Day: October 21, 2023

Panic attacks and panic disorder

The terms anxiety, anxiety attack, panic attack and panic disorder are often used interchangeably to describe the physical and mental symptoms that go with nervousness, intense fear, dread and discomfort. But these are distinct conditions set apart by their features, and they can be diagnosed by mental health professionals. What is a panic attack? A panic attack is a single episode of an overwhelming feeling of intense fear and anxiety. It comes on as a sudden rush, with physical symptoms and frightening thoughts. If you have a panic attack, you might have a racing heart and palpitations.You might have pain in

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

What is OCD? Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a treatable anxiety disorder that affects more than 500,000 people in Australia. It usually develops in late childhood or early teenage years and without proper treatment can become a chronic condition. As the name suggests, there are 2 kinds of symptoms: obsessions — an unwanted thought, image or urge that repeatedly comes into the mind compulsions — repetitive behaviours or rituals, that are difficult or impossible to resist doing, which are carried out to reduce anxiety The compulsions can take considerable time, impacting on normal day-to-day activities. For example, a person with OCD may need to check

Agoraphobia

What is agoraphobia? Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder where a person fears having a panic attack in certain places — like public transport, crowds or queues — or situations from which escape is difficult. It is normal to sometimes feel anxious, but anxiety becomes a disorder if it interferes with daily life. Anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia can seriously restrict a person’s ability to go to work or socialise with friends and family. What are the symptoms of agoraphobia? Agoraphobia is a type of phobia and often goes together with panic disorder. Symptoms of agoraphobia include: experiencing anxiety or panic attacks in situations

Social anxiety disorder

What is social anxiety disorder? Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a recurrent disproportionate fear of social situations, where a person fears being judged, criticised or humiliated in front of other people. Social anxiety disorder is not just being shy or nervous when in formal situations or when having to give a speech – situations where many people feel apprehensive. It happens in ordinary everyday situations, such as eating in public, meeting people, or being watched while doing something. A person may feel that they will humiliate or embarrass themselves. The fear of embarrassment and of being

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

What is generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)? Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a type of anxiety disorder where people have uncontrollable and persistent worry that affects their day-to-day life on an ongoing basis. What are the symptoms of GAD? You could be dealing with GAD if:   you uncontrollably worry about many different things, a lot of the time your worry makes it hard to do everyday things like working and seeing friends you’re often tired but can’t sleep properly you constantly feel tense or restless your heart races or your mouth gets dry you have difficulty concentrating you are irritable your jaw or

Anxiety – symptoms, treatment and causes

Key facts High levels of anxiety affect your ability to concentrate, sleep and carry out ordinary tasks. Anxiety disorders affect 1 in 4 Australians at some stage in their life. Each type of anxiety disorder has different specific symptoms. You may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder if your symptoms are affecting your ability to function. This might be at work, school or socially. Treatment options for anxiety disorders include lifestyle measures, psychological therapy and medicines. What is anxiety? Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. Normal worry can be motivating — it can help you with things such as

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

What is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a treatable anxiety disorder affecting around 3 million Australians at some time in their lives. It happens when fear, anxiety and memories of a traumatic event don’t go away. The feelings last for a long time and interfere with how people cope with everyday life. What are the symptoms of PTSD? Everyone is affected differently by PTSD. Symptoms can range from subtle changes in day-to-day life, withdrawal and numbness, to distressing flashbacks or physical anxiety. Symptoms of PTSD may appear in the month after the traumatic event, but sometimes they can stay dormant for