they still can't escape the attacks. The fear is just to overwhelming.

Another type of anxiety disorder is an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). With this type of anxiety disorder a person will have frequent thoughts that are irrational but that will cause great anxiety anyway. These obsessions include worrying that they forgot to turn off the stove or an unnatural obsession with cleanliness and germs. Most times people with this type of anxiety disorder are aware of their compulsion but are unable to control their irrational behavior without the help of medication under the care of a doctor.

OCD sufferers sometimes establish certain rituals that turn into compulsive behavior. These rituals can take hours to complete causing distractions in their lives and those around them.

Although all of these anxieties are most distressful, there are treatments available. If you or anyone you care about exhibits any of these symptoms, don't hesitate to seek help. There are trained doctors, psychologists and therapists who can offer assistance in getting the patient back to a more normal and less stressful life.

Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com

Helen Peters is the owner and operator of Free Anxiety, a fantastic resource for information about Anxiety. For more articles on Anxiety why not visit: www.freeanxiety.com/articles
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