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Anxiety Disorders
What are Anxiety Disorders? 40 million American suffer from anxiety disorder of some form or another, each form of anxiety disorder lasting at least 6 months or more and getting progressively worse. There are many different types of anxiety disorders like panic disorders, OCD or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, social anxiety or social phobia, other specific phobias as well as GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Each type of anxiety disorder has its own symptoms but all of them are marked by irrational fear and excessive dread. People with OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have repetitive obsessions or thoughts and use rituals or compulsions to control the obsessions. For example, patients obsessed with germs will compulsively wash their hands X number of times. Such rituals help provide relief from the anxiety that comes with obsessions. More than 2 million Americans suffer from OCD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may occur to a person who has survived a horrible trauma or an ordeal involving sudden physical harm. More than 7 millions Americans have PTSD and while women are more likely to have this than men, it may also be an inherited disease. Social Anxiety Disorder Social phobia or social anxiety disorder occurs when patients are overly anxious or extremely self-conscious in normal, everyday situations. More than 15 million Americans suffer from social anxiety and it is normally accompanied by other anxiety disorders, depression and drug or alcohol abuse.
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