Anxiety Disorder & Panic Disorder
"Understand and Control your Anxiety"
It isn't always apparent when people have an anxiety disorder; they may appear to be perfectly normal. Anxiety can be good for us, helping us avoid dangerous situations, but if it becomes severe enough to affect the way we live our lives then it becomes a disorder.
Anxiety disorder is actually a blanket term that is used to describe anxieties, fears and phobias. Any type of anxiety disorder is usually accompanied by physical symptoms such as difficulty sleeping or changes in appetite. These symptoms are one of the first clues that a friend, relative or acquaintance may be in trouble.
A generalized anxiety disorder is more common than more serious ones and twice as many women than men are affected by it. Those people that have this condition know that they are afraid of something but can’t put their finger on exactly what it is. They worry constantly and have difficulty coping with everyday life at times.
A panic disorder is also classified as an anxiety disorder. This is a more serious anxiety symptom than general, unknown trepidation. A person with a panic disorder will have brief but intense periods of terror, they may shake or tremble and be confused or dizzy. The anxiety seriously affects their ability to lead a normal life and some people even quit their jobs because of this debilitating anxiety symptom.
A social anxiety disorder is often called agoraphobia, or fear of being in the presence of others. This can often be overcome by therapy that boosts a person’s self esteem; fear of being in public is often the fear of being negatively judged by people. In more serious cases of this anxiety disorder a normal life is impossible.
Most of these conditions can be treated successfully with therapy, medication or a combination of the two. If you think you might be suffering from an anxiety disorder, it is important to be diagnosed by a competent professional. Trying to treat the symptoms yourself with over the counter medications will only make it worse and may well affect your physical health.
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