Anxiety
If you find yourself experiencing anxiety you may be suffering from one of the following conditions:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
The individual suffering from GAD lives in a constant state of tension and general uneasiness. They are oversensitive in their relationships and generally feel inadequate and depressed. No matter how well things are going, they are nervous and anxious. They find themselves constantly worrying. Typically, at the end of the day they mentally review their daily activities, list out all of their "mistakes", real or imagined, and come up with what they "should" have done in that situation.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder, also called Social Phobia, primarily evokes fear in an individual. Social Phobia is a specific and persistent fear of social situations in which the person feels embarrassed. It can also occur in situations such as public speaking or dating. Some teens and adults with Social Phobia realize that their fear is irrational or excessive, however, this may not be the case with children. Even though the person realizes that their fear is unreasonable, they seem unable to control or stop it. More often than not, the feared situation is avoided by the individual, but when it is unavoidable it is with much fear and dread.
Panic Disorder (Panic Attacks)
Panic disorder is an anxiety based disorder in which the individual has sudden, recurring feelings of terror that strike with no warning. It affects at least 1.6% of Americans and it can appear at any age. These episodes are called panic attacks. A panic attack is mainly characterized by periods of intense fear or discomfort. It has a sudden onset that gradually builds to the most intense point of the attack within approximately 10 minutes. During a panic attack the individual reports feelings of intense doom or a sense of pending danger or disaster. People experiencing these attacks will try to flee from the place where the attack is occurring. They also report that the feelings are so intense that they were fearful that they may lose control, have a heart attack, go "crazy" or even die. It is important to realize that each individual experiences these symptoms at varying levels.
Depression
Depression is one of a range of moods a person feels that can vary from feeling down as a result of having a bad day, to a debilitating feeling of sadness that may overwhelm you and prevent you from performing normal daily tasks. Depression can occur in people of all ages and the episodes can last from a few days to several weeks or months. It is thought that young adults experience depression more frequently, and that it affects twice as many women as men.