Anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders are the most frequently cited type of psychiatric illness which can affect both adults and children. Therefore, it is important to learn more about this group of illnesses and provide a brief overview relating to anxiety disorders
The term anxiety disorder is used to collectively describe various types of psychiatric illnesses which affect an individual. Anxiety disorders develop as a result of a combination of causes such as genetic factors, personality, brain chemistry, and past life occurrences. The following paragraphs will briefly highlight some of the various types of anxiety disorders to provide readers with some insight in regard to psychiatric illnesses of this type.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, is a type of illness where the individual worries in an exaggerated and unrealistic way. In order for a worry of this type to qualify as GAD, the individual must possess symptoms for at least six months or more. Other symptoms which are concomitant with the excessive worrying include aches and pains, upset stomach, insomnia, dizziness and irritability, to name a few.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Individuals who are plagued with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, are stricken with recurring thoughts which persist incessantly. They feel they must perform certain routines over and over again in order to rid themselves of the thoughts. Some examples of routines individuals with OCD perform include constant hand washing, checking locks on doors, and repeating certain phrases over and over again. The individual cannot relax until the routines are completed to a satisfactory level.
Panic Disorder
Another type of anxiety disorder is panic disorder. Individuals who suffer from panic disorders experience panic attacks and may have heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, chest pain, fear of losing control and may find it hard to catch their breath.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
This type of anxiety disorder follows a traumatic event in an individual's life. The symptoms associated with a disorder of this type may include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, and detachment from others. Certain traumatic events which may lead to PTSD can include sexual assault, engagement in war, witnessing a death or being involved with a natural disaster.
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
Those who suffer from social anxiety disorder, or SAD, experience anxiety about being judged by other people or being embarrassed and/or ridiculed by outside individuals. This prompts individuals to draw away from social interaction and cause them to faint, get dizzy, or blush constantly while in the company of others. This may tempt individuals with this disorder to seclude themselves from the outside world and deal with others only when necessary.
Specific Phobias
One last type of anxiety disorder deals with specific phobias. In other words, individuals may have a specific fear of a certain thing or person such as snakes, heights, or strangers. These phobias vary from individual to individual and episode to episode.
Summary
The psychiatric illness known as anxiety disorder contains many different sub-illnesses within it. In order to learn more about a particular disorder, it is important to research the specific illness with which an individual is afflicted.
