Anxiety disorders

These include generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessional compulsive disorder.

Anxiety may be experienced as a feeling, as constant worrying and rumination, or as intense anxiety attacks. It can be more or less constant, or strike at particular times such as at night or in anticipation of anxiety-provoking situations.

Long term sufferers may have learned to ignore their anxiety and so not be fully aware of it or its physical symptoms. Symptoms of anxiety include musculare tension especially in the neck and shoulders, but throughout the voluntary muscles (those we can move voluntarily). Involuntary smooth muscles may also be affected including the stomach and intenstine, and common symptoms include constipation, diarrhoaea, and irritable bowel sydrome (which may also have a biological cause). Other symptoms include dryness of mouth and tiredness.

Anxiety is the body’s state of alertness to deal with danger. In the case of anxiety disorders, the danger may be experienced as situational (coming from the outside world), but it may originate from thoughts feelings coming from inside the person. Anxiety is a signal for danger, and the response to danger is flight or fight. People may therefore withdraw from situations that provoke anxiety, and may become isolated and withdrawn if severely affected.