About Anxiety

About Anxiety

There are different types of Anxiety Conditions. They include:

Persistent Panic (Panic Disorder)
Panic with Agoraphobia (Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia)
Agoraphobia without Panic (Agoraphobia without Panic disorder)
Generalized Anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD)
Specific Phobia
Post Traumatic Stress (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD)
Acute Stress (Acute Stress Disorder, ASD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Condition (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD)
Social Phobia or Social Anxiety (Social Anxiety Disorder)
Separation Anxiety
Children and Youth

Millions of Canadians will develop an overwhelming anxiety condition in their lifetime. Over 12% of Canadians will be affected, causing mild to severe impairment. Anxiety conditions include: generalized anxiety condition (disorder); persistent panic (panic disorder); agoraphobia with panic; post traumatic stress (disorder); acute stress (disorder); obsessive compulsive disorder; specific phobias; social anxiety; and childhood anxieties such as separation anxiety.

People with anxiety often feel very fearful but they have difficulty identifying the source of their feelings of fear. People commonly experience anxiety as feelings of unease and dread in anticipation of an ambiguous event. Whereas feelings of fear are often in response to a specific threat (e.g., an unpaid bill), the source of feelings of anxiety is often elusive. In addition, the fear response is usually time-limited (e.g., it is only experienced in the presence of something feared, like a growling dog) whereas individuals who experience anxiety generally describe the feelings as prolonged and persistent, without a clear beginning and end. The source of feelings of anxiety is not only difficult to identify but the threat is not usually in the near future or connected to an identifiable event (Rachman, 2004). In addition, fear is usually experienced in response to an external event (e.g., an exam), whereas anxiety is often in response to internal cue (e.g., a sense of dread or doom).

Anxiety is a normal part of everyday life that alerts people to possible dangerous events: in this way anxiety can be helpful. Everyone at some point feels “anxious” but people with anxiety conditions experience feelings of anxiety that are excessive and often unrealistic. These feelings are disruptive and interfere with family relationships, school and work activities, social interaction and recreation.

Because people with anxiety conditions generally experience excessive fear, worry or anxiety for prolonged periods of time, they may develop rituals that reduce their feelings of anxiety or avoid places and situations that might cause them to feel anxious.

Although there are no symptoms exclusively associated with anxiety conditions, individuals who experience anxiety conditions often report similar symptoms. It is important to talk to your doctor about these symptoms because while they may indicate an underlying medical condition, they may also help your doctor to identify whether or not you are experiencing an anxiety condition. It is also important to remember that individuals can have an anxiety condition, without experiencing any of the symptoms listed below.

Physical Symptoms:

Light-headedness
Headache
Muscle tension
Dizziness
Rapid heartbeat
Chest pain / Tightness in chest
Heart palpitations
Difficulty breathing (rapid breath, short of breath, difficulty catching breath)
Dry mouth
Upset stomach: churning, nausea, diarrhea, gas, pain
Difficulty swallowing / lump in throat
Excessive sweating
Unsteady
Restless
Frequent urination
Hot flashes / Chills
Tremors
Cold and clammy palms
Tingling / Pins and Needles

Mental Symptoms:

Sense of detachment: feeling unconnected from the world around you
Insomnia
Unable to concentrate / Selective attention
Difficulty remembering things
Agitated
Fatigued
Irritable
Fearful
Communication difficulties (i.e., cannot think of the words you want to use)
Fear that you are going crazy
Self-consciousness

References
Rachman, S. (2004) Anxiety (2nd ed). New York: Psychology Press Ltd