As a Holistic energy practitioner I have had an awareness of the many clients and friends I have seen with ‘anxiety’ in many forms and recently I have been working on a ‘free’ anxiety program’ to allow those with ‘anxiety to take back control of their lives. I will be offering a series of short ‘blog’ posts on the differing identified areas or types of anxieties prior to the release of this program called The 7 Steps to Freedom so that if you or someone you love suffers from this often debilitating condition then you know that help is at hand.

OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

What is termed as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder appears to comprise a number of different issues or areas and like many of the levels of anxieties it can range from quite a mild situation to a high level of control or levels of obsession in one’s life.

Many times the pattern’s or rituals of behavior associated with OCD and these are ‘different for everyone can become intrusive and controlling as well as getting in the way of everyday life.

The small child creating order with blocks or toys may appear to be ‘cute’ and yet this ‘anxiety’ or need for order may become exacerbated over time as the child grows, although not all OCD behaviors are exhibited in childhood.

OCD sometimes runs in families; however it is not known why some people have it while others do not. Researchers have found that several parts of the brain are involved in fear and anxiety, and that these may well play a part in the varying levels of OCD…

OCD often starts or is observed during childhood or the teen years. And many people are diagnosed in their late teens and early adulthood. The symptoms of OCD may come and go and be better or worse at different times depending on the levels of pressure or anxieties present.

Almost everyone has habits, patterns or rituals to some extent. How you hang your washing, set the table or start the car for example, people with higher levels of  OCD may perform their habits or rituals even though doing so interferes with daily life and they find the repetition distressing. Although most adults with OCD recognize that what they are doing is senseless, some adults and most children may not realize that their behavior is out of the ordinary.

In general people with OCD may

• Have repeated thoughts or images about many different things
• A fear of germs or dirt
• A fear or anxiety about intruders
• They may obsess about acts of violence, both toward themselves and others
• Have conflicts with religious beliefs or ideas
• Be pedantic about  being overly tidy or the placement of certain items
• May not be able to control unwanted thoughts and behaviors
• Do the same rituals over and over such as washing hands, locking and unlocking doors, counting, keeping unneeded items, or repeating the same steps again and again
• Do not get pleasure from performing the behaviors or rituals, however may get a temporary respite from the anxiety that the thoughts cause
• Spend at least 1 hour a day on the thoughts and rituals, which may cause distress and get in the way of their daily life.

OCD and anxieties appear to go hand in hand, in working with clients with OCD symptoms I have often been asked ‘Is it anxiety’ or something else? Many children and adults classified on the ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder will display levels of obsessive and compulsive behavior however NOT everyone in the ASD has OCD and NOT everyone with OCD fits into the ASD

In the long term anxieties can have a much more profound effect on your body and the symptoms or the frequency of the symptoms that a person experience may be much more profound if there are levels of obsession and compulsion as well, and in these instances some anxieties and anxious behaviours can literally take over a person’s life due to the frequency or the debilitating effects that such behaviours may produce.

Anxieties

I am going to talk about the different types of anxieties in this series of short blog posts and share with you some of the symptoms that are associated with the differing forms of anxieties and related ‘phobias’, these may be exacerbated in the case of OCD or have differing effects depending on the individual.

Anxiety can be classified as a disorder when the symptoms of anxiety become longstanding or ‘chronic’ and have an effect on our daily lives and our ability to function in our everyday life

In general anxiety sufferers will often report the following symptoms:

• Muscle tension especially in the head and shoulders and back
• Physical weaknesses as in feeling as if you have not got the energy to do something or that your legs do not want to hold you up for example
• Poor memory or poor short term memory
• Sweaty hands or breaking out into a sweat
• Fear or confusion, these can be either one or both and may fluctuate
• Inability to relax this can relate to being constantly tense or on edge
• Constant worrying even when you know that there is not anything to worry about
• Shortness of breath or feeling as if you cannot take a deep breath
• Palpitations or feelings of your heart fluttering which may be accompanied by shortness of breath
• Upset stomach as in feeling heavy or nauseous in the stomach, and may lead to reflux or vomiting
• Poor concentration or an inability to quieten the mind

These symptoms may range from mild to severe and  be upsetting enough to make the individual feel uncomfortable, out of control and helpless, when coupled with obsessive thoughts and behaviours that may be come overwhelming.

*If in doubt that your symptoms are more than ‘anxiety’ please seek the appropriate medical advice.

Anxieties and anxiety disorders fall into a series of separate categories or diagnoses depending on the individual symptoms and the severity of the levels of anxiety the person is experiencing. The broad overview of the types of anxiety disorders I will be discussing in this series on anxieties includes.

1 Anxieties

2 Worrying

3 OCD- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

4 Social Anxieties

5 Anxieties and phobias

6 Fear of flying’

7 Fears of things that walk crawl run or fly e.g. Birds, Moths, Spiders, and Cats.

8 Separation anxiety

9 Performance anxiety

10 Fear of Failure exams

11 Fear of Failure Business

12 Fear of death or dying

13 GAD general anxiety disorder

14 Post Natal Depression

15 Panic attacks

16 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

In support of the ‘Free ‘  7 Steps to Freedom program  I have started a FB Community called Anxiety Need Not Be A Life Sentence at the link below. If this resonates with you I would invite you to please join us and be a part of this supportive community or to share the information with those to whom it may be of assistance

Peace Love and Light

Sheila

http://www.the7stepstofreedom/.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/anxietyneednotbealifesentence/