Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a mental state of turmoil and agitation, with an indefinable sense of insecurity, a fear without purpose.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is generally defined as the fear of finding oneself in situations from which it might be difficult to escape or in which it would be difficult to get help in the event of a panic attack. This anxiety can manifest itself in the fear of being alone outside the home, being caught in a crowd or in a line, crossing wide open spaces or even taking transportation.

Panic attacks

Panic attacks are manifested by symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, trembling, sensations of “shortness of breath” or a feeling of suffocation or strangulation, chest discomfort, nausea, dizziness, etc. These manifestations may be spontaneous (occurring in the absence of an anxiety-provoking situation) or may be related to agoraphobia, claustrophobia etc. Panic disorder is best summed up by the “fear of being afraid” (anticipation and fear of the consequence of the occurrence of a panic attack).

Diffuse phobias (or panphobia)

Diffuse phobias correspond to a permanent state of tension, in which panic attacks occur, without apparent motives or triggered by futile circumstances. The phobic is afraid of everything.

Specific phobias

Specific phobias correspond to the irrational fear of being confronted with a specific situation, which can be of several types:

Examples of phobias! (non-exhaustive)

ANIMALS:

Fear of Cats: Ailurophobia

Fear of Spiders: Arachnophobia

Fear of bees: Apiphobia

Fear of Dogs: Cynophobia

Fear of Insects: Entomophobia

Fear of Snakes: Ophiophibia

Fear of Birds: Ornithophobia

Fear of mice or rodents: Musophobia

NATURAL WORLD

Fear of heights: Acrophobia

Fear of water: Hydrophobia

Fear of storms: Cheimophobia

BLOOD-INJECTION-ACCIDENT or OBJECTS:

Fear of needles (or sharp objects): Aichmophobia

Fear of blood: Hematophobia

Fear of injections: Trypanophobia

Fear of Accidents: Amychophobia

SITUATIONAL:

Fear of flying: Aerophobia.

Fear of confined spaces: Claustrophobia

Fear of the dark: Nyctalophobia

Fear of crossing a bridge: Gephyrophobia

OTHERS:

Fear of vomiting: Emetophobia

Fear of falling: Ptophobia

Fear of fainting: Asthenopathy

Fear of driving a car: Amaxophobia

Fear of getting sick: Nosophobia

Fear of swallowing: Phagophobia

Social phobia

Social phobia refers to the fear of social interactions, performance situations or being observed by others for fear of acting in a humiliating or embarrassing manner. This phobia can be limited to one type of situation (speaking in front of an audience, writing in front of someone…) or generalized (concerning most social situations).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is made up of recurrent and intrusive thoughts that lead to anxiety and rituals that are designed to relieve the anxiety caused by the obsessions. These rituals can be repetitive behaviours (washing, tidying up, checking…) or mental acts (calculations, conjurative formulas…).

Examples of obsessions! (not exhaustive)

Fear of dirt, germs (bacteria, diseases …)

Fear of having odious thoughts about religion or sexuality

Fear of contamination

Obsession with symmetry

Obsession with order

Afraid you can’t throw away useless things…

Fear of committing acts of violence

Examples of rituals! (not exhaustive)

Excessive checks (lights, doors, gas…)

Mental Calculations

Conjuring formulas (walking on lines to ward off bad luck…)

Excessive washing (hands, nose, multiple showers…)

Repetitive touching of objects

Excessive storage

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) follows a traumatic event during which a person has experienced intense fear or feelings of helplessness. The event is then relived on a recurring basis and can cause a net reduction in interest in certain activities, a restriction of positive emotions, sleep difficulties, fits of anger, startle reactions…

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder manifests itself by excessive preoccupation with the future, health, work, etc. for oneself or one’s loved ones that is difficult to control.

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What are the different types of disorders