An Overview Of Anxiety Disorders

In recent years the dialogue about the state of mental health in general and the alarming number of people who suffer from anxiety disorders in particular. This classification includes post traumatic stress, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety attacks.

Exactly what causes this condition is not known, however there is an abundance of research that points to brain chemistry imbalance as a main factor and the symptoms are very often confused with depression.

Why should you be concerned about anxiety disorders? Because it is a real medical condition that can severely impact your life and the lives of those around you. In addition, a person can experience an anxiety disorder at any age. There are children receiving treatment as well as adults.

Regardless of the age of the person, anxiety disorders affect their ability to respond to challenges appropriately and suffer with mental confusion, headaches, backaches accompanied by profuse sweating spontaneously without physical cause.

Learning to recognize the symptoms can be the first step in preventing the condition from spiraling out of control. There are reported cases on the evening news daily of the dangerous consequences of leaving this condition untreated.

The common factor between each of these conditions is unwarranted apprehension or excessive fear in situations that don't pose a real or perceived threat and the person remains in this frame of mind for an unusually long time.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The person is constantly tired, apprehensive, worried or has morbid thoughts or fear of attack, accompanied by physical distress, shortness of breath and muscle spasms.  This condition usually expresses itself as the person moves through normal daily routines in a state of tension and can continue for 6 months or longer.

Anxiety Attack: Unlike  Generalized Anxiety Disorder, an anxiety attack is where the feeling of absolute terror strikes suddenly and lasts from a few minutes to several hours. This condition creates havoc in the person's life and can result in a reclusive lifestyle because anxiety attacks can occur at anytime and anyplace. Physical symptoms include mental confusion, nausea and muscle trembling.

Panic Disorder: the person experiences the symptoms of shortness of breath, dizziness, fear of dying, chest pain, abdominal distress and heart palpitations in these sporadic episodes of extreme fear that occur suddenly and without and apparent cause.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The number of people suffering from this condition rose sharply worldwide after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. It is triggered by experiencing a traumatic event such as an airplane crash, the death of a loved one or a physical assault, emotional abuse or rape. Irritability, extreme mood swings, insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks and feelings of anger or frustration are the most prominent symptoms.
 
Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder: When this condition is present, the person is plagued by thoughts or certain patterns of behavior that they are compelled to repeat and feel helpless to control or discontinue.
 
If you or someone you know is showing any of these symptoms, please seek professional assistance. Treating anxiety disorders is accomplished by using a combination of methods, starting with a medical case history and diagnosis of the proper prescription drugs along with behavior modification therapy and diet changes.

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