Types and Treatement of Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorder is an umbrella term for various specific forms of fear and anxiety including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and separation anxiety.

Generalized anxiety disorder commonly affects older adults and is characterized by enduring anxiety that really doesn't seem to be about any certain subject, topic or concern. The anxiouisness in this case is continuous and makes daily life difficult.

Panic disorder is characteried by brief and intense bouts of fear or apprehension. Luckily, the feelings usually peak in fewer than ten minutes but can last as long as a few hours. Sometimes the cause of these attacks is easily identified but often, it is unclear.

Linked to panic disorder is agoraphobia, the anxiety about being in a place or situation that may be difficult to get out of. People who suffer from agoraphobia usually need to be near doors or openings at all times. In severe cases, this leads to the individual never wanting to leave his/her home for fear of not being able to leave wherever he/she is going.

Phobias represent the largest category of anxiety disorders. If you suffer from a phobia or several phobias, you know exactly what the object of your fear is. Social phobia (otherwise known as social anxiety disorder) is an abnormal fear of public embarrassment or humiliation which can occur, in severe cases, just when the person enters any social environment, or in specific cases such as when a presentation or speech must be made. Social anxiety often manifests specific physical symptoms, including blushing, sweating, and difficulty speaking.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is mainly characterized by repetitive obsessions with certain thoughts or images and compulsions to repeatedly perform certain actions or rituals. OCD thought pattern could be compared to superstitions, where the person who is affected thinks that if he performs a certain act, any sort of worry or perceived evil will be eliminated. In many cases, the compulsion is entirely inexplicable, just an urge, set off by nervousness, to complete a certain ritual.

Post-traumatic stress, as the name suggests, can result from just one traumatic experience such as combat, rape, a serious accident; or from long term (chronic) exposure to trauma like physical abuse or war. Common symptoms include flashbacks and depression.

Separation anxiety disorder is abnormal concern over being separated from a person or place. Although separation anxiety is a normal part of development in children, it becomes a disorder when it becomes excessive.

There are many treatment options for the above disorders/phobias: psychotherapy focuses on increasing the individual's sense of their own well-being. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to get at the root of the dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions and to treat them accordingly. And pharmaceutical therapy employs various medications to relieve symptoms but is rarely used just by itself as it doesn't treat the core problem, only its symptoms.

This information does not substitute medical advice given by a health professional.

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Social Anxiety Disorder - The Basics

Social anxiety disorder is also referred to as social phobia. This is an anxiety disorder in which a person is abnormally fearful of social situations. The anxiety and extreme self-consciousness come from the fear of being closely observed, judged, and/or criticized by others.

Anyone with this type of disorder is afraid that he or she will do something to embarrass or humiliate her/him in front of others. A lack of social skills or not being used to social settings can make matters worse. Sometimes anxiety progresses into a panic attack. For these reasons, the person who suffers from this disorder will either be extremely ill-at-ease in any kind of social situation or will simply avoid them altogther. It's not uncommon for people who suffer from social anxiety disorder to also have what is called anticipatory anxiety. This is basically the fear that something will happen before it actually happens and it can start days or even weeks before a certain social situaion is to take place. Usually, the person who has these worries realizes that their fear is unreasonable, yet he/she is still unable to overcome it.

This particular type of anxiety disorder distorts your way of thinking to incorporate false or extremely exaggerated beliefs about social settings in general and the negative opinions of others. Without treatment, social anxiety disorder can negatively interfere with the individual's normal daily routine, including school, work, social activities, and relationships.

With a mild case of this disorder, the person may be afraid of a specific public situation, like having to give a presentation or speech. But in the majority of cases, the fear regards mulitple types of situations: eating or drinking in front of others, Writing or working in front of others, being the center of attention, interacting with people (including dating or going to parties), asking questions or giving answers in groups, Using public toilets, and even talking on the phone.

Social anxiety disorder could be connected to other mental illnesses, such as panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. In fact, many people with this condition first seek help with complaints related to these other disorders, not because of social anxiety symptoms.

Tackling your anxiety alone may be difficult. If your anxiety begins to have the upper hand in your life, affecting the quality of your personal relationships or your productivity, you should probably consider talking to your doctor about treatment.

He/She can discuss a variety of treatment options with you so that you can get your anxiety disorder under control and enjoy a higher quality of life overall. You may start with a medication that alters your brain chemistry to reduce many of the uncomfortable social anxiety disorder symptoms. In addition to this, doctors often prescribe blocks of psychotherapy with a professional who works with you to modify your thought processes that lead to the worry, stress and fear that often accompany anxiety.

The above information does not substitute for medical advice given by a health professional.

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Escalating Symptoms Of Anxiety

The Impact of the Escalating Symptoms of Anxiety

Escalating symptoms of anxiety impact up to 40 million adults in the US per year. While it's perfectly expected to feel nervous or anxious in certain periods of your life (graduating from school, starting a new job, losing a loved one, etc., people with anxiety disorders feel often and excessively worried for no apparent reason. The symptoms of anxiety can start innocently enough with just a worrying thought but often they progress quickly to more physical discomforts such as a pounding heart, heavy chest pain, lump in the throat, weakness, and dizziness.

Often referred to as panic attacks, escalating symptoms of anxiety may be diagnosed as a phobia, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder or other types of anxiety disorders. While each of these conditions are characterized by different symptoms, all of them are marked by an irrational and unwarrented dread and/or fear that usually worsens very quickly and leads to more severe physical symptoms.

The symptoms of anxiety can make you feel like you are completely losing control or "going crazy". Those who have suffered these symptoms will describe them as feeling like world is coming to an end, he/she is having a heart attack, or that he/she is going to die. What's even more unfortunate, is that once you experience a panic attack in this magnitude, it can very easily become part of a viscious cycle which consists of the panic attacks themselves and the ever-present fear of having another panic attack.

These anxiety symptoms can also lead to a multitude of phobias which render some individuals almost totally disabled. One such phobia is agoraphobia, the fear of being trapped in a setting that makes the person feel extremely ill-at-ease and unable to escape. For this reason, the person may not even venture outside of his/her home. Because this type of anxiety can lead to such extreme disability, it is important to treat anxiety symptoms before they are allowed to climb the ladder to another disorder.

The causes of anxiety are still not clear. But professionals do believe that it is likely that many factors contribute to a person’s chances of developing the condition. Scientists have broken down the potential causes into three groups, genetics and early learning, brain biochemistry, and the fight or flight mechanism.
Sometimes the cause is a chemical imbalance in the brain which impairs the way messages are sent. Two of the primary neurotransmitters that affect a person’s feelings are serotonin and dopamine. When there is an imbalance of these chemicals, a person can feel depressed or anxious.

Anxiety disorders also tend to run in families, so if a person’s mom, dad, or other close relative has anxiety, they have a higher chance of developing anxiety themselves both because of genetic factors and learned environmental factors.

The above information about the escalating symptoms of anxiety does not substitute medical advice given by a health professional.

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