| Anxiety disorders | |||||
 |
print this page |  |
email this page | ||
- What are anxiety disorders?
- Symptoms of anxiety disorders
- Causes of anxiety disorders
- Treatment of anxiety disorders
- Important anxiety disorders facts
Anxiety disorder are a type of mental disorder which causes a person to become overly anxious about particular people, places, events or even objects. The person with anxiety disorder may have such debilitating symptoms that they do not have enjoyment in or quality of life.
Anxiety and fear are normal human sensations which occur at various times in life (prior to making a public speech, taking an exam, etc) which are temporary feelings that go away once the stressful or fear causing situation is over. But, a person who has anxiety disorder does not feel these feelings fleetingly, they experience fear and distress for intense and prolonged periods, for no obvious reason.
Anxiety disorders generally affect a person who has other mental disorder or physical illness (including substance or alcohol abuse). The other illness may hide symptoms or even make them worse. Sometimes the other illnesses need to be treated before the person can be treated for the anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are diagnosed through the assistance of a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist, through a series of dignostic assessment tools (including series of questions about symptoms and feelings).
There are five types of anxiety disorders plus specific phobias:
- generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- panic disorder (PD)
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- social phobia (or social anxiety disorder)
- specific phobias, and
The different types of anxiety disorders have some diferences in symptoms, but they all experience one thing in common - anxiety and panic.
Symptoms of a panic attack
- Chest pressure / pain
- Choking sensation
- Dizziness / lightheadedness
- Extreme fear of dying
- Fear of losing control or doing something embarassing
- Feeling very hot or having chills
- Feeling like going crazy
- Intense fear and panic
- Nausea
- Palpitations
- Pounding heartbeat
- Restlessness
- Shortness of breath - feeling like you can's get enough air in your lungs
- Tightness in the throat
- Tingling / numbness in fingers especially but also feet
- Trembling
- Unreality feelings - a sensation of not being in your body, feeling "foggy" or in a waking dream
It is important to note that while these symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable, they are generally not life-threatening.
Anxiety disorders are caused by a complex set of risk factors, including:
- Brain chemistry - the neurons, neurotransmitters and hormones may not be set to work so effectively in people with this mental disorder
- Genetics - some people are just more predisposed to this mental disorder
- Life events - some people just respond very different to their life events (generally ones which have negative effects)
While these are the main reasons that scientists think cause anxiety disorders, they are not really sure if these are the only ones.
Treatment of anxiety disorders
Conventional treatment
Anxiety disorders are treated by the following methods:
- Cognitive therapy - this is a form of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which teaches the person with the anxiety disorder to re-train their thoughts and behaviour when they face a situation that brings out their intense anxiety symptoms and fears; CBT often lasts about 12 weeks; it may be conducted individually or with a group of people who have similar problems- group therapy is particularly effective for social phobia
- Psychotropic medication - there are various types of medications used to treat these disorders
- Benzodiazepines - these are an anti-anxiety medication, prescribed at a low and regular dose, but only for a short period (as they can be addictive); these drugs have relatively few side effects (other than drowsiness)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) - these are the oldest class of antidepressant drugs and they react with a number of foods, herbs and other drugs, so people taking these drugs will be advised on what they cannot eat or take at the same time (cheese, wine, SSRI drugs, St John's wort); MAOIs can produce serious side effects and their use must be monitored
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) - these are a newer class of antidepressant drugs which alter the levels of serotonin in the brain to reduce symptoms; these drugs can also produce side effects but these are usually mild in comparison to older antidepressants and normally go away after some time
- Tricyclics - these are an older type of antidepressant drug which work as well as SSRIs (but not for OCD); these drugs have some side effects which can normally be reduced by lowering the dose or changing to another tricyclic
- Combination of cognitive therapy and medication - this approach is often used very successfully for some people as it combines both treatments together
Alternative / complementary treatment
Alternative or complementary treatments can also be used to treat people with this disorder. Popular and effective treatments are:
- Breathing techniques - teach people with anxiety disorders how to breath properly (and not over-breath) and relax their mind and internal chattering of anxious thoughts
- Counselling - talking about symptoms and fearfut triggers with a pshychologist/counsellor to learn better coping techniques and working out what the triggers for anxiety and fear are and learning to overcome them
- Exercise - all types of exercise are beneficial for all types of anxiety disorders (and depression); exercise is a known way to reduce symptoms of anxiety, as it release endorphins ("feel good" chemicals) and helps the body release toxins (as well as a great way to lose weight or at least maintain a healthy body weight)
- GABA - this is an amino acid which the body uses as to produce a neurotransmitter that relaxes and calms the body
- Meditation - this is way of calming the mind and relaxing the body by using various breathing and visualisaiton techniques; meditation has shown to be very beneficial in many people to reduce anxiety and fear
- Omega-3 fatty acids - there is some evidence that th omega 3 fatty acids may help with people who have depression and anxiety
- SAMe - S-adenosylmethionine is a naturally occuring molecule in the body which has been used for anxiety and depression reduction successful
- St John's wort - this is a herb which has been studied for its effect on depression and has shown to be effective on mild to moderate deprssion and anxiety
- Yoga - this is a great way to control breathing (stop the overbreathing) and control the mind and body, which gives more confidence and reduction of symptoms
It is very important that anyone who wants to try any of these alternative / complementary appoaches, should speak to their doctor before trying them, to ensure they do not interfere with any other medication or condition they may have.
General coping strategies
- Avoid alcohol and drugs - while it may feel that alcohol and some types of drugs help to relax you and make the symptoms go away for a little while, they are just numbing anxiety and make the problems associated with anxiety disorders worse in the long run
- Avoid caffeine - this substance is know to make anxiety and fear worse in some people with anxiety disorders and it is especially advised to avoid it a few hours before bed-time
- Control your worrying - learn strategies to help control (or reduce) the anxious and fearful thoughts that are always on your mind
- Relaxation techniques - this is a must for helping reduce anxiety symptoms; there are many different types of relaxation techniques, some of which use muscle relaxation, others use breathing control, while others use visualisation and some use a combination of all; very effective in reducing symptoms overall
- Sleep - make sure you have enough sleep each night and try to go to sleep and wake up around the same time each day to get a regular sleeping pattern going, which helps set the body clock (and assists with regulating many processes in the body)
Important anxiety disorders facts
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder in Western nations such as Australia, USA and UK
- Women are more likely to be affected the most in basically just about all the different types of anxiety disorders
- Taking some type of action will help you learn to reduce symptoms and give you some control over your anxiety disorder, which will help you recover
- The medications for anxiety disorders work quite effectively in many people who take them
- Some people cannot take any medication (as they get many intolerable side effects) - these people are good candidates for alternative / complementary treatments
- Some people choose not to take medication - these people are also good candidates for alternative / complementary treatments
references
- Jorm AF, Christensen H, Griffiths KM, Parslow RA, Rodgers B, Blewitt KA. Effectiveness of complementary and self-help treatments for anxiety disorders. MJA 2004; 181 (7 Suppl): S29-S46, accessed 21 Aug 07
To learn more, go to the following web sites:
- SANE Australia
- Anxiety Disorders Association of America
- Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada
- National Institute of Mental Health (USA)
