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Anxiety Disorders affect 12% of Canadians in any given year: 9% men; 16% women
Common Symptoms of Anxiety
- Chest pain/palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Excessive sweating
- Dizziness/feeling light-headed
- Excess energy/feel like you can’t relax
- Racing mind/thoughts
- Trembling/shaking
- Heightened fear (e.g. fear of being in public/alone/heights/others, etc)
- Excessive worry
- Trouble focusing
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Feel closed in/under pressure all the time
- Constipation or Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Teeth grinding
- Difficulty falling and/or staying asleep
Types of Anxiety: There are 6 main Anxiety Disorders in adults, and 7 in children and youth.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: GAD is exaggerated or irrational worry over a period of time (usually 6 months or more), disproportionate to the source of worry.
Specific Phobia: Persistent fear of a given situation or object, for example, flying.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: PTSD derives from psychological trauma, for example, a threat to one’s life. Common symptoms of PTSD is re-experiencing the traumatic event by nightmares or flashbacks, avoidance of original stimuli, exaggerated arousal, etc.
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): Social anxiety is characterized by intense fear in social situations, often causing impairment in normal functioning.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
Panic Disorder: Involves the occurrence of unexpected panic attacks which commonly consist of: heart palpitations, chest pain, sweating, trembling, sensation of shortness of breath, nausea, fear of losing control or dying, numbness, etc.
Separation Anxiety: Separation anxiety is characterized by excessive fear or anxiety in being separated from home or a person one has an attachment to, e.g. a child to a parent.