Anxiety Disorders
Panic DisorderApproximately 1 in 75 people worldwide will have at least one panic attack at some time in their life. In Australia, 1.3% of the population go on to develop Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder is diagnosed after at least two spontaneous panic attacks in a one month period, followed by a persistent fear of having further attacks. A proportion of people diagnosed with Panic Disorder dissociate (enter a trance state) without warning. As a result they panic, triggering the Fight Or Flight Response and its associated anxiety symptoms. Dissociative states include derealisation (feeling as if you or your environment is unreal) and depersonalisation (feeling detached or separated from your body). Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show 2.7% of Australians have Social Phobia. Various other studies report up to 15%. This disorder is characterised by a persistent and intense fear of being embarrassed or of being judged negatively by others. Most people are diagnosed by age 20, with 40% developing symptoms prior to age 10. Where all social situations are feared, the disorder is sometimes described as Generalised Social Phobia. The Non-generalised form relates to people who fear a relatively few social and/or performance situations. Common situations are eating or writing in front of others, meeting new people, being the centre of attention, working under close supervision or contributing at meetings. In addition to a person fearing their performance or behaviour will be judged negatively, they also fear the embarrassment of having to escape should they become too anxious. Please visit the social anxiety page for more information. Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)Generalised Anxiety Disorder is common and can begin at any age across the life cycle. It’s characterised by excessive worry over real life situations that persists every day for at least six months. Symptoms include feeling on edge, muscle tension, impaired concentration and irritability. Sleep patterns can be disturbed and fatigue is a common feature. Thinking tends to be negative and unrealistic. People with Generalised Anxiety Disorder have very high expectations for themselves and often under-estimate their ability to manage everyday situations. It affects 3.1% of adult Australians. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)OCD affects up to 3% of the Australian population. Symptoms begin in childhood or early adolescence. The disorder is characterised by compulsions around washing, hoarding, counting, checking, arranging objects in a particular order or repeating an activity such as tapping. Obsessions can include a fear of contamination or illness or imagery of a sexual or religious nature. Compulsions, while practiced in order to relieve anxiety, actually compound and reinforce anxiety, resulting in a need to repeat the activity. OCD is a genetic condition resulting from chemical, functional and structural abnormalities in the brain. It is thought personality type, hormonal changes and stress play a role in triggering the disorder. Return to topAgoraphobiaAgoraphobia is the avoidance of any place or situation where escape might be difficult if the person were to become anxious. In some cases, people diagnosed with Panic Disorder will also experience the avoidant behaviour associated with Agoraphobia. A person may start by avoiding just one place, but as episodes of anxiety become more frequent, more places are avoided. Over the course of the disorder it is not uncommon for a person to feel too anxious to leave home. For more information, see the separate page about Agoraphobia and its impact. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Those experiencing PTSD can benefit from specialist treatment. The Australian Psychological Society can refer you to an appropriately trained professional - Phone 1800 333497. Information and resources can be found on the Australian Centre for Post Traumatic Health website at www.acpmh.unimelb.edu.au
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