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Have you ever felt anxious about something
for any reason? Or, feeling anxious or worried in the times of stressful
situations? It is ok to feel what you feel as long as you have rational
reasons to validate your feelings.
Anxiety is a normal response to any
stressful event and it helps you deal with that situation. But, when anxiety
becomes too much that it can affect your day to day activities and peace of
mind, it becomes an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorder is excessive anxiety and
worry about events or activities, which occurs most often than not in most
days for at least six months. A person who has anxiety disorder finds it
difficult to control the feelings of worry and fear. The anxiety, worry, or
the physical symptoms of anxiety disorder can cause considerable suffering
or harm on the important areas of daily life activities.
Some of the common
types of anxiety disorders include separation anxiety, social anxiety or
phobia, selective mutism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic
stress disorder (PSTD), panic disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety
disorder, and specific phobia. Each of these anxiety disorders has different
symptoms, but the entire symptoms revolve around excessive, unreasonable
fear and dread.
Separation anxiety is defined as
developmentally improper and excessive anxiety relating to separation from
home or to someone you are so attached with. Social anxiety or phobia is
generally understood as extreme fear in the face of social interaction.
Selective mutism is the consistent failure to speak in specific social
situations where you are expected to render speech. OCD is an illness
wherein you have recurrent and unwanted urge to do something to relieve your
discomfort. PST is an incapacitating condition that follows a terrifying
event (persistent terrifying thoughts).
Panic disorder is categorized as
recurrent brief episodes of intense fear that are accompanied by many
physical symptoms, like heart palpitations and dizziness, even without
external threat. Agoraphobia is defined as an incapacitating fear of open
spaces, resulting to avoidance of crowds, and open public places. General
anxiety disorder is described by diffuse feelings of apprehensions with
physiological symptoms. Specific phobia is a feeling of intense, irrational
fears towards certain things, like closed-in places, heights, water, etc.
If you think you have an anxiety disorder,
the first person you should see is your family doctor. A physician can
determine whether the symptoms that bother you are due either to anxiety
disorder or other medical condition, or both. If indeed you are diagnosed to
have anxiety disorder, the next step you should do is definitely see a
mental health professional whom you are comfortable talking with.
Clearly,
in order for you to be treated from this condition, you and your doctor
should work together as a team and make a plan to cure you from anxiety
disorder. Don’t let this condition ruin your mood, activities, or your life
in general. Get immediate treatment the soonest possible time once you think
that you might have an anxiety disorder. The sooner you get the
treatment, the sooner you feel better.
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