Anxiety Disorders
While everyone feels anxiety disorders from time to time, treatment is indicated when anxiety begins to inhibit a person’s ability to function well in daily life.
Problematic anxiety manifests in a variety of ways, including pervasive worry, social discomfort or social phobia, avoidance of stressors, panic attacks, obsessive thinking, compulsive behaviors, and specific phobias.
A person may have more than one anxiety disorder at a time.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects approximately 2.3% of the US population, outranking schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder.
Although the term “OCD” has become part of the vernacular, and many people may say they, or a loved one, are “a little OCD,” true Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that ranges in severity from mild to debilitating.
To meet criteria for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) , a person must exhibit both obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that either: cause marked distress, consume a significant amount of time each day, and/or impair daily functioning.
These are the most common signs and symptoms of anxiety:
- Feeling nervous, agitated, or tense
- Sense of impending danger, panic or catastrophe
- Increased heart rate
- Fast breathing (hyperventilation)
- Sweating
- Tremors
- Feeling weak or tired
- Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the current concern
- Have trouble falling asleep
- Have gastrointestinal (GI) problems
- Have difficulty controlling worry
- Having the need to avoid situations that generate anxiety
These signs would help anyone stay alert and seek for help in time.
You can learn more about anxiety disorders and anxiety treatments in Westport, Conneticut here with us at the Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Health (CCBH).