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Everyone experiences anxiety at some time or another.  Have you ever felt your heart pounding after narrowly escaping an accident?  Remember the butterflies in your stomach when you had to stand in front of a class and give a speech?    Do you recall feeling tense and fearful  when someone was angry and yelled at you? 

All of us feel anxiety. Anxiety rouses you to action.  It helps you face a threatening situation.  It makes you alert so you can work and study harder, do things better.  In summary, it helps you cope.

However, for some persons normal feelings of anxiety have become extreme and out of control.  The afflicted person no longer suffers  from a simple case of “nerves”, but rather from an illness known as “anxiety disorder”.    People with anxiety disorders find that the emotion no longer helps  them cope.   Rather, it does the opposite.  It paralyzes them and disrupts their daily lives. 

Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental disorders.  The National Institute of Mental Health has been conducting research on them and finds that they are related to the biological makeup and life experiences of the individual.  The disorders are  frequently found in families, suggesting the presence of genetic factors.   

TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS 

There are several types of anxiety disorders which we will discuss below. 

Panic Disorder  

People with panic disorders have sudden and  repeated attacks of anxiety and fear.  The attacks are violent.  They  come suddenly and frequently without warning, and they are filled with terror .   One person described such attacks: 

It started 15 years ago when I was sitting at a business meeting.  This incident came out of nowhere.  I felt like I was going to die.  That was the beginning, and incidents have continued to happen since then.  When the attacks come, I feel like I am losing control in an extreme way.  My heart pounds. I feel sweaty, faint and dizzy.   Things seem unreal.  I have a strong sense of impending doom, like I am losing my mind .or am going to die.

Panic attacks can occur at any time.  Most average several minutes, but occasionally they can go on for 10 minutes.  In rare cases they can last for up to an hour.  Once a person experiences a panic attack, it is likely that they live in fear that it will happen again.  This fear can permeate their lives and be debilitating as the person focuses on ways to alter his or her lifestyle to escape the feelings of panic. 

Agoraphobia 

The term agoraphobia comes from the Greek word which means “fear of an open marketplace”.  It often happens to people who have suffered from panic disorder (described previously).  The attempt to avoid panic attacks can make them become more reclusive – fearful of leaving their homes, traveling by car, plane, bus or being in crowds. 

Phobias 

Phobias are excessive and  irrational  fears of specific objects or situations – fear of flying, driving a car,  heights, riding in elevators, being near snakes, rodents, spiders, etc.  It may also express itself as extreme fear and anxiety in social situations – parties, receptions, social gatherings, etc.   

Research suggests that phobias may run in families and be encouraged by learning from  the behavior of family members or others.  About 8% of the adult population suffers from some form of phobia.   

Generalized Anxiety 

This type of anxiety disorder is marked by a prolonged (over 6months) period of  intense  and excessive anxiety and worry, accompanied by other related symptoms – muscle tension, fatigue, poor concentration, insomnia, etc.  The excessive worry can relate to family, work, finances, potential misfortunes, etc.  Research shows that generalized anxiety occurs almost twice as frequently in women as in men. 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 

Obsessions are intrusive thoughts that keep reoccurring and elicit anxiety – e.g.,  a fear of germs or contamination.  Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that help reduce anxiety.  For example, a person with obsessive-compulsive problems who fears germs may wash his/her hands frequently and repeatedly throughout the day –considerably beyond what is normal. 

Post-Traumatic Stress 

When people experience extreme trauma (rape, physical assault, witnessing violent acts, etc.), they can have “flashbacks” of the trauma and feel acute stress months and years after the trauma occurred.  For example,  stories are told of soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War having post-traumatic stress thirty years later.   

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