Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders include disorders such as Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Social Phobia Disorder. Anxiety occurs to help the body deal with stressful situations. Everyone has experienced some form of anxiety at some point in their lives, however, an anxiety disorder is prevalent for at least 6 months and is characterized by an extreme, illogical terror that makes everyday life nearly impossible. For this reason, anxiety disorders are often disabling and can radically change a person’s life. About 18% of Americans are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder each year. A panic disorder often occurs in public and is characterized by a disabling feeling of terror and the physical symptoms of perspiration, weakness, and nausea. They often leave the patient feeling as if the whole world is crashing in on them. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder involves the implementation of neurotic rituals that help patients control their anxiety. For example, patients sometimes cannot leave the house without checking every single window and door 6 times. Each ritual is brought on by the patient’s fear of a certain aspect of life. A fear of social embarrassment can lead to brushing hair repeatedly. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is brought on when the patient has been through a physically terrifying ordeal such as war or rape. Symptoms include a feeling of emotional numbness, a loss of interest in hobbies, and the appearance of flashbacks of the incident during sleep. Social Phobia often occurs during social settings and makes sufferers feel extremely self -conscious about themselves. Symptoms may include blushing, sweating, and nausea.
HypocondriasisObsessive-Compulsive DisorderPhobic Disorders