Anxiety Disorders

Just about everyone has felt anxiety at one time in their life or another, and the effects of anxiety can range from the positive to such a negative that a person has a hard time functioning in their day-to-day routine. When this happens the person is considered to have an anxiety disorder. Women, research has shown, are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders than men but that doesn’t mean it’s strictly a female issue, since men are obviously not immune to anxiety disorders by any means.

Several different types of anxiety disorders exist; these are a few examples:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) exists when the person is worried about things in life in general. This constant worry leads to symptoms like lack of sleep, muscle aches, inability to focus and more.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is when a person has repetitive behaviors and/or thoughts that become obsessive. One example is being afraid of bacteria, so a person with OCD will wash their hands over and over again.

Panic disorder is when someone suffers from panic attacks. This is when a person’s fear takes over and they have a sudden sense of panic. Panic attacks can be frequent and severe. Their symptoms may similar or feel like a heart attack.

Phobia is when someone is so afraid of something that their body starts to react in a negative way when they come in contact with whatever it is they are afraid of. Phobias are intense fears and can range from any type such as having arachnophobia (the fear of spiders) or social phobias that prevent people from being in crowds.

It’s not completely understood what causes a person to develop anxiety disorders. Right now, it’s believed to be a combination of biological and psychological factors. Some anxiety disorders have been linked to hereditary genes while others have been formed from traumatic experiences.

Because there isn’t much conclusive evidence showing what causes anxiety disorders, it has been challenging to determine why women suffer from these more than men. But experts think that one reason is because of estrogen. Estrogen seems to interfere with serotonin – a chemical that regulates mood. Another reason some believe that women develop anxiety disorders more often is because females are more likely than males to be taken advantage of or abused when younger. These kinds of traumatic experiences have been linked to anxiety and depression.

The good news about anxiety disorders is that they are highly treatable. There are numerous medications available, behavior modification is an option and even exercise is used to help treat anxiety. If you think you may have issues with anxiety or an anxiety disorder, be sure to talk to your doctor or find a professional, such as a therapist, to talk to.