Do I Have Anxiety

Worry and anxiety are part of normal reactions in life. However, significant distress can cause impairment in your daily functioning. This is beyond normal reactions and can be treated. Some anxiety related disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Phobias.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive, unrealistic worry that lasts six months or more. In adults, the anxiety may focus on issues such as health, money, or career. In addition to chronic worry, GAD symptoms include trembling, muscular aches, insomnia, abdominal upsets, dizziness, and irritability.

Symptoms include:

  • Excessive worry about everyday things that interferes with daily functioning
  • Physical symptoms such as sweating, nausea, clammy hands
  • Associated with higher risk for suicide


Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a complex health condition that can develop in response to a traumatic experience - a life-threatening or extremely distressing situation that causes a person to feel intense fear, horror or a sense of helplessness.

Symptoms include:

  • Re-experiencing the event through intrusive thoughts or dreams
  • Avoiding conversations or situations that remind the sufferer of the event
  • A sense of detachment
  • Irritability, anxiousness, hypervigilance
  • Outbursts of anger


Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is characterized by obsessions and compulsions.  Obsessions are intrusive, recurrent, unwanted ideas, thoughts or impulses that are difficult to set aside.  Compulsions are repetitive behaviors, either observable or mental, that are intended to reduce the anxiety caused by the obsessions.

Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks.  A panic attack is an intense fear or discomfort in the absence of real danger that comes on abruptly and reaches a peak within 10 minutes.  It may include palpitations, pounding hear, sweating, trembling , shortness of breath, feeling of choking, chest pain, nausea, feeling dizzy, fear of losing control, fear of dying, numbness, chills or hot flashes.

Symptoms include:

  • Recurrent unexpected panic attacks
  • Persistent concern about having additional attacks
  • Worry about the implications of the attack (e.g., losing control, going crazy)