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Is there anything that makes you worry
lately? It is completely normal to worry about things in life like your
hectic schedules, rocky relationships, job interviews, and the many things
our complicated life brings us. But, if the worries become too much that you
may feel so choked up and that you are not in control of your life anymore,
they might be symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders are affecting people age
18 years and above, causing them to be filled with fear and uncertainty. It
is defined as excessive anxiety and worry, happening more days than not for
at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not treated. T
he person with
anxiety disorder finds it difficult to control his/her anxiety. Anxiety
disorders usually occur along with other mental or physical illnesses,
including drug or alcohol abuse, to mask the symptoms or worsen them. Each
anxiety disorder has different symptoms, but all the symptoms cluster around
excessive, unreasonable fear and dread.
Some of the common types of anxiety
disorders are separation anxiety, social anxiety or phobia, selective mutism,
panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PST), obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD), agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific
phobia.
Separation Anxiety
is an excessive anxiety relating to separation from home or someone you are
so attached with. The symptoms mostly relate to the recurrent fear of being
separated from someone or something you are so attached with and accompanied
by physical symptoms like nausea, stomachaches, headaches, or chest pain.
Social Anxiety disorder,
also called social phobia, is diagnosed when you become overwhelmingly
anxious and extremely fearful of social interactions. People with this
illness have intense, persistent, and constant fear of being watched and
judged, and other things that can put them in an embarrassing position. They
can worry for days before the actual situation takes place and this feeling
may worsen.. interfering with work, school, and other activities.
Selective mutism
is the consistent failure to speak in a specific social situation where
speech is anticipated in spite of be able to speak in other situations.
According to research, there is a relation between social phobia and
selective mutism.
OCD
is an anxiety disorder where a person has
recurrent and unwanted ideas or impulses (called obsessions), and an urge or
compulsion to do something to relieve their discomfort caused by obsession.
A person with OCD has senseless, repetitive, distressing, and sometimes
harmful habits that are also difficult to overcome.
PTSD
is a debilitating condition that follows a terrifying event. Usually, people
with posttraumatic stress disorder have persistent frightening thoughts and
memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb even with people they
used to be so closed with. The signs and symptoms usually appear within 3
months of the tragic event.
Panic disorder
has brief episodes of intense fear and is accompanied by various physical
symptoms like heart palpitations, nausea, chest pain, etc., that occur
repeatedly and not knowingly in the absence of external threat.
Agoraphobia
is an incapacitating fear for open spaces. It is a disorder characterized by
avoidance of crowds and open and public spaces. Agoraphobia can lead to
extreme anxiety and evasion, resulting a sufferer to become housebound.
General anxiety
disorder is characterized by diffused feelings of apprehensions with
physiological symptoms. It is one of the most common anxiety disorders and
is described as excessive anxiety and worry about two or more life
circumstances for a period of six months.
Specific phobia
is an intense fear for specific things or situations like, heights, water,
closed-in places, spiders, and many others.
These anxiety disorders are curable. The
sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you’ll get better. So, if you think you
have symptoms of anxiety disorders, don’t hesitate to see a doctor. Don’t
let anxiety disorders ruin your life.
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