Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety can present itself in many different ways. Some recognized disorders include: |
Generalized Anxiety Disorders: almost constant anxiety and worry over many different activities and events Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: unwanted and repeated thoughts, impulses, or images that cause anxiety or distress oftentimes followed by repetitive behaviors or mental acts the person feels driven to perform to reduce distress Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: symptoms of re-experiencing the event, avoidance, or increased arousal occur after experiencing a traumatic event involving actual or threatened injury or death Social Phobia: persistent fear of social or performance situations that may involve scrutiny or judgment by others Specific Phobia: persistent fear cued by the presence or anticipation of a specific object or situation (e.g., flying, heights, or blood) |
In addition, there are several conditions that often include anxious symptoms: Hoarding: persistent difficulty discarding or parting with personal possessions resulting in an accumulation of objects which clutter living areas of the home Body Dysmorphic Disorder: excessive concern about a perceived defect in one's physical features or appearance |