Anxiety Disorders Are the Most Common of All Mental Disorders

We all know what it is like to feel anxious - the way your heart pounds when you feel that you're in danger or the butterflies in your stomach before you give a speech. Anxiety can rouse you to action and in general, help you to cope. But if you have an anxiety disorder, this normally functional emotion can keep you from coping and can disrupt your entire life. These disorders are more than just a case of "nerves." They are illnesses that are related to the biological makeup and life experiences of the individual, and they frequently run in families. There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with its own distinct characteristics.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - GAD is chronic, exaggerated worry and tension that nothing seems to provoke. People with GAD cannot shake their worries, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than is appropriate to the situation. They often have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep and their physical symptoms include trembling, muscle tension, headaches, irritability, sweating, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness.
  

• Panic Disorder - People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly without warning, causing intense anxiety between episodes. A panic attack involves many unpleasant symptoms: a pounding heart, weakness, faintness, sweatiness and dizziness; and those afflicted may experience chest pain or smothering sensations. Sufferers may genuinely believe that they are having a heart attack, losing their minds, or are on the verge of death.

• Phobias - There are two major types of phobias: social phobia and specific phobia. People with social phobia have an overwhelming and disabling fear of embarrassment or humiliation in social situations, which leads to an avoidance of many potentially pleasurable activities. People with specific phobia experience an extreme and irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - OCD is characterized by uncontrollable anxious thoughts or rituals. Sufferers may be obsessed with germs or dirt and wash their hands over and over. They may spend long periods of time touching things or counting or be preoccupied with symmetry, and they are often plagued by persistent thoughts and images that are repugnant to them. The disturbing thoughts or images are called obsessions and the rituals that are performed to try to prevent or dispel them are called compulsions.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - PTSD is a debilitating condition that follows a terrifying event. PTSD was first brought to public attention by war veterans, but can result from many different traumatic incidents, including kidnapping, serious accidents, violent attacks¸ floods, or earthquakes. People with PTSD repeatedly relive the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing recollections during the day.

. If you know someone with an anxiety disorder and you want to be helpful and supportive: DON'T say, "Relax. Calm down. You can fight this. Don't be ridiculous." Don't panic along with the sufferer.

DO say, "Tell me what you need now. Breathe slowly and deeply. Stay in the present. I know that what you are feeling is painful, but you are not in danger." Do advocate for treatment, because it is successful 80 - 85 percent of the time. Be patient and accepting, but don't settle for the affected person being permanently disabled.