Many people have anxiety and worry during the holidays. I think it's almost normal considering that all of us to one degree or another bring heightened expectations to any holiday season. We hope that somehow, this ***** fill in the holiday of your choice season will meet our expectations and everything will be wonderful.



Problem is, our memories of any "great and wonderful" holiday have been whitewashed by the passage of time. The past holiday which we use to develop unattainable expectations for the current season were not that wonderful when we first lived it. We end up being somewhat disappointed, but hopeful at the next holiday will be wonderful.

People with anxiety disorders however, can live day to day in that constant state of worry. Though not specific to any holiday, anxiety and panic disorder symptoms can be caused by almost anything on any day.

Imagine being constantly concerned and worried about basic functions of life. Things like, if the mail and will go out on time, having to attend to errands or going to the doctor for a routine medical test results in an inordinate amount of stress and worry. This is the life of many people who suffer with anxiety.

The term anxiety disorder is actually a general term that is used to identify many types of mental illness.

Things like

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A good example of this is someone who needs to check if doors and windows are locked in their home. In this example, the person suffering from OCD is likely to check their windows and doors several times during the day and may even get up at night just to verify everything is secure.

Societal disorder. People suffering from social disorders have a fear of people are public places. The fear of public speaking is a very common form of this disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is not simply caused from being in a war or battlefield situation. Many people who have witnessed or been directly involved in a dramatic event can be overcome by this illness.

Generalized anxiety disorder. Chronic or continued worry that outside what is considered normal concern may indicate a person is suffering from GAD.

Panic Attack Disorder. Unlike most other anxiety types, panic attack disorders are characterized by physical symptoms like a fast or pounding heartbeat. Panic attacks can come on without warning and last anywhere from a few minutes to as long as 30 minutes or more.

Although mental health professionals claim successful treatment of many of the very types of anxiety disorders, the fact is that anxiety is a chronic condition with long term treatment needs. Although it's possible to gain some relief through the various treatment programs available, I don't believe anxiety disorders are ever completely cured.