Anxiety Disorder Is A Common Mental Illness

May 1, 2010 by Cure Anxiety · 5 Comments
Filed under: Anxiety And Panic Disorders 

According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, anxiety is the most common mental illness in America, with nearly 20% of the adult population affected. Woman are twice as likely to experience life disrupting general anxiety disorder, GAD, and specific phobias than men are, however the numbers for those suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are equal for the sexes.

It is interesting to note that approximately 1/3 of all adult sufferers of anxiety disorders had experienced some symptoms when they were children. Women also hold the dubious honor of being far more likely to experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and twice as likely to suffer with Panic Disorders. In these studies it is noted that childhood sexual abuse is often a precursor for PTSD, and regardless of the age of the attack, rape will trigger PTSD in 65% of the men and almost 46% of the woman who experienced it.

We all face anxiety producing events in our daily lives, beginning when we were an infant and we realized our mother had left the room. From that day on the stress in our lives continues to be experienced, overcome, and the knowledge of our successes helps us move on to the next challenge.

The child goes to school for the first day and both the parents and the child are anxious. The first sleepover, away camp, learning to drive, and going away to college are all important milestones that can cause normal anxiety in the parties involved, even though there may well be an undercurrent of excitement, also.

For adults, the list for potentially stressful situations is virtually endless. Losing a job, serious debt, awaiting medical test results, the imminent death of a loved one are just a few. All of these and more are legitimate causes for anxiety. It is only when the anxiety becomes the defining factor in a person’s life, dictating their every move in some cases, that it is time to seek professional help. If the fears are no longer based in logic, if the affected person’s daily life is seriously diminished, and if no amount of reassurance will ease their fears, it is time to obtain an evaluation from a mental health professional.

There should be no stigma associated with seeking help with for mental health concerns. It is no different than hypertension or diabetes, in that, left untreated will severely impact the suffering person’s ability to interact with their family, friends and co workers, and possibly escalate to where the affected person is unable to even leave their home.

When basic daily functioning is impacted by the anxiety disorder, and the ability to enjoy life is disrupted, a family member may need to seek advice on how to best encourage their loved one to obtain necessary help. The need for this intervention is a vital one. An anxiety disorder left untreated can easily escalate to include other mental health concerns, including depression and suicidal thoughts.

As dismal as this may all sound, help is readily available, and cost or lack of insurance does not need to be a factor. Resources for help are as close as the phone book or the computer, and many state and county mental health clinics accept sliding payments based on ability to pay.

J. Lloyd
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/anxiety-disorder-is-a-common-mental-illness-139150.html

Anxiety – Holiday, Everyday, Any Day is a Good Reason to Worry

November 26, 2009 by Cure Anxiety · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Anxiety And Panic Disorders 

Many people have anxiety and worry during the holidays. I think it’s almost normal considering that all of us to one degree or another bring heightened expectations to any holiday season. We hope that somehow, this ***** fill in the holiday of your choice season will meet our expectations and everything will be wonderful.

Problem is, our memories of any “great and wonderful” holiday have been whitewashed by the passage of time. The past holiday which we use to develop unattainable expectations for the current season were not that wonderful when we first lived it. We end up being somewhat disappointed, but hopeful at the next holiday will be wonderful.

People with anxiety disorders however, can live day to day in that constant state of worry. Though not specific to any holiday, anxiety and panic disorder symptoms can be caused by almost anything on any day.

Imagine being constantly concerned and worried about basic functions of life. Things like, if the mail and will go out on time, having to attend to errands or going to the doctor for a routine medical test results in an inordinate amount of stress and worry. This is the life of many people who suffer with anxiety.

The term anxiety disorder is actually a general term that is used to identify many types of mental illness.

Things like
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A good example of this is someone who needs to check if doors and windows are locked in their home. In this example, the person suffering from OCD is likely to check their windows and doors several times during the day and may even get up at night just to verify everything is secure.

Societal disorder. People suffering from social disorders have a fear of people are public places. The fear of public speaking is a very common form of this disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is not simply caused from being in a war or battlefield situation. Many people who have witnessed or been directly involved in a dramatic event can be overcome by this illness.

Generalized anxiety disorder. Chronic or continued worry that outside what is considered normal concern may indicate a person is suffering from GAD.

Panic Attack Disorder. Unlike most other anxiety types, panic attack disorders are characterized by physical symptoms like a fast or pounding heartbeat. Panic attacks can come on without warning and last anywhere from a few minutes to as long as 30 minutes or more.

Although mental health professionals claim successful treatment of many of the very types of anxiety disorders, the fact is that anxiety is a chronic condition with long term treatment needs. Although it’s possible to gain some relief through the various treatment programs available, I don’t believe anxiety disorders are ever completely cured.

Abigail Franks
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/anxiety-holiday-everyday-any-day-is-a-good-reason-to-worry-79565.html

Anxiety Disorder Treatments – How To Identify And Cure Anxiety Disorder

July 11, 2009 by Cure Anxiety · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Other Anxiety Related Articles 

Anxiety is a very normal reaction, that everyone experiences throughout their lives, brought on by any number of potentially stressful scenarios. Job interviews, medical test results, the long, anxious wait for the grade on your term paper, all of these things bring about a high feeling of stress and anxiety that has the very real possibility of reaching a stage where the entirely normal feeling transforms into a crippling, possibly even debilitating fear. What’s worse, no matter what you try or do, this hindrance shows no signs of letting up on its own, and when you just can’t get it to go away, you may just find yourself in the midst of an anxiety disorder.

If you want to help yourself or your family escape the throes of these anxiety disorders, the key is to successfully identifying the symptoms, and tackling them one by one. Naturally the first place you’re going to want to start is digging into the myriad of books that have been printed on the topic. Professionals the world over have outpoured their knowledge into these books, which you can then utilize in your own way. Armed with the opinion of these professionals, you can then take the next step of approaching licensed psychologists and medical practitioners in the hopes of having them appropriately diagnose your anxiety disorder.

If you think that your anxiety will only effect you mentally however, you should think again. In fact, the two categories of anxiety disorders are actually split between mental and physical, and they can both have serious effects on your life and well being.

For example, your physical symptoms may include an increased heart beat that may resemble a panic attack, an increase in persperation and sweating, especially in the palms, an onset of fatigue, and the potentially lasting effects on your ability to sleep, which can later affect other parts of your life. The physical manifestations of anxiety are only coupled by the mental symptoms, which are not mutually exclusive, and include persistent feelings of fear, an inability to focus, chronic confusion, and a compelling feeling of avoidance.

It’s important to remember, however, that there are other possible causes for these symptoms, and you should not rule them out until you’ve spoken to a medical professional, qualified to make those decisions. However, once you’ve determined that anxiety is the culprit behind your recent malaise, a dual treatment of therapy and medication is among the chief recommendations to help break your disorder. Though these types of things are not for everybody, including those who simply don’t enjoy therapy sessions, don’t trust medication, or find that they’re allergic to the usually prescribed medicines. To that end, there are also cures found through different experts that specialize in a variety of unique efforts that can help each individual differently. The hardest part on the path to curing your anxiety is simply taking the first step – but with a little research and experimentation, you should be well on your way to living stress and anxiety free.

By: Abhishek Agarwal (Download Free Anxiety Treatment)

About the Author:

Abhishek is a Stress Management expert and he has got some great Stress Management Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 90 Pages Ebook, “How To Win Your War Against Stress!” from his website http://www.Positive-You.com/507/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.