About Anxiety Disorders
Most folks have heard about anxiety disorders and have probably experienced some sort of
anxiety from time to time. It is our natural response to a situation that we find stressful. For some of us, our
performance can be improved by some level of stress while other folks find that experiencing severe anxiety on a
day to day basis can interfere with their life.
These conditions are known as anxiety disorders and treatment usually involves psychotherapy and counselling,
often alongside some form of medication.
For those who feel they have not yet suffered with anxiety, it is a feeling of unease. The vast majority of us
experience some form of anxiety when we are faced with a particular stressful event or situation. For example,
those jitters that we feel before a job interview or an important exam. We may experience these unpleasant feelings
when we are worried about our finances or we have a family member suffering from an illness.
Of course it is perfectly normal to experience some degree of anxiety when we face a particularly difficult
situation but one in ten UK people find that anxiety interferes with their normal everyday life. Acute anxiety may
be linked to other psychiatric conditions, for example, depression.
Anxiety is not considered normal when:
- it is present even when there is no stressful event
- it interferes with normal everyday activities such as socialising and work
- it is considered severe and prolonged
Symptoms of anxiety are triggered by the brain which sends messages to different areas of the body in
preparation for the ‘fight or flight’ response. Certain organs in the body such as the lungs and heart work faster,
whilst the brain releases an increased amount of stress hormones such as adrenaline.
As a result, certain physical symptoms can occur such as:
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain or discomfort.
- Increased/rapid heartbeat and/or palpitations
- Pain and tightness in the chest
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Dry mouth
- Swallowing difficulties
- More frequent urination
- Dizziness
In addition to physical symptoms, there are also psychological symptoms which can include:
- Inability to sleep (insomnia)
- Anger and irritability
- Inability to maintain concentration
- Not feeling like one can control their actions (depersonalisation)
- Feeling unreal
- A fear of madness
There are several different types of anxiety disorders. They are often associated with a physical condition such as a thyroid
disorder. The anxiety usually improves when the physical illness is treated. Anxiety is also the main symptoms
of mental illnesses which are known as anxiety disorders. It is very often the symptom of a further mental
health problem for example depression, alcohol misuse, personality disorder or a withdrawal from a long term use
of tranquillisers.
Some sufferers experience what is known as ‘acute stress reaction’ where the symptoms develop quicker following
the event. This reaction type occurs usually following an unexpected event such as bereavement. For some, this
reaction may occur before the event, for example an exam. This is known as situational anxiety and the symptoms
usually disappear fairly quickly and no treatment is required.
Anxiety Disorders Articles
What Is An Anxiety Disorder
When it comes to answering the question - what is an anxiety disorder, most sufferers would define it as a flurry
of emotions including fear and worry that do not seem to go away
Why Do I Have Anxiety
People with anxiety find it hard to identify the causes of their disorder but sometimes, by asking themselves why
they have anxiety, can reveal things they did not realise were causing them stress
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Physicians have categorized the types of anxiety disorders into three broad groups which are generalized anxiety
disorder, social phobia disorder and panic attacks
Obsessive Compulsive Anxiety Disorder
Folks with obsessive compulsive anxiety disorder feel as though something tragic will happen to them if they do not
complete all of their rituals in the course of a day
Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Children
Generalized anxiety disorder in children is characterized by their worrying about small things such as past
conversations or incidents as well as upcoming events or schoolwork
Physical Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety
As well as being a mental disorder that affects the mind, there are physical symptoms of stress and anxiety, such
as sleep disorders and depression, that can affect the body
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder
The physical symptoms of anxiety disorder are different from everyday anxiety that affects everybody and can be a
potentially dangerous condition if left untreated
Anxiety Coping Strategies
Suffering from anxiety does not mean spending a small fortune on psychiatrists and medications since there are
several anxiety coping strategies that cost very little to implement
Anxiety Disorder and Stress Management
Many folks with high levels of nervousness, worry and nervous tension need to find more effective ways of anxiety
disorder and stress management to deal with the daily pressures they face
Anxiety Stress and Anger Management
Folks who suffer from continual anxiety stress and anger management issues can help themeselves by practicing the
old adage of take a deep breath and count to ten
Treatments for Depression and Anxiety Attacks
Treatments for depression and anxiety attacks typically includes medication to control the symptoms of the anxiety
disorder together with psychotherapy with a psychiatrist
Treating Anxiety Naturally
Many anxiety sufferers would prefer treating their condition naturally than use prescription medications. There are
several natural remedies for anxiety including Kava Kava, St Johns Worts and Valerian Root
St John's Wort for Depression and Anxiety
While many health care providers are wary of suggesting St Johns Wort for depression and anxiety, they also have
trouble denying that many depressives find relief with this natural remedy
Difference Between a Phobia and Anxiety Disorder
The difference between phobias and anxiety disorder are that a phobia is an irrational and extreme fear while the
anxiety disorder can be caused by the phobia
How a Phobia can Cause Anxiety Panic Attacks
A phobia is an extreme irrational fear of something while anxiety panic attacks are an irrational disorder brought
on by an over reaction to a series of thoughts or an outside stimulus
Are Phobias Normal Human Instinct
Although some phobias do tend to sound bizarre, they are able to develop due to a certain little used human
instinct that is intended to help us survive, but occurs when fear is misplaced
People With Phobias - Why do People Have Phobias
In many cases, people with phobias realize how silly their fear is, but since it is an irrational fear, they are
powerless to escape once the phobic reaction is triggered
Techniques for Treating Phobias
Various techniques for treating phobias allow therapists to free people from the grip of their fears but phobia
therapy only works long term when the sufferer deals with the root cause of the fear
Specific Phobia Treatments
Specific phobia treatments focus on making a person confront their fear, which is effective, since the phobia is an
irrational reaction and their brain sees something as a greater threat than it actually is
Treatment for Agoraphobia - Why Agoraphobia is not a Social Anxiety Phobia
Agoraphobia is based on a fear of having a phobic reaction or panic attack in public. Treatment for agoraphobia
includes anti anxiety medication and dealing with the panic attacks
Panic Attack Symptoms and Causes
The causes of panic attacks are often the result of some underlying reason and it is therefore important to look at
those causes to prevent them continuously occurring in the future
What are the Symptoms of a Panic Attack
Symptoms of a panic attack include periods of disabling fear or anxiety that is brought on by a certain trigger. It
can be accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness, and even severe chest pains
Signs of Depression in Men
Men are many times more likely to commit suicide than are women but the early signs of depression in men, that lead
to these suicidal thoughts, are often ignored
Depression Anxiety Disorders in Children
Depression anxiety disorders in children are characterized in much the same way as adults who are depressed
although you might wonder what a child has got to be depressed about
What to do for Separation Anxiety in Young Children
Separation anxiety in children tends to occur around the six month mark when babies begin to understand the
principle of object permanence
Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
One of most draining conditions that affect adults with anxiety disorders is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
which follows somebody who comes through a terrifying physical or emotional event
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