anxiety

ANXIETY DISORDER

Definition of Anxiety

  • Anxiety is a subjective sense of unease, dread, or foreboding.

  • Described as an uncomfortable feeling of vague fear or apprehension.

  • Accompanied by psychological (worry, threat) and physiological arousal (tachycardia, shortness of breath).

PHOBIAS

Definition of Phobia

  • Phobia is a persistent avoidance behavior due to irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation.

  • Recognized as excessive or unreasonable by the individual.

Symptoms of Phobias

  • Fear triggered by the presence or anticipation of the phobic stimulus.

  • Exposure leads to immediate anxiety response or panic attack.

TYPES OF PHOBIAS

Simple Phobia (Specific Phobia)

  • Irrational fear of a specific object or stimulus.

  • Common in children; exposure can lead to panic attacks.

Examples of Phobias

  • Ailurophobia: Fear of cats

  • Algophobia: Fear of pain

  • Aquaphobia: Fear of water

  • Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders

  • Phobias can extend to other specific stimuli (e.g., fire, worms).

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)

Introduction to OCD

  • Neurotic disorder characterized by obsessions and compulsions.

  • Treatment involves psychiatric medications and psychotherapy.

Definitions

  • Obsessions: Recurrent, persistent thoughts causing distress (e.g., fears of contamination).

  • Compulsions: Repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing distress caused by obsessions (e.g., cleaning, checking).

Types of OCD

  • Contamination

  • Perfectionism

  • Checking

  • Harm

  • Relationship concerns

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

Definition of PTSD

  • PTSD arises after exposure to traumatic events involving actual or threatened death or serious injury.

Symptoms of PTSD

  • Flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts about the traumatic event.

Examples of Traumatic Events

  • Serious accidents, personal assaults, serious health problems, war, natural disasters.

Factors Increasing PTSD Risk

  • Previous traumatic experiences, feelings of horror or helplessness, lack of social support after the event.