The Different Faces Of Anxiety
When we talk about our mental health and well-being, we often tend to use the terms “anxiety” or “stress” to define a variety of different symptoms and particular feelings. As it turns out, the reality of the matter is that anxiety can take on many different faces, and it can enter your life in different forms. If you notice you have a difficult time coping with stress, or you often find yourself succumbing to fears that you logically know are highly irrational, it is very likely that you have some type of anxiety disorder. This is nothing at all to be ashamed of, as it is a disease just like any other physical ailment; it’s just harder to receive sympathy for sometimes because most outsiders cannot see what is wrong with you, since it’s a mostly psychological disorder. Here are the basic classifications of anxiety disorders.
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
This disorder is characterized by incredibly intrusive thoughts, or obsessions, that need to be purged through repetitive behaviors, or compulsions. Excessive hand washing is a classic example of someone using a repetitive motion in an attempt to purge obsessive thoughts out of their minds.
Panic Disorder
This disorder is classified by returning episodes of extremely intense waves of fear. These episodes are more commonly known as panic attacks, and are often accompanied by strong heart palpitations, dizziness, a feeling of choking (that isn’t actually happening), and perhaps most frighteningly, an overwhelming belief in the idea that something bad is about to happen (even though it virtually never does). These episodes can last from a few seconds to up to ten minutes.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Commonly known as PTSD, this type of anxiety often develops in the aftermath of an actual traumatic event that threatened severe bodily harm or peril to the patient.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
If a patient does not quite fit in with the previously listed disorders (or if they only experience trace elements from two or more of them), that patient is classified as having generalized anxiety disorder. This disorder is essentially characterized by a general and pervasive sense of worry that lacks any sort of trigger or obvious cause.
Anxiety disorders can be scary and isolating, but they can be treated. Proper exercise routines, a healthy diet, and deep breathing exercises are all natural ways to improve your anxiety. You can always talk with a psychiatrist about medication if these methods don’t work.
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