What Is An Anxiety Disorder?

By Author: Steven Johnson
Total Articles: 494
Comment this article

Anxiety is a part of life, and we've been given the opportunity to experience anxiety for a number of reasons. For some people, anxiety isn't so simple and can lead to havoc in our daily lives if we don't manage it correctly. Every person will experience and react to anxiety in their individual way, and brief moments of anxiety are just a part of life. When anxiety becomes consistent, prolonged, and debilitating is when we will need some help in coping with life. Here you will find out what an anxiety disorder is, and when your regular anxiety has turned into something much more problematic, an anxiety disorder. If that's you, stop worrying! You're not alone, and managing anxiety is much easier than you think.
Symptoms of an anxiety disorder will vary from one individual to the next, but the symptoms across the anxiety disorders are fairly similar. The most common anxiety disorder symptoms include a difficulty in concentrating in everyday life, being forgetful, headaches, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, and sleeplessness. This list of symptoms are just examples of the most common ones. If you are suffering ...
... from an anxiety disorder, your life may even be much more complicated than that, depending on what you are struggling with.
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder is about experiencing a generalized anxiety in your daily life. You will experience tension that is exaggerated and worry that is chronic with very little reason to justify it. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is another type of anxiety disorder where individuals will experience intrusive thought processes or obsessions that will interfere with their routine actions in daily life. Completing their obsessions or compulsions will be their means of relieving their stress and anxiety. Counting, hoarding, or hand washing excessively are examples of these types of compulsive behaviors where anxiety is the root.
Panic Disorder is an extreme form of anxiety disorder where panic attacks will be experienced frequently, sometimes even in your sleep. Choking, shortness of breath, sweating, chills and hot flashes, chest pains, and dizziness are all characteristics of panic attacks leading to panic disorder. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD is another form of anxiety disorder, that occurs after exposure to a traumatic event. Those suffering from PTSD will, in addition to standard anxiety symptoms, experience recurrent flashbacks of the event, and will frequently feel threatened or frightened.
Social Anxiety Disorder is a very common disorder that effects approximately fifteen million Americans annually. These individuals feel like they are constantly being judged in social situations, and will refrain from social activities out of these fears. Anxiety symptoms will arise, but generally only when the individual feels they are in one of these situations.
Anxiety is a part of life that we can not escape. The importance for recognizing when anxiety becomes too much to deal with comes from the fact that anxiety can very easily lead to depression if it is not managed or treated properly. Today, treatments such as Xanax and cognitive behavioral therapy are available for those that struggle with chronic anxiety. Prescription help such as Xanax will specifically target those symptoms that are intruding on your daily affairs, and help you manage your anxiety to lead a much more productive life.