See
also: Anxiety-Relieving Techniques
(Text Version)
Please
also see: Anxiety-Relieving
Techniques (Interactive Version)
Introduction
Occasional
anxiety is a "normal" part of life. But anxiety can also be a symptom of
a psychiatric disorder. In addition, anxiety can occur with several different medical
conditions, such as hyperthyroidism. We commonly describe anxiety as
feeling "nervous," "on edge," or "wired."
However, anxiety can take many different forms:
The Many Different Faces of Anxiety
Anxiety can involve physical, emotional, or thought components,
or a combination of all three:
1-
Anxiety symptoms experienced as physical include: Abdominal
discomfort, nausea, headache, muscle tightness and tenderness, palpitations, rapid
heartbeat, chest tightness, shortness of breath, numbness and tingling in various parts of
the body, sweating, trembling, dizziness, weakness, light-headedness, vertigo, chills, hot
flashes, and sensations of distance from the environment or from one's own body.
CAUTION:
Never assume a physical symptom(s) is anxiety without professional consultation to
rule out a specific medical cause, first.
2-
Anxiety symptoms experienced as emotional include: non-specific fear, fear of
dying, fear of going crazy, and fear of losing control.
3-
Finally, anxiety symptoms can mainly involve thoughts, such as constant worry and
rumination, the sensation of speeded up thoughts, and thoughts of looking ill or
ridiculous to someone else.
Psychiatric Disorders Involving Anxiety
1-
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A disorder characterized by persistent symptoms of
anxiety, which may wax and wane over time, but which are generally less intense
than in Panic Disorder (See Next).
2-
Panic Disorder: A disorder characterized by episodic and intense but brief periods
of anxiety (anxiety attacks) which escalate rapidly and usually involve physical symptoms,
especially palpitations, shortness of breath or the sensation of not getting enough air,
weakness and dizziness, and abdominal discomfort. One or more of these
symptoms may dominate in a given anxiety attack. Frequently there is also a fear of
dying or having a heart attack.
In
some cases a condition of agoraphobia can develop. In agoraphobia the
individual becomes afraid of situations where there is no easy exit, public places, or in
some cases, just being away from home. Frequently the agoraphobia develops secondary
to the individual having experienced anxiety attacks in these settings.
3-
Simple Phobic Disorder: A disorder characterized by an intense anxiety response when
in the presence of a given stimulus (E.g., a dog, elevator, high place, etc.). There
is also anxiety in anticipation of encountering such a situation.
4-
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): A disorder characterized by an anxiety response, often intense, when
the person is in a situation involving other people. This can range from a small
group to a large audience, as when someone is engaged in public speaking. The
anxiety is usually accompanied by the feeling that the person will appear foolish or
stupid in the eyes of others.
5-
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A complicated disorder involving repetitive
behaviors (compulsions) and/or repetitive thoughts (obsessions) or images, which are often
of an extremely frightening and morbid nature. There is a feeling of not being able
to control these intrusive behaviors and thoughts/images. Common compulsive
behaviors include ritualistic counting, repeated checking, hand-washing, repeated touching
of certain objects, including oneself, and retracing one's path. Constant doubting
is also usually part of the disorder. For more information please see: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
6-
Other: Various other psychiatric conditions, such as depression, post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), dementia, and schizophrenia, frequently involve anxiety in
addition to other symptoms.
Suggested Readings
Article by Author: "Why We Have Generalized Anxiety and Panic
Disorder and What We Can Do About It"
Article by Author: "Why We Have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and What
We Can Do About It"
Additional
Suggested
Readings
Please
see: Anxiety-Relieving Techniques (Text
Version)
Please
also see: Anxiety-Relieving
Techniques (Interactive Version)
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