tioning levels after they receive treatment from their doctor. A person with depression may have feelings of extreme sadness and may also suffer from a number of other symptoms. These symptoms include feelings of being worthless, loss of appetite, sleeplessness or lack of concentration during their depressive states. Along with these symptoms some experience a slowing in their thinking, while others become restless and consider committing suicide. Even though there is treatment for depression, about fifteen percent or so of the people who receive treatment actually do commit suicide. Anxiety disorders are another type of mental illness that people experience. These disorders are characterized by feelings of extreme fear and/or anxiousness. The four major types of anxiety disorders are panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, general anxiety disorders and finally phobias. A person with a panic disorder experiences periods of extreme fear. These “panic attacks” are accompanied by shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, numbness, sweating and trembling. Along with these symptoms, the person may also experience a fear of death. Most people will at some time in their life experience a “panic attack”, but again this does not mean that they have a panic disorder. A person is not determined to have a panic disorder until they commonly experience panic attacks or when they interfere with normal everyday activities that he or she would usually do. A second type of anxiety disorder is called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, O.C.D. It is the presence of illogical and uncontrollable thoughts that cause an obsession or compulsion. The act of obsessing is defined as “reoccupying the mind with an idea or emotion” (Webster’s Dictionary). A person who suffers from an obsession may consider the thought to be senseless, be he or she cannot stop themselves from doing to the...
