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Anxiety Disorders 

Anxiety Disorder is characterized by having feelings of anxiety that are so extreme they interfere significantly with daily living, for example: home, school, work, relationships etc.
 
General Anxiety Disorder is characterized by chronic free-floating anxiety and such symptoms as tension, sweating, trembling, and lightheadedness, irritability that has lasted for more than six months.
 
 
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry; by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety; or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions.
 
Panic Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by unpredictable panic attacks; the attacks are usually severe but brief. Behavioral characteristics of panic disorder are: panic attacks that can lead to a need to "escape, avoidance of school or other locations where panic attacks have previously occurred or the person feels trapped, intense physical symptoms (e.g. shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, sweating, tingling.)
 
 
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a condition in which a person has been exposed to a traumatic event that creates intense fear, helplessness or horror. Behavioral characteristics may include: recurrent and upsetting memories of the event including images, thoughts, or perceptions, recurrent and upsetting dreams, intense psychological and physical stress experienced when exposed to cues that resemble something about the traumatic event and efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversions associated with the trauma.
 
Separation Anxiety Disorder is characterized by severe panic-like episodes that begin when the child is separated from his/her parent or caregiver.
 
 
Social Anxiety Disorder, or Social Phobia as it is sometimes called is characterized by severe anxiety (at times mixed with panic) that occurs only in social situations and is often accompanied by blushing. Extreme fear of embarrassment or feeling under scrutiny by others is what motivates this disorder. 

(Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, 2012)

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