DEPRESSION AND ANXIETYfocus, the most common of which is social anxiety – worrying about
making conversation, making a fool of oneself, being disliked, blushing,
speaking in public and so on.
Another form of anxiety is panic disorder. This is characterized by a
feeling of losing control, and a fear that one is about to faint or even die.
Typically it’s not tied to a particular situation. Rather it’s a sensation that
can arise anytime, anywhere, and is often triggered by a bodily sensation
- a shortness of breath, perhaps, or a skipped heartbeat.
Then there are the specific phobias, the most common of which
include fear of flying (aviophobia), enclosed spaces (claustrophobia),
heights (acrophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), sharp objects (aichmo-
phobia) and snakes (ophidiophobia). The list is virtually unlimited - pluck almost any object from your imagination and the chances are
that someone, somewhere will have an exaggerated fear of it.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is also categorized as a form
of anxiety. Obsessions are persistent, unwanted thoughts about such
things as cleanliness or safety, which are only relieved by performing
Footballer David Beckham’s OCD takes the form of having to arrange everything
in a straight line or everything in pairs. “I’ll go into a hotel room and before I can
relax, I have to move all the leaflets and all the books and put them in a drawer.”