Help with an Anxiety Disorder

If you've been able to recognize that you or a loved one may need help with an anxiety disorder realize you're not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health estimates, over 40 million Americans are living with the symptoms of some type of anxiety condition.

Most anxiety disorders generally fall under five major categories.

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Remember when Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strip went to see Lucy at her psychiatrist booth in the Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon? Lucy questioned him about general fears and finally identified Charlie Brown's problem is the fear of "everything?"

General anxiety disorder is excessive worry about a number of common every day problems or challenges for a period lasting a

month or more.

2. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Someone who has OCD, is seriously involved with rituals. People suffering from obsessive compulsive disorders worry and become upset about a situation or idea an attempt to correct it with the ritual. An example is someone who continuously desires to wash their hands, because of an obsession with germs.

These rituals can preoccupy a person to the point where their life is being limited. If you've ever watched the television series "Monk", then you have seen an obsessive compulsive person.

The rituals aren't women did to just hand washing. Touching things, counting, rechecking doors are locks over and over again, anything that someone can obsessive about an obsessive compulsive person can find the ritual in an attempt to obtain relief.

3. Panic Disorder
A panic attack is something that comes out of the blue and places a person at a high level of awareness. This is very similar to what's been called an adrenaline rush. Panic attacks can exhibit physical symptoms that although normal in the right situation. Can also be very debilitating to someone suffering from panic.

Panic disorder symptoms are uncontrolled and can show up at any time for any place. Although very uncomfortable, panic is seldom dangerous.

4. Societal Anxiety.
Social anxiety is the fear of embarrassment or un-ease at being in social situations. This is one of the more common anxiety types.

People who are uncomfortable and crowds are have a fear of giving public presentations are doing anything that may draw attention to themselves in a public forum may be suffering from social anxiety.

5. Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Although many people relate post-traumatic stress with war veterans, this condition can develop after any terrifying situation. Child abuse, car accidents, natural disasters or anything considered a major catastrophe can bring on PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress is also not limited to the person who actually experienced the terrifying situation. A friend or family member of a person actually harmed are involved in the event can also develop PTSD.

The thing to remember is that there is help available. The key however is to seek out this help as soon as possible is the longer you wait, the worse the condition may become. Anxiety Treatments are available for many of todays identified mental disorders. All you need to do is ask for help.

You should really bookmark this site and check back to see what other ideas have been added. Anxiety in all forms is a long term illness with new treatment strategies always being developed. Don't you want to know the latest information? Bookmark this site