Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

There are several types, or manifestations of

Anxiety Disorders

* specific phobias, and * generalized anxiety disorder - also called

"free-floating

anxiety" (GAD).

NOTE:

"Free-floating"

is misleading, though; everything is connected

to some

thing - in this case it simply means that the connection isn't yet clear.

Each anxiety disorder has different symptoms, but all the symptoms involve

excessive, irrational fear and dread. Use the Menu below to go to the

specific

one(s) you are interested in reading about.

Commonly major

depressive disorder

/reaction

and other anxiety

"disorders

accompan

this disorder.

Generally,

the anxiety

disorders are the most

common, or frequently

occurring, mental

disorders. They consist of a group

of conditions that share extrem

or pathological anxiety as the main mood or

emotional tone

disturbance. Anxiety, which

may be understood as the extreme

form of normal fear, consists of mood, thinking,

behavior, and

physiological

activity disturbances.

These include panic disorder (with and without a history of

agoraphobia),

agoraphobia

(with and without a history of

panic disorder), generalized anxiety

disorder, specific

phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder,

acute stress disorder and post-

traumatic stress disorder

Klaas Tuinman

Dawn Cove Abbey

Deerfield, (Yarmouth County) Nova Scotia, Canada - 2008 rev: 20

Anxiety and Anxiety "Disorders":
These are Reactions and States of Being
They are not "disorders"

PHOBIAS

Specific Phobia

: this

is an intense fear of

something that poses

little or no actual danger,

such as closed-in places,

heights, escalators,

tunnels, highway driving,

water, flying, dogs, and

injuries involving blood.

These phobias aren't just

extreme fear; they are

irrational fear of a

particular thing.

The Anxiety "Disorders/Reactions" consist of a group of conditions that share extreme
or pathological anxiety as the main mood, or emotional tone disturbance. These may be
understood as the extreme form of normal fear, consisting of mood, thinking, behavior, and
physiological activity disturbances.

Anxiety "Disorders"

The anxiety reactions are the most common, or frequently occurring,

mental/emotional

debilitating states. While they affect millions of people age

18 years and older,

they now

occur among much younger people, too -

including children.

It results in fearfulness and uncertainty, and is characterized by having

recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns ("worries"). Frequently, they will

avoid certain situations out of worry.

This is mostly accompanied by such physical symptoms as sweating, trembling,

dizziness

and/or rapid heartbeat.

nxiety is a response or reaction to a threat, either real, or perceived,

o our well-being; physical emotional, mental, and spiritual.

As such,

it too is a circumstantial (often temporary)

variant

in human behaviour.

It can also arise due to threats to our cherished beliefs, and ideals: because

of the emotional value we attach to them, any apparent threats or attacks

upon them have greater impact than some other stressful events.

Because

this, when such threats arise, their impact seems

to be much greater.

Anxiety is an emotional state,

* tension

is the average individual's

physical reaction to stress and anxiety,

while

stress

is a temporarily induced

psycho-physiological imbalance caused

by an apparent threatening event (this is

a single aspect of stress - see

Stress

)

for a more complete description.

The various forms of Anxiety

all

are

emotional states.

Most of us have at one time or another

been in situations where we were

so emotionally aroused or upset that

our ability to think simply disappeared.

Example: someone "froze at the wheel",

in an automobile accident. "Freezing"

or "getting rattled" are just different

descriptions of an extreme anxiety state

that is the psychological

equivalent to

physiological shock

(or PTSD)

Anxiety can originate from lack of security, the need to be loved, and

feelings of inferiority. It

is sometimes defined as a fear of reality; that

it is an escape mechanism. It often involves

alcohol or phobias.

However, the more severe reactions are mostly due to frightening or

again.

Often, anxiety and the related reactions and behaviours are symptoms of

a lack of self

confidence in individuals; instilling or restoring self

confidence usually eliminates many of

the problems. But the more

severe ones are based on fear.

See further below for other details.

Clinically diagnosed anxiety is not just being a bit worried, you can't just "chill out a bit" or "get

over it". It eats into your wellbeing, your confidence, your health and your life and it is 24/7.

When someone cancels, or ducks out, or makes a “pathetic” excuse please understand that it

isn't personal, it isn't laziness, it isn't being rude. It's because they can't physically do it. When

someone needs supporting/encouraging/ hand holding it isn't pathetic, it isn't attention-

seeking, it isn't childish - it's because they are desperate to beat it but can't do it alone.

"Anxiety sucks, being isolated and believing your friends don't care

sucks even more”.

Have you ever had a night out planned, or arranged coffee or a beer with friends, and

suddenly the 4 walls you inhabit seem the only safe haven because it's the only place you

don't have to pretend you are okay, so you cancel.

Or when you are invited out you tell them how terribly sorry you are, but you've already

booked

up that weekend, when you are actually just really busy holding it together in your

safe box.

So the first problem starts, all by itself. People stop asking you and the isolation that at first

wasn't true becomes your only truth.

do want to talk, they just don't know how to say it some days.

And in work every passing comment is negative, you constantly do more to get over the feeling

you are not good enough. The exhaustion from not sleeping because you panic all night over

what you cannot influence, means you make mistakes, you live in a fog and it is a vicious circle.

_________________________________________
Klaas Tuinman M.A.
Life Self-Empowerment Facilitation
at Dawn Cove Abbey
Comments and Questions are welcomed