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Anxiety disorders are highly treatable with psychosocial therapies,
medication, or both. However, many anxiety disorders can be treated with
behavioral therapy alone adding medication only when necessary. Anxiety
disorders include:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is characterized by
excessive, unrealistic worry that lasts six months or more; in adults, the
anxiety may focus on issues such as health, money, or career. In addition to
chronic worry, GAD symptoms include trembling, muscular aches, insomnia,
abdominal upsets, dizziness, and irritability.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In OCD, individuals are
plagued by persistent, recurring thoughts (obsessions) that reflect
exaggerated anxiety or fears; typical obsessions include worry about being
contaminated or fears of behaving improperly or acting violently. The
obsessions may lead an individual to perform a ritual or routine
(compulsions)-such as washing hands, repeating phrases or hoarding-to relieve
the anxiety caused by the obsession.
- Panic Disorder. People with panic disorder suffer severe attacks of
panic-which may make them feel like they are having a heart attack or are
going crazy-for no apparent reason. Symptoms include heart palpitations, chest
pain or discomfort, sweating, trembling, tingling sensations, feeling of
choking, fear of dying, fear of losing control, and feelings of unreality.
Panic disorder often occurs with agoraphobia, in which people are afraid of
having a panic attack in a place from which escape would be difficult, so they
avoid these places.
- Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia). Social Anxiety Disorder
(SAD) is characterized by extreme anxiety about being judged by others or
behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or ridicule. This intense
anxiety may lead to avoidance behavior. Physical symptoms associated with this
disorder include heart palpitations, faintness, blushing and profuse sweating.
- Specific phobias. People with specific phobias suffer from an
intense fear reaction to a specific object or situation (such as spiders,
dogs, or heights); the level of fear is usually inappropriate to the
situation, and is recognized by the sufferer as being irrational. This
inordinate fear can lead to the avoidance of common, everyday situations.
- Separation Anxiety / School Refusal. Separation Anxiety is
indicated by excessive distress on routine separations from parents or from
home. Behaviors such as crying, clinging and panic occur upon separation.
Often there is reluctance or refusal to go to school or activities because of
fear of separation, difficulty sleeping alone, nightmares and/or fear about
harm to loved ones. Symptoms must be present for four weeks or more.
Source:
Anxiety Disorders
Association of America
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