Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Also known as GAD is one of the most debilitating of the anxiety disorders.

Those with specific anxiety disorders and phobias are able to avoid their triggers (which they can learn about and treat with the help of behavioral therapy), however those who suffer from GAD are likely unaware of the triggers and in their generalized daily lives situations arise that lead to irrational fears, worry and suffering, often with no warning and little or nothing to provoke it.

Social Anxiety Disorder

The majority of people are nervous or uncomfortable when they stand out in a group – such as speaking in front of a large group, (i.e. public speaking). In fact most people are tend to be more afraid of speaking in front of groups than they are of dying.

On the other hand, social anxiety disorder is something over and above the normal discomfort and nervousness that many people feel when in public places. People with a social anxiety disorder suffer from abnormal levels or anxiousness, nervousness and self-consciousness in their daily lives.

They are irrationally fearful of being watched and judged by strangers, embarrassing themselves in public and other similar phobias. This problem is at such a high level for some people that they experience severe, intense, even crippling panic and, unless therapy and treatment is pursued, live lives that often lead to poor health. including physical problems and emotional turmoil.

Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post traumatic stress is stress suffered by men and women, children too, who experience a traumatic event (i.e. any physical or emotional violence, either 1st hand or even as an observer). Events and traumatic situations include veterans of war, any violent assaults, physical abuse and rape, a natural disaster, basically experiencing or observing and dangerous or life threatening event.

With children who have suffered trauma, the cause and treatment of posttraumatic stress is much more complex and difficult to treat. Children are very dependant on us, both parents and adults in general and while they, as do adults, suffer traumatic events such as wars and assault they also suffer from molestations, rapes and parental abuse.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder is the uncontrollable and irrational, and usually, upsetting thoughts that take over a suffers sub-consciousness and invades most every aspect of their lives. Some of the more common fixations and phobias of the obsessive-compulsive disorder include the fear of germs (leading to obsessive hand washing), or the fear of invasion (leads to suffers to always locking and relocking their doors, even waking up in the middle of the night to do so), etc.

Suffers have rituals, or obsessions, in how the live their daily lives. A certain order or way of dress, such as always putting their left sock on first, brushing their hair a certain way, or with a certain number of strokes of the brush. While most people will do things such as check and even recheck that the iron has been turned off, the situation, or phobia, is much, much worse for those with OCD. A common treatment, along with professional therapy, is prescribed medication.

Other Phobias

Among types of anxiety disorders there are also other phobias, fears that a person develops, that are often irrational.

Common phobias may include claustrophobia (fear of closed in spaces), vertigo (fear of heights), driving, water, flying, spiders and blood, etc.

Without professional treatment anxiety disorders and phobias often get worse and lead to depression in the individuals.