Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) affects around 3% of the population, and is characterized by constant and hard to control fear and worry, often effecting everyday life. Individuals suffering from this disorder are often overly worried about finances, family, work, and other aspects of their lives. This disorder is diagnosed when an individual finds it difficult to control their anxiety more days than not, and that lasts for more than six months.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a widely misunderstood disorder that affects more than 200,000 people each year. OCD is a chronic and often uncontrollable disorder characterized by unreasonable fears and thought, called obsessions coupled with uncontrollable behaviors, called compulsions. Sufferers of this disorder can interfere with personal relationships, work, and school. Common triggers of obsessions include a fear of germs, forbidden thoughts (often involving sex, religion, or harm), or an overwhelming desire to have everything in a symmetrical or perfect order. Common compulsions include: counting, repeatedly checking on things (doors, lights, oven), excessive cleaning and washing, and constantly arranging things.
Panic Disorder
Panic attacks can be frequent for people suffering from Panic Disorder. Symptoms of panic disorder include sudden attacks of overwhelming fear, with physical symptoms including heart racing, sweating, chest pain, shaking, nausea, and hot flashes, lasting about 10 minutes. These attacks are generally an overreaction to a seemingly normal and unthreatening event. Oftentimes, people who have panic disorder often also experience a constant fear of experiencing a panic attack, often causing them to avoid triggers, and missing out on everyday life events.
Panic disorder can often occur alongside other serious conditions, including depression, alcoholism, and drug abuse.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD is a common mental health issue affecting roughly 3 million Americans every year. It is a response to a traumatic, often life-threatening event or action, often combat or an assault. PTSD can last months or years after an individual has experienced or witnessed this event. Symptoms include nightmares, difficulty sleeping, flashbacks, depression, and a heightened reaction to stimuli.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is often referred to as social phobia or social anxiety, and can cause those affected to avoid normal, healthy, social relationships. Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by overwhelming and excessive self-consciousness, often affecting everyday life. This anxiety often presents itself in medium to large groups of people, especially strangers. This type of anxiety can present itself in many ways, such as a fear of speaking to others or a fear of eating or drinking in front of other people.
Treatment of anxiety disorders
Many sufferes of anxiety disorders attempt to self-medicate using illegal drugs or alcohol, which can often make the problem worse, as well as elongating symptoms and treatment.
There are many safe, at home options to treat anxiety disorders including mindful breathing excersizes, meditation, and yoga. If you are suffering from an anxiety disorder and even angry outbursts that is affecting your everyday life, it may make sense to begin a treatment plan with a trusted therapist and psychologist. There are also many safe and widely used perscription medications that have helped millions of people.
If you are ready to take the next step towards treatment, give us a call or email us at health@healingminds.com to make an appointment.