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Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is a sense of apprehension, fear, or worry, often accompanied with physical symptoms such as tension, sweating, increased heart rate. Almost everyone experiences anxiety or fear as a normal reaction to a stressful situation at some point in life. While anxiety is a natural "alarm system" in dangerous situations, it can develop into a debilitating disorder, giving a feeling of worry and fear for no apparent reason. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting about 18% of adults in the United States. Most anxiety disorders begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Untreated anxiety disorders can push people into avoiding situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms. People with anxiety disorders are likely to suffer from depression, and they also may abuse alcohol and other drugs in an effort to gain relief from their symptoms. Job performance, school work, and personal relationships can also suffer. There are several types of anxiety disorders, but they all have the common symptoms of excessive, irrational fear and dread. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by ongoing, exaggerated worry and tension that is unfounded or much more severe than the normal anxiety most people experience. People with this disorder usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants, but can't get rid of these irrational concerns. People with GAD do not avoid certain situations as a result of their disorder. Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include muscle tension, trembling, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, irritability, loss of sleep and not being able to concentrate. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or rituals (compulsions), which feel uncontrollable to the sufferer. Obsessions are irrational thoughts, or worries that frequently recur and cause great anxiety, but cannot be controlled through reasoning. Common obsessions include repeated doubts, a need to have things in a very particular order, preoccupation with order or symmetry. Compulsions are repetitive, ritualized behaviors undertaken to reduce anxiety caused by the obsession. Panic Disorder is characterized by unexpected and repeated panic attacks along with intense anxiety between attacks and possible avoidance of situations where attacks may occur. Panic attack is an uncontrollable panic response to ordinary, not dangerous situations. It can occur anytime, unexpectedly, sometimes even during sleep. Panic attacks last about 5 to 30 minutes. Panic attacks can lead to phobias if they aren't treated. Over time, a person with panic disorder develops a persistent fear of having another panic attack. This fear of future attacks can cause the person to avoid places and situations where an attack may occur, which can affect daily activity and quality of life. Panic disorder generally develops in early adulthood. It is three times more common in women than in men. Phobias (Phobic Disorder) are extreme, unreasonable, and involuntary fears in response to some specific situations or things. Examples include fear of crowds, bridges, snakes, spiders, heights, open places or social embarrassment. A phobia is only considered a problem when it keeps you from living a normal life. Phobic disorder includes agoraphobia, social phobia and specific phobia. Agoraphobia is an intense fear of being in places (especially in public places) or situations in which panic attack may occur, or from which escape would be difficult or highly embarrassing. This phobia may progress to the severe form that the sufferer will not leave home. The word "agoraphobia" means "fear of the marketplace." Social phobia is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being exposed to certain social or performance situations. Anxiety and worry in persons with social phobia often centers on being embarrassed or humiliated if they fail to meet expectations. Often, the same activity performed alone produces no anxiety. Social phobia sufferers tend to be sensitive to criticism and rejection, and have low self-esteem. The most common fears are associated with activities that may potentially be embarrassing, such as fear of speaking in public or to strangers, a fear of meeting new people, fear of eating or drinking in public. Specific (simple) phobia is an unreasonable excessive fear of particular conditions, situations, or objects, exposure to which causes an anxiety or panic. Among the most frequent are:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating anxiety disorder that may develop following a terrifying event. It is characterized by persistent reexperiencing of the traumatic event, frightening thoughts and memories of the ordeal. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, disasters, accidents, or military combat. PTSD can happen to anyone at any age. The following factors may play a role in the development of an anxiety:
Anxiety symptoms can cover the full physical, emotional, and mental range.
Many peope suffering from anxiety don't seek help as they believe only "mentally sick" people need to visit a psychiatrist. The important thing is to understand the illness can be treated and that living with persistent anxiety is not necessary. Medications used to treat anxiety disorders include anti-anxiety medications (anxiolytics), antidepressants, and beta blockers (medications for heart conditions). Medications are highly effective in treating most types of illness, regardless of the underlying cause, and some may start to work in as little as 30 minutes. Anti-Anxiety Medications (Anxiolytics) Benzodiazepines are powerful and the most commonly used medications for anxiety. These drugs were first introduced over 30 years ago, and have been extensively prescribed to treat anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines slow down the transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system, which can help relieve symptoms of anxiety. Benzodiazepines are relatively fast-acting medications and provide powerful and rapid relief from the symptoms of anxiety within hours. Despite the effectiveness of these drugs, benzodiazepines have the potential to become habit-forming and to cause withdrawal symptoms when discontinued suddenly. Buspirone (Buspar) is an anti-anxiety drug that is sometimes used as an alternative to benzodiazepines. The time it takes to work varies among patients. The main advantage of busipirone is that it is not habit-forming. Unlike the benzodiazepines, buspirone must be taken consistently for at least two weeks to achieve an anti-anxiety effect. Antidepressants commonly prescribed for anxiety include SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), and tricyclic antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the first-choice antidepressant option, are helpful in a variety of mental disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, OCD, and social phobia. SSRIs work by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. Effexor (venlafaxine), Duloxetine (Cymbalta), Lexapro (escitalopram), and Paxil (paroxetine) are approved by the FDA for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Paroxetine, Zoloft (Sertraline), Effexor (venlafaxine) are indicated for Social Anxiety Disorder. Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), and Paxil (paroxetine) are approved for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. And Zoloft (sertraline) and Paxil (paroxetine) are indicted for the treatment of PTSD. Unlike fast-acting benzodiazepines it may take several weeks for antidepressants to start working. Beta blockers are not FDA approved for the treatment of anxiety disorders and don't treat the condition itself. They are often effective in treating physiological responses to anxiety. These include increased heart rate, sweating and tremors. Beta blockers may also be used to help control performance anxiety that occurs during events such as speaking in public. Natural treatments for anxiety Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying, understanding, and changeing thinking and behavior patterns. People learn to make the feared object or situation less threatening as they are exposed to, and slowly get used to, whatever is so frightening to them. Research data suggests that medications and cognitive behavioral therapy are almost equally effective treatments. Medications probably work slightly faster, but have more side effects than therapy. PureCalm is an anti-anxiety herbal blend that combines the soothing properties of Melissa Officinalis, with those of Lavender and Passiflora Incarnata. Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) was used as a folk remedy for anxiety and insomnia. Lemon balm is a mild sedative and relaxant, it eases headaches related to tension. Last updated: February, 2010 |