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| What is anxiety? |
Anxiety is a term which describes a
normal feeling people experience
when faced with threat or danger, or
when stressed.
When people become anxious, they
typically feel upset, uncomfortable
and tense.
Feelings of anxiety are caused by
experiences of life, such as job loss,
relationship breakdown, serious
illness, major accident or the death
of someone close. Feeling anxious is
appropriate in these situations and
usually we feel anxious for only a
limited time. These feelings are not
regarded as clinical anxiety, but are
a part of everyday life.
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| What are the anxiety
disorders? |
| The anxiety disorders are a group of
illnesses, each characterised by
persistent feelings of high anxiety.
There are feelings of continual or
extreme discomfort and tension,
with the fear of panic attacks, usually
without discernible cause.
People are likely to be diagnosed
with an anxiety disorder when their
level of anxiety and feelings of panic
are so extreme that they significantly
interfere with daily life and stop
them doing what they want to do.
This is what characterises an anxiety
disorder as more than normal
feelings of anxiety.
Anxiety disorders affect the way the
person thinks, feels and behaves
and, if not treated, cause
considerable suffering and distress.
They often begin in early adulthood
and are often triggered by a series
of significant life events.
Anxiety disorders are common and
affect one in 20 people at any given
time.
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| What are the main
types of anxiety
disorders?
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Most types of anxiety disorder are
characterised by heightened anxiety
and fear of panic. Obsessive
compulsive disorder and posttraumatic
stress disorder are
considered types of anxiety
disorder, as both feature high levels
of anxiety, which people try to
control.
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Agoraphobia
- Panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia)
- Specific phobia
- Social phobia
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
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