Anxiety disorder

Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of fear, phobia and nervous condition, that come on suddenly and prevent pursuing normal daily routines including:

• General anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety, sometimes known as "social phobia" or "social anxiety disorder" (SAD)
• Specific phobias
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Claustrophobia
• Panic disorder
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

See also anxiety for more information.

A growing body of research indicates anxiety disorder is one of many organic illnesses mimicked by caffeinism, a comparatively recent addition to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Treatment

Anxiety disorders are often debilitating chronic conditions, which can be present from an early age or begin suddenly after a triggering event. They are prone to flare up at times of high stress.

Pharmaceutical companies have created a number of drugs to combat these disorders. These include antidepressants SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), TCA's (tricyclic antidepressants), MAOI's (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), which act on neurotransmitters such as serotonin; and traquilizers BZD's (benzodiazepines), which act on the central nervous system.

Many of these disorders can also be treated with the aid of a good counselor and behavioural therapies such as cognitive therapy.

External Links

• Anxiety Disorders: Types, Symptoms and Treatment