What is Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety Disorder (AD) goes way beyond the normal anxious reaction to a specific situation. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation in the office, study harder for an exam, keep focused on an important speech. In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder.

Five major types of Anxiety Disorders are:

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Panic Disorder

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)

Treatment

AD affects about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event (such as speaking in public or a first date), AD lasts at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not treated.

AD commonly occurs along with other mental or physical illnesses, including alcohol or substance abuse, which may hide anxiety symptoms or even make them worse. In some cases, these other illnesses need to be treated before a person will respond to treatment for the anxiety disorder. It is important to seek professional treatment as early as possible.

Brief Overview of Anxiety Disorders

• AD may develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.

• An estimated 40 million adult Americans suffer from AD.

• AD is highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering from an anxiety disorder receive treatment.

More information of the five anxiety disorder types:

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). People suffering from OCD are plagued by persistent, recurring thoughts (obsessions) that reflect exaggerated anxiety or fears; typical obsessions include worry about being contaminated or fears of behaving improperly or acting violently. The obsessions may lead to performing a ritual or routine (compulsions), such as washing hands, repeating phrases, or hoarding, to relieve the anxiety caused by the obsession.

• Panic Disorder. People with panic disorder suffer severe attacks of panic, which may make them feel as if they are having a heart attack or can't breathe, for no apparent reason. Symptoms include heart palpitations, chest pain or discomfort, sweating, trembling, tingling sensations, feeling of choking, fear of dying, fear of losing control, and feelings of unreality. Panic disorder often occurs with agoraphobia, in which people are afraid of having a panic attack in a place from which escape would be difficult, so they avoid these places.

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Posttraumatic stress disorder can follow an exposure to a traumatic event such as a sexual or physical assault, witnessing a death, the unexpected death of a loved one, or natural disaster. Three main symptoms are associated with PTSD: "reliving" of the traumatic event through flashbacks or nightmares; avoidance behaviors (avoiding places related to the trauma) and emotional numbing (detachment from others); and physiological arousal such difficulty sleeping, irritability, or poor concentration.

• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia). Social anxiety disorder is also called social phobia. It is characterized by extreme anxiety about being judged by others or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or ridicule. This intense anxiety may lead to avoidance behavior. Physical symptoms associated with this disorder include heart palpitations, faintness, blushing, and profuse sweating.

• Specific Phobias. People with specific phobias suffer from an intense fear reaction to a specific object or situation (examples: spiders, dogs, heights). The level of fear is usually inappropriate to the situation and it is recognized by the sufferer as being irrational. This inordinate fear can lead to the avoidance of common, everyday situations.

Guide to Treatment

Although treatment is individualized, several standard approaches have proved effective. Therapists will use one or a combination of these therapies.

Treatment Options

Many therapists use a combination of cognitive and behavior therapies, often referred to as CBT. In this type of therapy the patient is actively involved in his or her own recovery, has a sense of control, and learns skills that are useful throughout life. CBT focuses on identifying, understanding, and modifying thinking and behavior patterns. When a person changes thinking and behavior, emotional changes usually follow. Because CBT teaches skills for handling anxiety, patients who learn and practice the skills can use them when needed.

Cognitive Therapy

The goal of cognitive therapy is to change unwanted and disturbing thought patterns. The individual examines his or her feelings and learns to separate realistic from unrealistic thoughts.

Behavior Therapy The goal of behavior therapy is to modify and gain control over unwanted behavior. The individual learns to cope with difficult situations, often through controlled exposure to them.

Relaxation

Techniques for relaxing help people develop the ability to cope more effectively with the stresses and physical symptoms that contribute to anxiety. Common techniques are breathing retraining and exercise.

Medication

Medicines can be very useful in the treatment of AD, and it is often used in conjunction with one or more therapies above. Sometimes antidepressants or anxiolytics (antianxiety medications) are prescribed to alleviate severe symptoms so that other forms of therapy can be effective. Depending on the person, medication may be either a short-term or long-term treatment option.

Choosing a Therapist

Finding the right therapist can be tricky, because satisfactory credentials are not the only factors to take into consideration. It is important to feel comfortable, so speak to the therapist, either on the phone or in the office, and don't be embarrassed if you feel uncomfortable and would rather see someone else.


For more information on AD and Children, go here:

Anxiety and Children

Here is more detailed information on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD:

OCD in Children

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