Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a condition in which distressing senseless thoughts intrude and patients cannot rid these thoughts from their minds. The thoughts are foreign and often repulsive. Most obsessive-compulsive persons also have compulsions. For example, they may need to check and recheck to see whether the stove is off or doors are closed. Or they may need to wash their hands over and over, or clean the house constantly because they fear germs and contamination.
Panic Disorder is a condition in which persons experience sudden, severe attacks of anxiety.
Symptoms consist of heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, upset stomach and fear of dying or losing control. Some patients have such attacks only occasionally, while others may have several attacks a day. Since the attacks are very frightening, many patients start to avoid situations in which the attacks have occurred, such as driving on an expressway or over bridges, shopping in large department stores or malls, etc. Agoraphobia is the term for such avoidance, which in severe cases can lead to being completely housebound. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition which occurs after a person has experienced unusual stress.