ANXIETY DISORDERS Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome PTSD is a mental health condition that s triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing it or witnessing it Symptoms may include flashbacks nightmares and severe anxiety as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event Many people who go through traumatic events have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while but they don t have PTSD with time and good self care they usually get better But if the symptoms get worse or last for months or even years and interfere with your functioning you may have PTSD Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function Hall Flavin M D Daniel K Http www mayoclinic org Mayo Clinic 14 Aug 2001 Web 24 Oct 2014 SAME CITATION FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder OCD is characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears obsessions that lead you to do repetitive behaviors compulsions It s also possible to have only obsessions or only compulsions and still have OCD With OCD you may or may not realize that your obsessions aren t reasonable and you may try to ignore them or stop them But that only increases your distress and anxiety Ultimately you feel driven to perform compulsive acts in an effort to ease your stressful feelings OCD often centers around themes such as a fear of getting contaminated by germs To ease your contamination fears you may compulsively wash your hands until they re sore and chapped Despite efforts to ignore or get rid of bothersome thoughts the thoughts or urges keep coming back This leads to more ritualistic behavior and a vicious cycle that s characteristic of OCD Generalized Anxiety Disorder It s normal to feel anxious from time to time especially if your life is stressful However excessive ongoing anxiety and worry that interfere with day to day activities may be a sign of generalized anxiety disorder It s possible to develop generalized anxiety disorder as a child or an adult Generalized anxiety disorder has symptoms that are similar to panic disorder obsessive compulsive disorder and other types of anxiety but they re all different conditions