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You push the button for the fourth floor, the elevator door closes but the elevator doesn’t move. You push the button again…nothing happens. You push the button to open the elevator but the doors remain closed. How do you feel? What do you do? In the future, if you choose to take stairs and avoid […]
What’s the Difference Between an Anxiety Disorder and Anxiety? Read More »
Anxiety Disorder SummariesAs she stares at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep, Dina ruminates on one statement from her doctor, “Brain tumors can grow at any time. Come back in six months if you’re concerned.” She tosses and turns, “Why did he tell me that? If there was nothing wrong, why would he say come back in
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Health AnxietyDina can’t fall asleep. As she lies in bed, she can’t take her mind off the fear that she has a brain tumor, even though her doctors reassure her that everything is fine. What about the headaches she gets for no reason or the periodic dizziness? Surely, there must be something terribly wrong that the
Health Anxiety: What is It and How to Beat It? Read More »
Health AnxietyWhat is Illness Anxiety Disorder and Somatic Symptom Disorder Preoccupation with fears of having a serious disease, being obsessed with one’s body, constantly looking for signs of something wrong with one’s health and misinterpreting those signs, are the essential features of Illness Anxiety Disorder. People with this disorder can fear a brain tumor when they
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Anxiety Disorder Summaries, Health AnxietyGeneralized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is best characterized by frequent or constant worry, anxiety, and tension even when there is minimal or no cause. People who experience GAD find themselves unable to control their worry and often report being anxious most of their lives. The worry they experience is often related to events or activities, like work, school or family. With all of the excess anxiety, life becomes difficult to manage. Completing daily tasks, multi-tasking, following directions, finding one’s way, participating in an event, arriving on time, and being able to focus, all can be a struggle when one has Generalized Anxiety Disorder. This disorder can materialize any time in life and is caused by genetics and/or stress.
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Anxiety Disorder Summaries, Generalized Anxiety DisorderPhobias are not unusual. There are over 200 of them—most with names that are difficult to pronounce. A common phobia is Arachnophobia; a fear of spiders. A fear of heights is called Acrophobia. Don\’t confuse acrophobia with aerophobia, which is a fear of flying or with astraphobia, which is a fear of thunder and lighting. I\’ve just touched the tip of the phobia iceberg, beginning with the letter A. On the Internet you can find long lists of phobias that go all the way to Z.
People often feel nervous when they go on a first date or feel butterflies prior to giving a speech. They feel nervous because of a fear of messing up and embarrassing themselves. This is normal. However, in some cases, that nervousness, those butterflies and the fear of embarrassment can be so terrifying that it completely
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Anxiety Disorder Summaries, Social AnxietyWhy am I terrified of doing something I used to enjoy? It’s easy to understand how a major car accident would cause someone to fear driving, but most driving fears have nothing to do with accidents. The most comfortable drivers, those who once loved cruising along the coast, weaving through canyons, and jetting down highways
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops after one experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. Examples of such traumatic events include natural disasters, (such as a flood, fire, earthquake), rape, war, terrorist attacks, physical, emotional or sexual abuse, assault, torture, an automobile accident, frightening airplane flight, or getting a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness.
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Anxiety Disorder Summaries, Posttraumatic Stress DisorderPanic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and recurring panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that occurs for no apparent reason and triggers severe physical reactions. Panic attacks can be very frightening and those experiencing them often fear they are having a heart attack or even dying.
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Agoraphobia, Anxiety Disorder Summaries, Panic Disorder