Anxiety is not just one disorder but rather a whole range of conditions. Some of these include:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Specific Phobias
- Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder
- Social Phobia
- Reassurance Seeking
- Safety Behaviours
We all know what worry is, which might be indicative of how close many of us tread to an anxiety disorder.
Avoidance might be simply putting off anything that is uncomfortable down to flat out refusal – imagine parachuting if you have a fear of heights or picking up a spider if you have arachnophobia.
And safety behaviours is looking for methods to reduce our anxiety not specified above. Think of whistling a happy tune or chanting silent mantras as examples.
Many of us experience anxiety without it becoming a full-blown problem and the issue can be transient. However, if it begins to cause us to experience reduced functioning it is time to do something about it.
Seek advice from your doctor or healthcare professional without delay. Early interventions are highly likely to have a huge impact very quickly.