Types of Anxiety Disorders

People suffer from a variety of anxiety disorders, each with their own set of symptoms and recommended treatments. These disorders are clustered on a spectrum of overall anxiety, with some that affect the overall quality of life and others that are very specific. At one end of the spectrum is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Individuals who suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder will experience a overall tensions or anxiety that with their ability to lead a normal life. Even the smallest things incite low levels of anxiety, even when there is no apparent reason or this worry or stress. People with this disorder worry about all aspects of their life - money, family, work, their health and the health of family and friends.

Those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder are often exhausted and cranky, since they are unable to relax. Also, they usually experience other mental health disorders, such as depression and substance abuse.

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.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is another type of anxiety disorder. This type of anxiety disorder a causes the individual to have frequent but irrational worries. Their obsessions may be focused on routine tasks such as turning off the stove, or a habitual concern with cleanliness and germs. Often the people with OCD are aware of their compulsive behavior but are unable to control their irrational behavior. Medication prescribed by a physician can help the person with OCD control their obsessions.

People suffering from OCD will often develop rituals that they carry out in a compulsive manner. Many times these compulsive rituals will take the person over an hour or two to complete each day creating a great deal of upheaval in their life.

Anxiety of any type causes great distress. However, effective treatments and management are available, so if you, or your loved ones, are suffering, don't be afraid to seek professional help from a doctor, psychologist or other professional therapist.

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Helen Peters is the owner and operator of Free Anxiety, the web's premier resource for information about Anxiety. For more articles on Anxiety visit: www.freeanxiety.com/articles
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