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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. Individuals who experience GAD find it virtually impossible to let down there guard and relax. As a result, they are often tired, stressed and irritable. Not uncommonly, some people with GAD will also suffer from additional mental health problems, including depression, substance abuse or addictive behaviors. Another type of anxiety disorder is a panic disorder. People who suffer from a panic disorder will have frequent panic attacks that cause them to have an overwhelming and unnatural fear that they are in some type of danger. During a panic attack these people may experience certain types of phobias that include a specific phobia to a certain condition, social phobia, or agoraphobia. All of these phobias are an unnatural, uncontrollable, and most times unstoppable fear of a certain situation, object, or action. People that have this type of anxiety disorder will go to any length to avoid the source of their phobia. A person that has a social phobia will avoid many types of social situations that make them afraid and cause a panic attack. This includes meeting new people or speaking in public. Agoraphobia will cause a person to be fearful of being in a situation where they may have difficulty in escaping or where they may feel some type of embarrassment. In extreme cases of agoraphobia a person may have great difficulty in leaving what they think is the safety of their home. When a person with an anxiety disorder has a specific phobia they will be afraid of a particular object such as dogs or spiders. They often are aware that their fear is unnatural and unwarranted but will still be unable to overcome their feelings of fear. Another type of anxiety disorder is an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). With this type of anxiety disorder a person will have frequent thoughts that are irrational but that will cause great anxiety anyway. These obsessions include worrying that they forgot to turn off the stove or an unnatural obsession with cleanliness and germs. Most times people with this type of anxiety disorder are aware of their compulsion but are unable to control their irrational behavior without the help of medication under the care of a doctor. Individual suffering with OCD often develop ritual behaviors that they carry out compulsively. Many times these ritual behaviors can take up to an hour or two to complete each day resulting in a huge amount 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, a fantastic resource for information about Anxiety. For more articles on Anxiety why not visit: www.freeanxiety.com/articles Click here for other unique anxiety articles.
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