What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a psychological term used to describe a persistent or fleeting feeling that is a mixture of apprehension, worry and fear. Severe anxiety can be accompanied by actual physical symptoms. Common anxiety symptoms include heart palpitations and shortness of breath. Because these symptoms also resemble those that occur during a heart attack, anxiety sufferers may worry that there is something physically wrong with them when in fact it is only psychiatric and not a physical problem.
Persons who experience persistent anxiety may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and need anxiety relief. There are many different anxiety disorders as defined by psychiatrists. Panic disorder, Social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and various phobias all fall under the anxiety disorder category. Persons who have medical histories that include family anxiety disorders are more likely to have the disorder themselves. When diagnosing a stress disorder, a psychiatrist must rule out any other factors such as medications that could be causing anxiety in the patient. Drug abuse and depression can also be causes of anxiety.
The type of treatment required for an anxiety disorder differs depending on the particular type. For instance, those suffering from generalized anxiety disorder may be treated with medication. Generalized anxiety disorder is much more common in women than in men, and it brings about chronic anxiety that is unspecified and worrisome.
Panic disorders, on the other hand, are periods of very intense fear that induce dizziness, heart palpitations and even breathing problems. Panic attacks can be triggered by certain physical or social situations or by bothersome thought patterns. Agoraphobia is type of phobia that often comes about as a result of a person's repeated experiences with panic attacks.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is yet another type of anxiety disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder causes individuals to have repetitive obsessions or thoughts that are often seen as absurd. Cleanliness, obsessive lock and stove checking and counting are all symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.