Anxiety
Types of Anxiety
Panic Disorder
A panic attack is defined as a period of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling and chest pain as well as cognitive symptoms such as fear of losing control and/or dying. A panic attack can be associated with any of the anxiety disorders, but panic disorder itself is characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and persistent concerns about having additional panic attacks.
Specific Phobia
The anxiety in specific phobia is associated with persistent, excessive and unreasonable fear when there is an anticipated or actual encounter with a specific object or situation. There can be significant anxiety and sometimes panic whenever a phobic person is exposed to the feared object or situation. Some examples of specific phobias include fear of certain animals, fear of heights, fear of blood or fear of places such as bridges or elevators.
Social Phobia
Social phobia is defined as a marked and persistent fear of a social situation or a performance in which embarrassment is considered to be a likely outcome. A fear of public speaking is one of the more common forms of social phobia. In all instances of social phobia, there is acute anxiety whenever the feared situation or performance is anticipated or encountered and there is frequently a strong desire for avoidance.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
The presence of recurrent obsessions and compulsions which are time-consuming, impair life activities, and are recognized by the person as being excessive or unreasonable are features of this condition. An obsession is defined as persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses or images which are intrusive, anxiety-provoking and distressing. A compulsion is a ritualistic behavior which is intended to modify or reduce the anxiety through activity or behavior. The most frequent compulsions involve washing and cleaning, counting, seeking assurances, checking and/or repeating actions.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
The anxiety in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is clearly associated with a traumatic event that the person experienced or witnessed and was associated with intense fear, horror or helplessness. In addition, there are recurrent, intrusive recollections of the events which are anxiety-provoking and distressing to the person. There may be avoidance of any situations associated with the original trauma and other anxiety-related symptoms such as hyper-vigilance or exaggerated startle response.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The primary feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder is excessive anxiety and worry which occurs more days than not for a period of at least six months. In addition, symptoms of restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension and sleep disturbance may be present. The anxiety is perceived by the individual as being difficult to control or regulate.
Depression is a disturbance in mood characterized by varying degrees of sadness, disappointment, loneliness, hopelessness, self-doubt, and guilt. Most people tend to feel depressed at one time or another, but some people may experience these feelings more frequently or with deeper, more lasting, effects. In some cases, depression can last for months or even years. The most common type of depression is what is referred to as “feeling blue” or “being in a bad mood.” These feelings are usually brief in duration and have minimal or slight effects on normal everyday activities.
In the next level of depression, symptoms become more intense and last for a longer period of time. Daily activities may become more difficult…but the individual is still able to cope with them. It is at this level, however, that feelings of hopelessness can become so intense that suicide may seem the only solution.
A person experiencing severe depression may experience extreme fluctuations in moods or even a desire for complete withdrawal from daily routine and/or the outside world.
Depression may affect one’s life in any of the following ways:
Crying spells or, at the other extreme, lack of emotional responsiveness.
Changes in Feelings and/or Perceptions
Changes in Behavior and Attitudes
Physical Complaints
Eating Disorders most commonly refer to Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder.
While disordered eating behaviors and thoughts can be viewed on a spectrum, there are three different diagnosable eating disorders:
Anorexia Nervosa is a condition that occurs when a person refuses to maintain a healthful weight resulting in a weight that is at least 15% below normal. Such individuals have an intense fear of gaining weight and view most foods as "fattening." They maintain a highly restrictive diet, often an intense exercise regime, and if they do eat, they typically follow eating with some form of purging. They often believe themselves to be much bigger and heavier than they actually are; therefore, they are unlikely to acknowledge that their low weight is a problem. Anorexia occurs in about 2% of the general population, but it is higher among college students, with some evidence that these numbers are rising.
Bulimia is described as recurrent episodes of binge eating, consuming large quantities of food in a short period of time, followed by some form of purging either by vomiting, laxatives, vigorous exercise, dieting, or fasting. The onset of Bulimia is often preceded by a restrictive diet, which many people find difficult to maintain because of hunger or because they feel frustrated with dieting itself. Although they may initially feel satisfied with being disciplined about their eating, they may also wish to be free of these restraints, especially if the expected rewards in other areas of their lives do not follow. Bingeing can then begin. When an individual feels like a failure for not sustaining their diet or when they fear that going back to normal eating will lead to weight gain, some individuals may try purging as a form of weight control. This can lead to further food restrictions and so the cycle continues.
Some people binge without purging, which is known as Binge Eating Disorder. Binge eating disorder is defined as “recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances, with episodes accompanied by feelings of lack of control.” Here, a person will often consume food rapidly, feeling out of control. During a binge, the person may feel absent, unaware, or mentally checked out. A person with Binge Eating Disorder may often ignore signs of fullness and eventually may have difficulty recognizing hunger and fullness cues. A person with Binge Eating Disorder will often binge eat alone (sometimes at night) as to hide this behavior. Often, feelings of guilt, shame, or disgust follow the binge.
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