While temporary feelings of apprehension and fear occur in all of us, like when we go on a roller coaster ride or sing in front of a large audience (especially if we can’t sing!), some people experience moments of intense fear around relatively trivial things and suffer overwhelming trembling, shaking, and loss of control.  These panic attacks can last from minutes to hours and are called anxiety disorders.  While the exact answer as to why these disorders occur is unclear, genetics, chemical imbalances and stress all combine as a factor in the development of these illnesses.

The following are a few common anxiety disorders that many people suffer from.

Generalized Anxiety Disorders

People with generalized anxiety disorders feel worried and uneasy most of the time.  Routine events or circumstances in their lives worry them excessively, resulting in disturbed sleep, irritability, muscle aches, and tension.  Many worry about their finances, family, personal health, and relationships with others even though there are no issues regarding any of these subjects.  Although they recognize their anxiety as irrational or out of proportion to the real situation, they feel unable to control their worrying.  People with generalized anxiety disorders are treated with various psychoactive drugs, such as benzodiazepines, to reduce high levels of anxiety.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental illness in which a person suffers from reoccurring intrusive thoughts or the need to repeat certain actions over and over again. People with this disorder often perform compulsions to reduce the anxiety produced by their obsessions.  While people with this disorder realize their obsessions or compulsions are irrational, they cannot suppress these tendencies.  The obsessions and compulsions significantly interfere with their ability to function and may consume a great deal of time. Common obsessions include fears of contamination from germs or the need to keep things neat and symmetrical, thus causing the person to compulsively wash their hands many times a day or constantly rearrange and straighten objects their a desk.

Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder includes psychoactive drugs and psychotherapy, such as “exposure and response prevention” where a patient may be exposed to something dirty but is prevented from washing their hands.

Phobia

Phobia is an excessive, irrational, and enduring fear of clearly defined objects, activities, or situations. Although people with phobias know their fear is irrational and out of proportion from the real situation, they always try to avoid the source of their fear.  When the phobic anxiety attacks occur, it results in a rapid, pounding heartbeat, stomach disorders, nausea, diarrhea, frequent urination, choking feelings, flushing of the face, perspiration, tremulousness, and faintness.

Phobias can be categorized into three major groups:

Besides antianxiety and antidepressant drugs, treatment for phobias include systematic desensitization which allows the person to gradually confront his or her fear by being exposed to a situation or object that is increasingly close to the feared one.  Another technique used to treat phobias is exposure therapy, where the patient is repeatedly exposed to the exact feared situation to show them that no harm befalls them.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder usually occurs after people experience or witness a traumatic or catastrophic event such as warfare, violent physical attacks, and car or airplane crashes.  People with this disorder relive the traumatic event through recurrent nightmares or intrusive memories and often become detached from society.  They have difficulty sleeping, concentrating and often avoid things or places associated with the trauma.

People with post-traumatic stress receive treatment to minimize their anxiety and confront their traumatic experience through group therapy and other psychotherapy.  To reduce the mood disturbances that often accompany this disorder, patients are prescribed antidepressants and anxiety-reducing drugs.

Clinical Depression

Depression is the most common mental illness.  While most people have often expressed temporary sadness experienced from time to time as depression, clinical depression is a serious disorder characterized by feelings of deep sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, worthlessness and many times, thoughts of suicide.  People with depression also have a lack of interest in activities, thus diminishing their capability to function normally in society.  A form of depression called bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is characterized by mood swings between severe depression and mania (elevated enthusiasm, racing thoughts, and hyperactivity).  Another form of depression is seasonal affective disorder (SAD).  People with SAD mostly suffer from depression only during seasons with little sunlight, such as fall and winter.