CMHA Fact Sheets
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by persistent intrusive ideas, thoughts, impulses or images (obsessions) which often result in performing compulsive rituals over and over again. Typical compulsions are washing, checking and arranging things, and counting. These actions give individuals with OCD only temporary relief from their anxiety. With early diagnosis and the right treatment, people can avoid the suffering that comes with OCD.
Phobias and panic disorders are included in a group of mental illnesses known as anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are among the most common type of mental health problems, affecting one out of every ten Canadians. In spite of this startling statistic, anxiety disorders are not well understood, and those experiencing these conditions are often regarded as “weak, self-indulgent or undisciplined”.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by reliving a psychologically traumatic situation, long after any physical danger involved has passed, through flashbacks and nightmares.
Let’s start by understanding the difference between the anxiety that everyone experiences occasionally, and an anxiety disorder. We all have times when we are nervous or fearful about a particular situation, and we experience any or all of the symptoms described above. Your nervousness can even temporarily interfere with your ability to cope; this is normal. However, if these symptoms create ongoing, significant distress that causes disruption in daily living, you may have an anxiety disorder.