What is anxiety disorder?
Anxiety is a physiological and psychological state characterized by cognitive,
somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. These components combine to create
an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, fear, or worry.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation
in the office, study harder for an exam, keep focused on an important speech.
In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational
dread of everyday situations, it has become an anxiety disorder.
A disorder can occur when panic attacks or anxiety symptoms are not successfully managed.
There are many types of anxiety disorders that include panic disorder, social anxiety disorder,
post traumatic stress syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder.
More about anxiety types
Panic disorder. People with this condition have feelings of terror that
strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. Other symptoms of a panic attack
include sweating, chest pain and a feeling of choking, which may make you feel
like having a heart attack.
Social anxiety disorder. Also called social phobia, this disorder
involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations.
The worry often centers on a fear of being judged by others, or behaving in a way that
might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule.
Post traumatic stress disorder. This condition can develop following a traumatic
or terrifying event, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved
one, or a natural disaster. People with this disorder often have lasting thoughts and
memories of the event, and tend to be emotionally numb.
Obsessive compulsive disorder. People with this disorder are plagued by constant thoughts
or fears that cause them to perform certain rituals or routines. The disturbing thoughts
are called obsessions, and the rituals are called compulsions. An example is a person with
an unreasonable fear of germs who constantly washes his hands.
What causes these disorders?
The exact cause of anxiety disorders is unknown. Physiological researchers suspect a chemical imbalance in the brain may be involved in the development of an anxiety disorder. Studies have shown that long-lasting stress can change the balance of chemicals in the brain that control mood. People with certain anxiety disorders have changes in certain brain structures that control memory or mood. In addition, studies have shown that anxiety disorders run in families, which means that disorders can be inherited from your parents, like hair, eye or skin color.
How to cure anxiety?
Check "Cure Anxiety" section.