Guest Author - Jim Lowrance

In this article, I wish to address the subjects of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which are two common anxiety disorders. My descriptions include some statistics from the NIMH, which allows reprint of these statistics for public education. Medical research articles state that people with thyroid diseases are more suceptible to experiencing anxiety disorders. OCD in fact has been observed in patients with thyroid autoimmunity and is especially prevalent in people who develop thyroid disease during childhood.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD):
Although this particular anxiety condition, is in a category of itself, there are many people with the other anxiety disorders we have listed, that have elements of OCD. This may be because of the tendency for anxiety sufferers to dwell on aspects of worry and apprehension, about many things that affect their lives. What sets this disorder apart more so, is likely the "acting out" aspect of the behavior.

The first symptoms of OCD often begin during childhood or adolescence, however, the median age of onset is 19.

This disorder that presents with obsessive, compulsive behaviors and thinking, affects 2.2 million adults, in the U.S. alone (1% of the population).

OCD patients find their selves being unable to relax, unless they complete specific rituals, such as hand-washing, checking light switches repeatedly, straightening up things they feel are not perfectly straight, such as pictures on walls or even the fringes on the edges of rugs etc...

Many famous people have this disorder, such as actor Ned Beaty, the great composer Beethoven and even a great sports figure; Jose Conseco.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
PTSD sufferers, not only have the physical symptoms that are caused by the disorder but this particular disorder also causes a physiological change in their bodies, having to do with the adrenal hormone "cortisol". Research has shown that this adrenal hormone becomes lowered in patients with PTSD, causing them a type of sub-clinical adrenal insufficiency, probably better termed "Adrenal Fatigue".

Approximately 7.7 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 3.5 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD.

PTSD can develop at any age, including childhood, but research shows that the median age of onset is 23 years.

About 30 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced PTSD at some point after the war. The disorder also frequently occurs after violent personal assaults such as rape, mugging, or domestic violence; terrorism; natural or human-caused disasters; and accidents.

This one is also a serious one because it is caused by traumatic events that cause severe stress on the one experiencing it.

People who have had violent acts perpetrated upon them, or have been in terrible accident, or have lived through terribly traumatic events, can be left with this sometimes long-term disorder. It is one that many soldiers of war have experienced throughout history, after being on the battlefield.

Sufferers of PTSD, can experience frequent panic attacks and also suffer insomnia and ongoing nightmares. They will also commonly experience flash-backs, that cause them to mentally re-live their traumatic experience.