Overcoming Personal Crisis

Anxiety Disorder Treatment - Common Disorders

An anxiety disorder refers to a form of mental illness in which the individual experiences severe, recurring episodes of anxiety that disrupt the flow of normal life. What follows are some of the most common types of anxiety disorder, and information about their signs, symptoms, and likelihood of occurring.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Phobias
A phobia refers to the irrational fear that it is NOT in proportion to the actual threat that it presents. Phobias are one of the most misunderstood types of anxiety disorders – as other people are often unable to understand why the person is reacted with such fear to a seemingly innocuous event or thing.

The most common types of phobias include:

• Agoraphobia – the fear of crowds or public places
• Claustrophobia – fear of closed-in places
• Pterygophobia – fear of flying
• Acrophobia – fear of heights

Individuals with phobia will experience panic attacks when presented with thoughts about the feared event, or the event itself.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Re-occurring compulsive behavior is the hallmark symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Although OCD has been glamorized in such TV shows as Monk, it is actually one of the most debilitating anxiety disorders in the psychiatric world.

• Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Include:
• Fear of getting dirty or contamination
• Doubtful thoughts
• An irrational desired to have everything neat and organized
• Aggressive impulses
  

Panic Disorder
Panic disorders bring anxiety attacks to the individual suddenly and without warning. This kind of “fear of fear” makes panic disorders highly disruptive events in the course of a day. Those with panic disorder experience their anxiety in waves which can be very strong and last anywhere from five to fifteen minutes at a time.

General Anxiety Disorder
Those individuals who do not exhibit any of the specific symptoms above, but who still experience considerable anxiety all the time, are characterized as having General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Individuals with GAD live with a constant sense that everything in their life is about to wrong. It is a pessimism that keep those with GAD from living happy, productive lives.

Reaction Disorders
Reaction disorders are a type of anxiety disorder that is triggered by a particular life event. The most common types of reaction disorders include:

1. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)- Anxiety brought on after experience a particularly negative life event such as rape, war, physical assault, etc.
2. Acute Stress Reaction- This refers to anxiety experienced directly after a negative event. Acute stress reaction is often associated with the death of a spouse, or in a less severe manner, a job interview or wedding day.
3. Adjustment Reaction- In this situation, the individual will develop anxiety over a period in which they adjusting to a particular event, such as divorce.
   

Moonview Sanctuary offers anxiety treatment programs that address all the types of disorders explained here, and more. At Moonview, the individual is treated from the inside-out, with special focus placed on restoring emotional balance and focus through holistic methodology. Contact Moonview Sanctuary today for more information about the Overcoming Personal Crisis Programs.