Make your own free website on Tripod.com
Home | Causes and Effects | Treatment | Photo Gallery | You're not alone
Anxiety Disorders

What is an anxiety disorder?  Anxiety causes a person to feel panicked.  All people feel this way on a day to day basis but when that anxiety is overwhelming, persistent or begins to interfere with normal daily activities.  At this point, you need to find professional help.

The types of anxiety disorders include:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  • Panic Disorder
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
  • Social Anxiety Disorder
  • Specific Phobias
If you suspect OCD, the first step toward regaining control of you life is to seek help. Answer "yes" or "no" to the following questions,to see if you may be affected and show it to your health care professional at your first visit. COULD IT BE OCD? Yes or No?Yes No

Do you have unwanted ideas, images, or impulses that seem silly, nasty, or horrible?

Yes No

Do you worry excessively about dirt, germs, or chemicals?

Yes No

Are you constantly worried that something bad will happen because you forgot something important, like locking the door or turning off appliances?

Yes No

Shortness of breath

Yes No

Are you afraid you will act or speak aggressively when you really don't want to?

Yes No

Are you always afraid you will lose something of importance: Yes No

Are there things you feel you must do excessively or thoughts you must think repeatedly in order to feel comfortable?

Yes No

"Jelly" legs

Yes No

Do you wash yourself or things around you excessively?

Yes No

Do you have to check things over and over again or repeat them many times to be sure they are done properly?

Yes No

Do you avoid situations or people you worry about hurting by aggressive words or deeds?

Yes No

Do you keep many useless things because you feel that you can't throw them away?

Having more than one illness at the same time can make it difficult to diagnose and treat the different conditions. Illnesses that sometimes complicate an anxiety disorder include depression and substance abuse. With this in mind, please take a minute to answer the following questions:

Yes No

Have you experienced changes in sleeping or eating habits? More days than not, do you feel:

Yes No

Sad or depressed?

Yes No

Disinterested in life?

Yes No

Worthless or guilty? During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs:

Yes No

Resulted in your failure to fulfill responsibilities with work, school, or family?

Yes No

Placed you in a dangerous situation, such as driving a car under the influence?

Yes No

Gotten you arrested?

Yes No

Continued despite causing problems for you and/or your loved ones HOW CAN I TELL IF IT'S PANIC DISORDER? Yes or no? Are you troubled by:

 Yes No

Repeated, unexpected "attacks" during which you suddenly are overcome by intense fear or discomfort, for no apparent reason?

 During this attack, did you experience any of these symptoms?

Yes No

Pounding heart

Yes No

 Sweating

Yes No

Trembling or shaking

Yes No

Shortness of breath

Yes No

Choking

Yes No

Chest pain

Yes No

Nausea or abdominal discomfort

 Yes No

 "Jelly" legs

Yes No

Dizziness

 Yes No

Feelings of unreality or being detached from yourself

Yes No

Fear of dying

Yes No

Numbness or tingling sensations

Yes No

Chills or hot flashes

Yes No

Do you experience a fear of places or situations where getting help or escape might be difficult, such as in a crowd or on a bridge?

Yes No

 Does being unable to travel without a companion trouble you?

For at least one month following an attack, have you:

Yes No

 Felt persistent concern about having another one? Yes No

Worried about having a heart attack or going "crazy"?

Yes No

Changed your behavior to accommodate the attack? Having more than one illness at the same time can make it difficult to diagnose and treat the different conditions. Illnesses that sometimes complicate an anxiety disorder include depression and substance abuse.

With this in mind, please take a minute to answer the following questions:

Yes No

Have you experienced changes in sleeping or eating habits?

More days than not, do you feel:

Yes No

Sad or depressed?

 Yes No

 Disinterested in life?

 Yes No

Worthless or guilty?

During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs: Resulted in your failure to fulfill responsibilities with work, school, or family?

 Yes No

Placed you in a dangerous situation, such as driving a car under the influence?

Yes No

Gotten you arrested?

Yes No

 Continued despite causing problems for you and/or your loved ones?

HOW CAN I TELL IF IT'S SOCIAL PHOBIA?

Yes or no? Are you troubled by: Yes No

An intense and persistent fear of a social situation in which people might judge you?

Yes No

 Fear that you will be humiliated by your actions? Yes No Fear that people will notice that you are blushing, sweating, trembling, or showing other signs of anxiety?

Yes No

Knowing that your fear is excessive or unreasonable? Does the feared situation cause you to:

Yes No

Always feel anxious?

Yes No

 Experience a "panic attack", during which you suddenly are overcome by intense fear or discomfort, including any of these symptoms?

Yes No

Pounding heart

 Yes No

 Sweating

Yes No

Trembling or shaking

Yes No

Shortness of breath

Yes No

Choking

Yes No

 Chest pain

Yes No

Nausea or abdominal discomfort

Yes No

 "Jelly" legs

Yes No

Dizziness

Yes No

Feelings of unreality or being detached from yourself

Yes No

 Fear of losing control, "going crazy"

Yes No

Fear of dying

Yes No

Numbness or tingling sensations

Yes No

 Chills or hot flashes

Yes No

Go to great lengths to avoid participating in the feared situation?

Yes No

Does all of this interfere with your daily life? Having more than one illness at the same time can make it difficult to diagnose and treat the different conditions. Illnesses that sometimes complicate anxiety disorders include depression and substance abuse. With this in mind, please take a minute to answer the following questions:

Yes No

Have you experienced changes in sleeping or eating habits? More days than not, do you feel:

 Yes No

Sad or depressed?

Yes No

 Disinterested in life?

 Yes No

Worthless or guilty?

During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs: Yes No Resulted in your failure to fulfill responsibilities with work, school, or family?

Yes No

Placed you in a dangerous situation, such as driving a car under the influence?

Yes No

Gotten you arrested?

Yes No

Continued despite causing problems for you and/or your loved ones?

How much anxiety is too much? If you suspect that you might suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, complete the following self-test by clicking the "yes" or "no" boxes next to each question, print out the test and show the results to your health care professional.



HOW CAN I TELL IF IT'S GAD?

Yes or No? Are you troubled by:



Yes No Excessive worry, occurring more days than not, for a least six months?

Yes No Unreasonable worry about a number of events or activities, such as work or school and/or health?

Yes No The inability to control the worry?



Are you bothered by a least three of the following?



Yes No Restlessness, feeling keyed-up or on edge?

Yes No Being easily tired?

Yes No Problems concentrating?

Yes No Irritability?

Yes No Muscle tension?

Yes No Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or restless and unsatisfying sleep?

Yes No Does your anxiety interfere with your daily life?



Having more than one illness at the same time can make it difficult to diagnose and treat the different conditions. Illnesses that sometimes complicate anxiety disorders include depression and substance abuse. With this in mind, please take a minute to answer the following questions

Yes No Have you experienced changes in sleeping or eating habits?



More days than not, do you feel:

Yes No Sad or depressed?

Yes No Disinterested in life?

Yes No Worthless or guilty?



During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs:



Yes No Resulted in your failure to fulfill responsibilities with work, school, or family?

Yes No Placed you in a dangerous situation, such as driving a car under the influence?

Yes No Gotten you arrested?

Yes No Continued despite causing problems for you and/or your loved ones?


HOW CAN I TELL IF IT'S PTSD?
Yes or No?

Yes No Have you experienced or witnessed a life-threatening event that caused intense fear, helplessness or horror?


Do you re-experience the event in at least one of the following ways?


Yes No Repeated, distressing memories and/or dreams?
Yes No Acting or feeling as if the event were happening again (flashbacks or a sense of reliving it)?
Yes No Intense physical and/or emotional distress when you are exposed to things that remind you of the event?

Do you avoid reminders of the event and feel numb, compared to the way you felt before, in three
or more of the following ways:

Yes No Avoiding thoughts, feelings, or conversations about it?
Yes No Avoiding activities, places, or people who remind you of it?
Yes No Blanking on important parts of it?
Yes No Losing interest in significant activities of you life?
Yes No Feeling detached from other people?
Yes No Feeling your range of emotions is restricted?
Yes No Sensing that your future has shrunk (for example, you don't expect to have a career, marriage, children, or a normal life span)?

Are you troubled by two or more of the following:

Yes No Problems sleeping?
Yes No Irritability or outbursts of anger?
Yes No Problems concentrating?
Yes No Feeling "on guard"?
Yes No An exaggerated startle response?

Having more than one illness at the same time can make it difficult to diagnosis and treat the different conditions. Illnesses that sometimes complicate an anxiety disorder include depression and substance
abuse. With this in mind, please take a minute to answer the following questions:

Yes No Have you experienced changes in sleeping or eating habits?

More days than not, do you feel:

Yes No Sad or depressed?
Yes No Disinterested in life?
Yes No Worthless or guilty?

During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs:

Yes No Resulted in your failure to fulfill responsibilities with work, school, or family?
Yes No Placed you in a dangerous situation, such as driving a car under the influence?
Yes No Gotten you arrested?
Yes No Continued despite causing problems for you and/or your loved ones?

To find more information go to

www.adaa.com
www.about.com (anxiety disorders)

Deep breaths