Panic! Your Guide To The Sinister Six of Anxiety Disorders
Afraid of losing your job? So scared, in fact, that you end up doing a horrible, horrible job of at least trying to be competent? There’s a universe of difference between worrying about something, and having an anxiety disorder.
(You’re thinking, “ooohhh, Reneena made a comicbook reference. Well, I did have that phase! Plus, I might’ve been anxious as a young girl about growing up expected TO BE something. That’s another story on anxiety though.)
According to the American Association of Addiction Psychiatry, “In the case of anxiety disorders, the patient has an idea that his worries are irrational, yet he can’t stop having them.”
What the sinister six of anxiety does: the heart rate increases, breathing quickens, pupils dilate, muscles tense up, blood sugar levels shoot up, sweat, dizziness and overall queasiness. In the process of that, you may endanger the lives of others, or worse, your own life.
Simple Phobia: It’s an irrational and persistent fear of an object or situation. It could range from being in confined spaces — to fear of peanut butter! (Arachibutyrophobia)
Panic Disorder: This happens when a normal everyday situation for you turns into a traumatizing event. I have a cousin who tried to drink alcohol for the first time, and it hit him — so bad, in fact, that to this day, he’s still afraid of reaching the second bottle of beer.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: They’re pretty much on the level of worry as far as panic disorder patients, just add obsession. Patients suffering from this anxiety obsess about how they can’t fulfill other people’s expectations of them. So much so, that they lose sleep over an off-hand comment, and generally make them much-less competent than they could be.
Social Disorder: We’ve come across people who are “shy.” Keeping to corners, attending parties and blending in with the background – who’s to say that something might actually be wrong with their confidence? Crippling one of man’s basic functions, that is, to socialize.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: If you’ve seen an episode of Monk, you’ll know how unproductive compulsions are. But the irrational obsession of doing an action a specific number of times may hinder someone’s ability to cope with the rest of his peers.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Some horrifying events that have happened to people, may in fact, anchor themselves so deep, that patients still relive them at any given moment, without regard for the safety of others.
Overcoming these Anxiety disorders take a lot of work, time and patience on the patient and the therapist’s part. But, to live a true grandeur life means that you don’t overlook other people’s needs, to satiate your own. Hopefully this has been informative for you as well.
