Anxiety Disorders

Introduction:

The bulk of anxiety disorders range from uneasiness to paralyzing bouts of terror. A few of the various types of anxiety disorders are as listed below:
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder:
If an individual fails to shake off unwarranted worries and depreciate the rate and level of everyday activities, he / she may most likely be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

• Symptoms:

1. Chronic, exaggerated worry
2. Excessive unwarranted anxiety or tension
3. Irritability and frustration without cause
4. Restlessness
5. Insomnia or sleep apnea
6. Trembling and twitching

• Diagnosis:

1. Excessive unwarranted worry for over a time period of more than six months.

• Treatment:

Effective forms of treatment of anxiety disorders are as projected as given below:
1. Cognitive behavioral therapy
2. Relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation
3. biofeedback
4. Anti-anxiety drugs and its derivatives which include the like of diazepam and lorazepam. Non benzodiazepine drugs like buspirone may also prove to be effective in the treatment of this disorder for selective individuals.

• Panic Disorder:

People affected with this disorder undergo white-knuckled, terrorizing episodes that strike unpredicted. that strikes suddenly and without warning. Due to its unpredictable nature many people live in chronic anxiety as to when another one could overcome them at any moment.

• Symptoms:
1. Increased heart beating
2. Chest pain
3. Nausea
4. Shortness of breath,
5. Trembling and twitching
6. Choking, fear of dying
7. Sweating
8. Hallucinations and illusions
9. Numbness or tingling

• Diagnosis:
1. Four attacks within four weeks
2. One or more attacks followed by at least a month of persistent terror of having another attack.
3. Showcase of at least four of the symptoms listed above developed during at least one of the attacks.
4. Occur even during sleep

• Treatment:
1. Cognitive behavioral therapy
2. High-potency anti-anxiety drugs like alprazolam.
3. Antidepressants which include the likes of paroxetine, tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors)
4. Combinational treatment of both therapies and medications may also prove effective.

• Phobias:
Phobias as most of us know are irrational fears that result in the patient avoiding anxiety specific situations. Common forms of phobia include agoraphobia that relates to feeling of unwarranted fear of situations or experiences that might trigger a panic attack and social phobia, which is dreading public embarrassment.

• Symptoms:
1. Sweating
2. Pounding heart
3. Twitching and experiencing tremors

• Diagnosis:
1. Excessive anxiousness associated with exposure to evidences of pain attacks.
2. Guilt on recognition of excessive / unreasonable fear
3. Lower work ability and concentration in everyday activities.
4. Social problems and tense family relationships

• Treatment:
1. Cognitive behavioral therapy
2. Anti anxiety drugs and antidepressants
3. Combination of medication and therapeutic treatment

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

PTSD can result from terrifying experiences such as rape, kidnapping or any other life threatening experience. It has now begun affecting even minors and hence this disorder has spared people of any age group in the present world. The key to PT S D’s are psychological imprints and damages created by such experiences.

• Symptoms:
1. Emotional numbing
2. Unwarranted anxiety
3. Startled reactions , mostly exaggerated
4. Nightmares
5. Neurasthenia
6. Insomnia and sleep apnea

• Diagnosis:
Symptoms of PTSD are considered a form of anxiety related disorder only if initial signs pertaining to a kind of reflex reaction towards an experience of a traumatic event persist for more than three months.

• Treatment:
1. Psychotherapy
2. Cognitive behavior therapy
3. Relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation
4. Anti-anxiety agents and antidepressants
5. Family support
6. Combination treatment inclusive of both psychotherapy and medication.

If You need to know more of Anxiety disorders and Panic attacks and effective ways of managing the situations I would

suggest you to read more here and take a decision in the matter.!

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