Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is a natural part of life and can be helpful in daily living. For example, a certain level of anxiety can motivate people to prepare for challenges, such as taking an exam, preparing for a meeting, or making a deadline. The discomfort of anxiety can sometimes stimulate people to solve a problem, make a decision, or create a plan.
When anxiety becomes excessive, persistent and interferes with daily activities, the person may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral problems. Fear is a response to a real or perceived threat while anxiety is anticipation of a future threat. The individual experiences physiologic responses that may include, for example, rapid heartbeat, sweating, muscle tension, shaking, shortness of breath, chest pain, and nausea.
Some anxiety disorders include the following:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by chronic and exaggerated worry about everyday issues for no obvious reason. People with GAD find it difficult to control the worry, which can continue for months. The worry is associated with nervousness, restlessness and muscle tension and causes significant distress or impairment in functioning. GAD often starts around 30 years of age but can also occur in children and adolescents.
Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/generalized-anxiety-disorder
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most effective treatments for GAD. Antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI’s), are commonly prescribed.
Panic Disorder involves sudden, intense episodes of fear or discomfort. During a panic attack, people may experience symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, feelings of impending doom, or feelings of being out of control. Worry about panic attacks, and the effort spent trying to avoid attacks, can cause significant problems in daily life. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a highly effective in treatment of panic disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI’s) are commonly used.
Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/panic-disorder
Specific phobias are intense, irrational fears of objects, situations or activities that pose little or no actual danger. Individuals with specific phobias may go to great lengths to avoid or escape from the feared object or situation, or they may endure the exposure with intense distress. Functioning is impaired. Common types of specific phobias with examples include:
- Animal Phobias: fear of spiders, snakes, dogs, mice
- Natural Environment Phobias: fear of heights, storms, water, darkness
- Situational Phobias: flying, enclosed spaces, driving, agoraphobia (see below)
- Blood-injection-injury Phobias: fear of blood, injury, injections, medical procedures
- Other Phobias: fear of choking, vomiting, loud noises and other fears not covered in the other categories
Specific phobias are highly treatable. The gold standard for treating specific phobias is exposure therapy, a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Exposure therapy involves gradually and systematically exposing the person to the feared object or situation in a safe and controlled manner. Exposure Therapy reduces avoidance behaviors, which reinforce the phobia; builds tolerance to the fear response; and helps the brain respond to the feared object or situation differently. Numerous studies confirm exposure therapy’s effectiveness in reducing symptoms of specific phobias. It has a high success rate, often providing long-lasting relief with relatively short-term treatment.
Agoraphobia is characterized by an intense fear or avoidance of situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack or other incapacitating symptoms. Individuals may avoid places such as open spaces, crowds, and traveling alone, especially in unfamiliar gatherings. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, such as a combination of cognitive restructuring and exposure therapy, is one of the most effective treatments for agoraphobia. Medication, such as SSRI’s and SNRI’s, is often used as an adjunct when necessary.
