Major anxiety disorder is a disorder characterized by severe and uncontrollable anxiety that affects the day-to-day activities of the sufferer. There are four major types of Major Anxiety Disorder and they are often severe enough to interfere with normal living. However, the disorder can be managed using a balanced mix of medications and behavioral and cognitive therapies.
Major Types of Major Anxiety Disorder
The four main types of major anxiety disorder include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorders, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder. These disorders may appear together, which makes control over them even harder to do. They may also appear coupled with other problems like drug or alcohol addiction, making management of the major anxiety disorder even more difficult.
Say Goodbye to Major Anxiety Disorder!
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is a major anxiety disorder characterized by a sudden burst of panic and fear, with physiological symptoms that resemble those of a heart attack such as a sudden, stabbing pain in the chest, rapid heart beats, shortness of breath, dizziness, hyperventilation and tingling in the extremities. It is believed that attacks are caused by hormonal abnormalities in the brain which cause a sudden fight or flight response. People with this major anxiety disorder are often given medications coupled with cognitive behavioral therapy that exposes the person to controlled levels of the triggers of the panic attack.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
This is characterized by prolonged and excessive worrying about certain things. The condition can last for several months and the degree of worry may be so severe that it affects normal living patterns. People with this major anxiety disorder often can not express what it is they are worried about. Muscle tension and prolonged worrying can lead to physiological symptoms that include headaches, palpitations, and insomnia. This disorder is also often seen accompanied by depression or substance abuse.
Phobias
Phobias are characterized by extreme, irrational fear of certain objects and situations. There are hundreds of recognized phobias today but they are all characterized by specific objects of fear, a factor that sets them apart from the rest of the major anxiety disorders. Common types of phobias include fear of very small spaces, fear of wide open spaces, fear of heights, and fear of certain animals or insects. People with the disorder recognize that their fear is irrational, but they cannot seem to be able to control it. It is believed this type of major anxiety disorder starts in childhood.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
This disorder is characterized by anxiety brought about by intrusive thoughts that persist throughout the day. The sufferer then tries to relieve himself of these thoughts by repetitive actions such as hand washing several times a day. These actions can consume the sufferer’s time and may event alienate him or her from people who do not understand this type of major anxiety disorder.
Major anxiety disorder is manageable with a mix of anti-anxiety medications and behavioral therapies. Cognitive and behavioral therapies are used to address the negative thought patterns that contribute to the anxiety as well as how the sufferer reacts to situations that trigger anxiety. Knowledge of these patterns and behaviors will help teach the sufferer of major anxiety disorder how to change his perception of situations in order to lessen anxiety attacks.
Say Goodbye to Major Anxiety Disorder!
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