Anxiety is defined as emotions which are negative in nature, such as Fear and Worry. People who have anxiety will generally have a sense of dread and quite often experience physical signs such as nausea and even chest pain which mimics a heart attack or other serious condition. During an anxiety attack the heart rate will speed up and the blood pressure will increase, at the same time the functions of the digestive system will slow down.
While anxiety is a normal reaction to danger, a person who suffers excessive amounts is known to have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can manifest itself in several different conditions.
The most common conditions are:
GAD
Social Anxiety
Panic Disorder
Phobias
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Generalised Anxiety is prevalent in both men and women and affects a large portion of the population. Social Anxiety is when a person is unable to meet other people or join in a social event without being filled with fear. Panic disorder manifest's itself in an extreme attack of anxiety which can bring on breathing difficulties, dizziness etc. A person who suffers a phobia has an extensive imagination and extreme and often irrational fears. Obsessive compulsive disorder is when a sufferer will go to extremes in order to reduce their anxiety, i.e. many will repeatedly wash their hands in an effort to be "clean".
There are generally 2 methods that are commonly used to treat a person suffering from anxiety. These are prescription medications and various types of therapy with therapy fast becoming the method of choice for today's health professional's.