UNDERSTANDING ANXIETY
What is anxiety?
What are the different types of anxiety?
What is a panic attack?
What is agoraphobia?
What is the best way to treat anxiety?
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a term we use to describe a fearful reaction to a situation which does not warrant such a high level of negative emotion. Anxiety involves a number of different human phenomena:
Physiological: feelings of "jittery-ness", rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, etc.
Cognitive: worrisome, negative thinking
Behavioral: escape and avoidance actions related to anxiety provoking stimuli
Emotional: vague feelings of apprehension and dread, a sense that something "is" or "will" go wrong.
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What are the different types of anxiety?
Usually we say a person suffers from Generalized Anxiety when he/she feels anxious about several subjects. We say a person is phobic or has a phobia when the anxiety centers around a specific situation, such as fear of high places, or fear of flying, etc.
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What is a panic attack?
The term "panic attack" is simply a name given to a very intense, distinct period of extreme anxiety. They are usually short-lived (usual duration approximately 5 to 15 minutes), and often seem to come "out of the blue" without warning, even when not in the presence of a fearful stimuli. Often times a person fears that a panic attack will cause them to faint, die or "go crazy." We say a person has a panic disorder when they experience frequent, recurrent panic attacks.
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What is agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia is an anxiety-based condition wherein a person avoids and escapes from situations where they fear they may have a panic attack, or where they may experience some other kind of adverse, upsetting situation. People with agoraphobia can only feel "safe" in certain situations, or with certain "safe" people accompanying them. With time, the boundary of their "safe" areas begins to get smaller and smaller. Sometimes, people with severe agoraphobia may become "homebound," i.e., unwilling to leave their own house due to anxiety.
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What is the best way to treat anxiety?
Scientific research has shown that anxiety responds best to a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and medication. My clinical experience has proven this to be true as well.
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