Articles by George Ferguson on ArticleSnatch.com

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Revealed

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Many people suffer from anxiety and panic disorders of varying degrees. Some of these problems are relatively minor, but they can also be quite severe. One of the most serious forms of anxiety is Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD. Anxiety itself is a normal reaction to dangerous or unexpected situations and events. GAD takes that reaction to the extreme, however. It is both excessive and chronic, interfering with a person's day-to-day life. Part of the reason generalized anxiety - also known as "free floating" anxiety - is so serious is that it does not need a particular situation to trigger it. It can attack anytime, without warning. GAD is thought to affect as many as 5 million adults in the U.S. alone. It affects both men and women, however it is more common among women. GAD is related to an irregular level of neurotransmitters in a person's brain. These are chemicals that are basically "messengers" that carry signals to the nerve endings in the brain. The 3 neurotransmitters associated with anxiety are Serotonin, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Norepinephrine. During a GAD attack these 3 chemicals react with one another. **End Summary** Topics: generalized anxiety disorder]]> anxiety attacks]]> panic attacks]]> panic disorders]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> George Ferguson writes about generalized anxiety disorder and other related topics on the Panic Alert website. For more helpful information and to sign up for our free newsletter, visit http://www.panicalert.org

How To Identify The Symptoms Of Panic Attacks And Panic Disorders

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Panic and anxiety attacks are problems that affect a large number of people. They can be somewhat scary but for most people they are relatively mild and don't occur all that often. A panic attack may happen a few times, but it is usually not a chronic problem. Panic disorders, on the other hand, can be much more severe. People who suffer from these disorders live in constant fear and anxiety, for ongoing periods of time. The symptoms of isolated panic attacks and chronic disorder are much the same. A disorder is more difficult to deal with because part of what makes it worse is the constant worrying about when the next attack will come. This makes the attack that much more severe, and the viscious cycle continues to get worse. Panic disorder needs to be treated as quickly as possible. If it isn't treated properly, it will continue to escalate and can lead to a condition called agoraphobia, where the sufferer remains housebound because of their fear of having an attack while in public situations. These panic disorders affect a wide age group. They can show up in the teenage years right through adulthood. **End Summary** Topics: panic attack]]> panic disorder]]> anxiety attack]]> anxiety disorder]]> stress]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> George Ferguson offer advice about identifying and treating panic disorder symptoms on the Panic Alert website. To read more and sign up for our free newsletter, visit http://www.panicalert.org

How To Identify Various Forms Of Anxiety Disorder

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Approximately 40 million American adults are affected by anxiety disorders every year. There are many different symptoms that cause those suffering to be filled with fear, stress and uncertainty. Most people deal with anxiety to some degree, when doing things such as speaking in public or going on a first date. For the majority of us, these feelings go away once the event or situation has passed. People suffering from an anxiety disorder, however, continue to feel these things even after the situation has passed. If not properly treated, these feelings can become quite serious. There are a number of different methods for treating anxiety disorders, and the right treatment will depend on the person and just what type of anxiety they suffer from. There are six most common forms of anxiety: - Panic disorder - Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - Social phobia (or social anxiety disorder) - Specific phobias - Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) Each of these forms of anxiety have different symptoms, but some are common to all of them - irrational fear and dread. Panic disorder includes feelings of panic, terror and helplessness. **End Summary** Topics: agoraphobia]]> anxiety attacks]]> anxiety disorders]]> panic attacks]]> panic disorders]]> anxiety treatments]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> George Ferguson writes about agoraphobia and other anxiety-related disorders for the Panic Alert website. For more helpful information and to sign up for our free special report, visit http://www.panicalert.org