Mary Downing
English 112
4 February 2014
Anxiety Disorders
Imagine this, as you walk around the grocery store and precede to shop, suddenly your entire body feels frozen, your chest begins to hurt, you feel as though you cannot breathe. You have an overwhelming feeling of terror for absolutely no reason. Everyone is staring, wondering what is wrong with you, until you finally pull yourself together. Doesn’t sound very appealing now does it? Imagine having to live your day to day life not knowing when or if this was going to happen to you, or even why it happens to you. Panic attacks are very common symptoms in people with anxiety disorders. Upon my research I have found what can cause an anxiety disorder, how to treat it and what the different types of anxiety disorders are. What is an anxiety disorder you may wonder? An anxiety disorder is a mental disorder in which severe anxiety is a symptom. To experience anxiety is to have the feeling of constant worry or unease. There is a difference in experiencing anxiety and having an anciety disorder. Many people experience anxiety in everyday life, for example, when facing problems at work or before taking a big test you may have a feeling of worry or you may feel nervous. This is normal for most people, but if you begin to feel uneasy all the time while performing simple tasks such as going to the store or talking to someone over the phone it may be more serious than you think. Many factors can cause someone to have an anxiety disorder. Different medical conditions such as migraines or sleep apnea can lead to having an anxiety disorder, as well as diabetes or thyroid problems (Annals of Internal Medicine). Depression is also likely to cause someone who has never experience anxiety before to develop a severe anxiety disorder. Another main cause of anxiety disorders is the use of illicit drugs (Annals of Internal Medicine). Cocaine is an illegal drug used recreationally that can cause severe
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