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Anxiety Disorders Strike In Many Ways
Anxiety disorders have been attracting a lot of attention as of late, as American public service campaigns call on friends to support their acquaintances that are suffering from mental illness. The commercials that air on national television talk about the isolating patterns that commonly emerge during anxiety disorders, and challenge people to seek aid and extend a level of support to the person suffering.
But, just how common are anxiety disorders in America and what forms can they adopt? According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, this collective condition affects some forty million people in America. With a number of different forms, anxiety disorders can differ from having rather mild symptoms to very acute phobias.
The various forms of anxiety disorders are:
Generalized Anxiety - Affecting some 6.8 million Americans age 18 or older, this form of the condition is identified by a person becoming extremely anxious over mundane events. Persons with this condition can discover themselves being alienated from life by fears that emanate out of either, logical or unreasonable reasons.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - With some 2.2 million Americans suffering from this type of condition, it is the least common of the disorders. This condition is distinguished by a need to perform repetitive acts in a nearly ritualistic manner. Hand wringing is a common pattern of this condition.
Panic Disorder - This form of condition includes fear or panic attacks. It strikes some 6 million people and can be a rather debilitating disorder. Since panic attacks duplicate heart attacks and other serious conditions, people almost always literally believe they are dying while in the midst of an attack. In most cases, anything that has triggered a panic attack in the past should be avoided at all costs.
Post traumatic Stress - This specific disorder is believed to impact on about 7.7 million people. It is brought on by extreme trauma, such as rape, abuse or seeing a brutal act.
Social Anxiety - With 15 million people plagued by this type of anxiety, the condition is considered quite serious. In fact, this is the type of anxiety targeted by the public service campaigns on American television. In its gravest form, people with this condition should stay away from public areas at all costs.
Phobias - An irrational fear of heights, spiders, snakes and other such things can cause a person to suffer from a severe bout of anxiety. This condition affects approximately 19 million people and includes a variety of various phobias.
Anxiety disorders are more common than most people appreciate. When the signs are acute and they sideline a person from ordinary activities, assistance should be sought. Medical doctors, psychologists and other therapists can help patients to overcome their anxiety disorders in various ways.
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