Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by disturbing thoughts or images, called obsessions, and rituals, called compulsions, that are performed to try to prevent or dispel them. The obsessive-compulsive does not take any pleasure from performing the rituals, but is forced to perform them by unbearable feelings of anxiety and unease. Performing the ritual gives the OCD sufferer temporary relief from the discomfort caused by the obsession.

Some OCD sufferers are obsessed with germs or dirt, and wash their hands over and over. A journalist may be filled with doubt, and checks his facts repeatedly, even if it means going out of his way to find a telephone in a remote village. A child may refuse to leave the house without putting his or her toys in a particular place, or going around turning the lights on and off in a particular order.

A lot of healthy people might think that they have OCD, when they find themselves repeatedly checking the stove before leaving the house. The disorder is diagnosed, however, when such activities consume at least an hour a day and the sufferer experiences intense feelings of discomfort and unease if he or she resists performing the required ritual. In addition, the activities appear to be senseless, are very distressing, and interfere with daily life.

OCD affects men and women equally, and afflicts about 2% of the population. It can appear in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, but on the average it first shows up in the teens or early adulthood. A third of adults with OCD experienced their first symptoms as children. The course of the disease is variable. In some sufferers, the symptoms come and go. In others they ease over time, or can grow worse. There is some evidence that OCD might run in families.

The OCD sufferer might also be depressed, and have other anxiety disorders. Some may avoid situations in which they might have to confront their obsessions, or they may try to use alcohol or drugs to escape their compulsion. Some OCD sufferers have been able to adapt to their condition, and even find that it may help them in a career. An obsessive journalist, for example, may harness his obsession to ensure that his articles are extremely accurate. However, severe OCD can keep someone from holding down a job or from carrying out normal responsibilities at home.

See also:
- What is Anxiety?
- What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
- What are Panic Attacks?
- What are Phobias?
- What is Post-Tramautic Stress Disorder?

Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.

Panic Attacks

People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. The person having a panic attack experiences physical symptoms, like a pounding heart, weakness and a smothering sensation.

The sufferer may genuinely believe that he or she is having a heart attack or stroke, or is on the verge of death. The sufferer cannot predict when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike. In between times there is a persistent, lingering worry that another attack could come any minute.

Most panic attacks last for just a few minutes, but they can last longer. In rare cases, they may last an hour or more.

Panic disorder can strike one in every 10 Americans over their lifetime. It can appear at any age, but most often it begins in young adults, and affects twice as many women as men.

Not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder. This much more serious condition is often accompanied by other conditions such as depression or alcoholism, and may give rise to phobias, which can develop in places or situations where panic attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack strikes while the sufferer is out shopping, he or she may develop a fear of stores, and start avoiding them.

Some people's lives become greatly restricted as they start to avoid any situation where they fear a panic attack may occur. When people's lives become so affected by the disorder that they are afraid to leave their homes, the condition is called agoraphobia. This is a fear of public or open places.

See also:
- What is Anxiety?
- What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
- What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
- What are Phobias?
- What is Post-Tramautic Stress Disorder?

Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is much more than the normal anxiety people experience day to day. Chronic and exaggerated worry and tension characterize it, even though nothing seems to provoke it.

Another term for GAD is "free-floating anxiety". This term conveys the generalized nature of the feeling that a dreadful, unknown event is about to befall the sufferer. A person suffering from GAD always anticipates disaster and often worries too much about health, money, family, or work. GAD is diagnosed when a person appears to be affected by excessive worry and anxiety for at least six months.

GAD comes on gradually and most often affects people in childhood or adolescence. It can also appear in adulthood. More women than men appear to suffer from GAD, and it does appear to run in families, either because of heredity, or else because of behavior patterns that are common to a particular family.

People who suffer from GAD can't seem to shake their sense of dread and worry, even if they appear to be intellectually aware that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. People with GAD also seem unable to relax. They often have trouble falling or staying asleep, and their worries are frequently accompanied by physical symptoms like muscle tension and nausea. They tend to feel tired, have trouble concentrating, and sometimes suffer depression, too.

Usually a person who suffers from GAD is able to carry on with normal activities. He or she can function in social settings, or on the job, and does not usually have to avoid certain situations as a result of the disorder. However, severe GAD can be very debilitating and it can make daily life difficult, as well as having a negative impact on the sufferer's relationships with friends and family.

See also:
- What is Anxiety?
- What are Panic Attacks?
- What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
- What are Phobias?
- What is Post-Tramautic Stress Disorder?

Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.

Anxiety - What is it?

We've all experienced symptoms of anxiety at some point in our lives. A pounding heart, tense muscles, rapid breathing, perfuse sweating, or an upset stomach characterize a few of the many symptoms associated with the illness.

Perhaps you've felt anxious when you've given a speech, taken a test, or driven in heavy traffic. While this kind of tension may have felt uncomfortable, it also helped you cope. You had a reason to be anxious, and the tension it caused kept you aware and ready to react. Now imagine feeling anxious for no apparent reason.

Anxiety disorders are conditions that have their roots in both human experience and biology. Brain cells communicate with each other by passing signals through the release and uptake of chemicals called neurotransmitters.

Scientists theorize that anxiety symptoms result because the brain produces too much of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. Too much serotonin is associated with tension, while if there are high levels of norepinephrine in the system, a person experiences other physical symptoms that are associated with anxiety, like heart palpitations.

As scientists use molecular biology techniques to advance their knowledge of the brain and the nervous system, understanding of the physiological basis of anxiety disorders is expected to grow substantially.

While anxiety can be a protective response to a perceived threat or danger, it also can become a problem for some people who have no obvious cause. In cases where anxiety is excessive and does not seem to be warranted, it can be debilitating. In addition, a variety of substances, medications and medical conditions can lead to anxiousness; in these cases, the anxiousness goes away when the substance is not taken or changes are made in the medication.

There are five general types of anxiety: (On the next post the definition of each type of Anxiety).

- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Attacks
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Exaggerated Fears (Phobias)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.