Anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of fear, phobia and nervous condition, that come on suddenly and prevent pursuing normal daily routines including:
- General anxiety disorder
- Social anxiety, sometimes known as "social phobia" or "social anxiety disorder" (SAD)
- Specific phobias
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Agoraphobia
- Claustrophobia
- Panic disorder
- Separation anxiety disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
See also anxiety for more information.
Treatment
Anxiety disorders are often debilitating chronic conditions, which can be present from an early age or begin suddenly after a triggering event. They are prone to flare up at times of high stress.
Pharmaceutical companies have created a number of drugs to combat these disorders. These include antidepressants SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), TCA's (tricyclic antidepressants), MAOI's (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), which act on neurotransmitters such as serotonin; and tranquilizers BZD's (benzodiazepines), which act on the central nervous system.
Many of these disorders can also be treated with the aid of a good counselor and behavioural therapies such as cognitive therapy.