Everyone has anxiety. It’s part of the normal human experience. It’s natural to feel anxious when faced with a stressor. In fact, a certain amount of anxiety can be helpful. Anxiety can protect us from danger. It can cause us to study harder for a big test or prepare more thoroughly for an important presentation.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that develops after one experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. Examples of such traumatic events include natural disaster (such as flood, fire, or earthquake); rape; war; terrorist attack; physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; assault, torture, automobile accident, frightening airplane flight, or getting a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness.
Preoccupation with fears of having a serious disease, being obsessed with one’s body, constantly looking for signs of something wrong with one’s health and misinterpreting those signs, are the essential features of Illness Anxiety Disorder. People with this disorder can fear a brain tumor when they have a headache; skin cancer when they see skin
Phobias are not unusual. There are over 200 of them, most with names that are difficult to pronounce. A common phobia is arachnophobia, a fear of spiders. A fear of heights is called acrophobia. Don’t confuse acrophobia with aerophobia, which is a fear of flying, or astraphobia, which is a fear of thunder and lighting.
Imagine being unable to leave the house without checking the locks at least eight times. Imagine having a rigid routine for getting dressed and having to start all over if you didn’t follow the routine exactly. Imagine having to shower three times every morning because three is a lucky number. These are just a few
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and recurring panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that occurs for no apparent reason and triggers severe physical reactions. Panic attacks can be very frightening, and those experiencing them often fear they are having a heart attack or even dying.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is best characterized by frequent or constant worry, anxiety, and tension, even when there is minimal or no cause. People who experience GAD find themselves unable to control their worry and often report being anxious most of their lives. The worry they experience is often related to events or activities like
People often feel nervous when they go on a first date or feel butterflies prior to giving a speech. They feel nervous because of a fear of messing up and embarrassing themselves. This is normal. However, in some cases, that nervousness, those butterflies and the fear of embarrassment, can be so terrifying that it completely
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? by Ken Goodman, LCSW Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is best characterized by frequent or constant worry, anxiety, and tension, even when there is minimal or no cause. People who experience GAD find themselves unable to control their worry and often report being anxious most of their lives. The worry they