Anxiety Disorders

       

What are Anxiety Disorders?

       

An anxiety disorder of any type is a mental health disorder where the sufferer has levels of fear, worry, apprehension, or perceptions of coming negative outcomes that are usually unwarranted and out of proportion for the given situation. Anxiety disorders are complex because it is normal to have anxiety in certain situations, but it can be difficult to determine what level of anxiety is appropriate. However, if that anxiety is manifesting itself in strongly negative symptoms and limiting a person’s ability to participate in a normal life they may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

       

There are many different types of anxiety disorders, and they include GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and selective mutism. Phobias are when you have an irrational fear of contact or interaction with something that you perceive will do you harm, and they are also a type of anxiety disorder.

       

What Causes Anxiety Disorders?

       

There is often a genetic predisposition to having an anxiety disorder, and it is true that people with parents or grandparents who have had problems with anxiety are more likely to have it themselves. Chemical imbalances and brain changes may also be behind people that have anxiety disorders. Imbalances with any of the four primary brain neurotransmitters – dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA – can contribute to a person having chronic anxiety, and increased amygdala activity in the brain can do the same.

       

Stress, experiencing traumatic events, and environmental factors can also be explanations for what causes anxiety disorders.

       

Anxiety Disorders Symptoms

       

The types of anxiety disorders symptoms that will be seen will depend on the type of disorder as well as the individual. Common ones that may be associated with any of them include both psychological and physical symptoms.

       

Psychological anxiety symptoms:

       

           
• Panic, fear, dread, uneasiness
           
• Feeling of being on edge or extremely irritable
           
• Obsessive thoughts that may be uncontrollable
           
• Concentration difficulties
       

       

Physical anxiety symptoms:

       

           
• Heart palpitations
           
• Shortness of breath
           
• Restlessness
           
• Dry mouth
           
• Cold or sweaty hands
           
• Nausea
           
• Hand/feet numbness or tingling
           
• Insomnia
       

       

Anxiety Treatment

       

The most conventional approach to anxiety treatment is to start on medications like Buspar or Zonalon. These medications work to rebalance brain neurotransmitters so that the patient experiences less of the anxiety that is debilitating for them. Use of benzodiazepines or beta-blocker medications may also be possible, and the medications that a doctor will recommend for treatment will depend on the type of anxiety disorder as well as any response the patient has had to existing treatment.

       

Psychotherapy is also very effective for anxiety treatment, and it is quite commonly paired with Rx medications as a whole-spectrum approach to treating the disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to be very helpful, especially for people with specialized anxiety disorders, and exposure therapy is also very beneficial for some people working to overcome their anxiety.