Coaching 4 Health & Wellness

Types of Anxiety Disorders

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-Individuals that this affect are always anticipating something bad to happen. They have excessive worries about health, money and family etc.GAD occurs more often in women than in men.

2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder-This disorder is characterized by obsessive behavior and compulsions. Individuals perform rituals (such as hand washing) in hopes that obsessive thoughts would go away.

3. Panic Disorder- Individuals who are affected by this disorder experience feelings of terror that come on suddenly and often. They are often left in fear of certain situations and and are always in fear about the next panic attack.

4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder- This disorder usually develops after an individual experience some terrifying situation usually involving physical harm, death, or near death. The individual is left with bad memories about the ordeal that don't seem to go away.

5. Social Anxiety Disorder- With this disorder individuals experience extreme, severe or excessive self-awareness in public situations. This is the classic Stage Fright, but taken to an extreme degree and applied in almost all situations: grocery store, school, open areas. There is always a fear of being watched and scrutinized.

A lot of returning soldiers stationed in Iraqi and Afghanistan experience this as they were constantly on high alert over there. The open market was a dangerous area for them. They never knew who was an enemy coming up to shoot, stab, or blow them up. So now, back at home, the basketball gym, the mall, 4th of July parade can bring on this fear.

So now, you know a little of the types of disorders. Keep in mind that each of these disorders can range from having very mild levels to very extreme levels, and anywhere in-between.

Next week, we'll start looking at some symptoms.