General Information about anxiety
One in ten Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. The Nation Institute of Mental Health (HIMH) describes anxiety disorders as chronic, and irrational, which can intensify if untreated. There are five types of anxiety disorders (each with their own symptoms of anxiety):
- generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Social Anxiety (SAD)
- Specific Phobias
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD):
About 3 to 4 percent of the American population suffers from GAD. GAD generally comes on gradually, sometimes beginning as early as childhood or adolescence, and symptoms can diminish with age. GAD sufferers chronically worry, and what they worry about is out of proportion to the actual events in their lives. They typically have a feeling that something bad is going to happen, and their constant worries and fears distract them from their day-to-day activities. They worry and feel anxious nearly all of the time, though they may not even know why. People with GAD usually have sleep disorders and have difficulty relaxing. Some physical symptoms are fatigue, insomnia, restlessness, and stomach upset. People with GAD are often less impaired than sufferers of other anxiety disorders.
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Approximately 2 percent of the population suffers from OCD, and about one-third of adult cases begin in childhood. A person is diagnosed with OCD when compulsive activities consume at least an hour a day, are very distressing, and interfere with daily life. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by unwanted thoughts or behaviors that seem impossible to stop or control. OCD sufferers may be troubled by obsessions, such as a recurring worry that you forgot to turn off the oven or that you might hurt someone. You may also suffer from uncontrollable compulsions, such as washing your hands over and over.
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Women are more prone to developing PTSD than are men. Symptoms typically begin within 3 months of the traumatic incident, although they can begin years later. PTSD is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event which results in psychological trauma, such as the aftermath of an event that involved the threat of death to oneself or to another. PTSD sufferers may experience “flashbacks” or nightmares of the original trauma. Although most people (50-90%) encounter trauma over a lifetime, only about 8% develop full PTSD. Formal diagnostic criteria require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
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Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety is anxiety about social situations, where you are very uncomfortable interacting with others and may feel that you are being negatively evaluated or analyzed by other people. In severe cases (called social phobia), social situations are avoided altogether. Performance anxiety and public speaking anxiety (better known as stage fright) is the most common type of social phobia. Other adult forms include shyness, and timidness.
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Phobia
A phobia is an intense and persistent fear of certain activities, animals, people, specific objects, situations, or things that in reality presents little or no danger. Phobias are the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25. Common phobias include fear of animals such as snakes and spiders, fear of flying, and fear of heights. In the case of a severe phobia, you might go to extreme lengths to avoid the thing you fear. Unfortunately, avoidance only strengthens the phobia. Phobias are generally caused by an event recorded (by the amygdala and hippocampus) as dangerous. Whenever a person encounters the trigger, the body reacts as if the event were happening again.
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Panic Disorder
About 2.2% of Americans suffer from agoraphobia (approximately 3.2 million adults between the ages of 18 and 54). Unexpected panic attacks, as well as the fear of experiencing another panic episode are the primary characteristic of panic disorder. There does seem to be a connection with major life transitions that are potentially stressful: graduating from college, getting married, buying a home, birth of child, changing jobs, and so on. Normally it seems to start with a particular event that scares the unconscious. The first prime directive of the unconscious mind is to protect and keep you safe. If something should scare you (or even embarrass you severely) the unconscious mind will seek to avoid the same type (or similar) situations.
Panic disorder may also be accompanied by agoraphobia, which traditionally is thought to involve a fear of public places and open spaces. Agoraphobia is believed to be a complication of panic attacks. Agoraphobia may arise by the fear of having a panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. If you have agoraphobia, you are likely to avoid public places such as shopping malls or confined spaces such as an airplane. In severe cases, the sufferer may become confined to their home.
For treatment of anxiety, CALL (650) 344-4110.