Anatidaephobia (pronounced anna-tidy-phobia) is a pervasive and irrational fear that you are being watched by a duck. A person with this rare phobia fears that somehow, somewhere a duck is watching their every move. It can become a disabling condition that stops a person from maintaining daily functions and can interfere with the person’s personal […]
What Happens During an Anxiety Attack?
Anxiety attacks can be extremely frightening—some people believe they are literally dying. The first time it occurs, you may not understand what is going on, but unfortunately, the fear of the same thing happening again can often be a self fulfilling prophecy and worrying about it brings on a further attack. Most people suffer from […]
What is School Phobia and What are the Symptoms?
Everyone suffers from school phobia at some point in their life: typically the symptoms occur the morning before a tough exam or at the moment you discover your child was supposed to write a 5,000 essay on Julius Caesar and hand it in to their teacher first period. But aside from the histrionics you might […]
What are the Treatment Options for Agoraphobia?
Although agoraphobia is often a term used to describe the fear of wide open spaces, it can also cover a number of other irrational fears, including the fear of leaving one’s home, being in a public place such as a shopping mall, or even travelling alone on public transport. Not surprisingly, such fears can soon […]
The History of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a series of obsessions and compulsions caused by anxiety and fear. Typical symptoms of OCD include a fear of germs characterised by endless washing of hands or repeated ritualistic behaviour such as checking to see if doors are locked. OCD is very common and around one in fifty people in the […]
What is Hypochondriasis Disorder?
What is hypochondriasis disorder? Hypochondriasis is a type of phobia, although it is actually classified as a somatoform disorder, and a hypochondriac is a person who develops an irrational fear that their symptoms, no matter how minor, are the sign of some terrible undiagnosed disease. Symptoms of the disorder can occur at any age, but […]
What is OCD Disorder?
What is OCD disorder? OCD is the shortened name for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a distressing disorder where normal everyday routines can soon begin to take over your life and rule every waking moment. Obsessive compulsive disorder is classed as an anxiety disorder and it causes the sufferer to be plagued with ritualistic obsessions and compulsions. […]
Obsessive Compulsive Behavior: FAQs and Answers
Life is full of challenges. Every single day, we encounter them and we try to conquer them each time. But there are times that these obstacles get the best of us. No matter how much we fight, we fail to resolve them. Extreme stress gets us. As a result, we experience the terrifying attacks of […]
What Causes OCD?
What causes OCD? Obsessive compulsive disorder can affect adults and children, but although there are many different theories that attempt to explain the exact causes of the disorder, experts still remain unsure of what is at the root of this anxiety related disorder. The current theory in medical circles is biological factors are the most […]
What is Agoraphobia?
What is agoraphobia? Agoraphobia is a phobia, or a collection of related phobias, and can be defined as a fear of a place or situation that causes the sufferer great anxiety, usually because they are frightened that escaping or getting away will cause them embarrassment or be very difficult. Most people if asked what is […]