Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is a normal human emotion which we all face at times. Many people feel anxious, or nervous, when confronted with a problem at work, before taking a test, or making an important decision. Anxiety disorders can cause distress and it can interfere with a person's ability to lead a normal life.
An anxiety disorder, if uncontrolled can result in serious mental illness. For people with anxiety disorders, worry and fear are constant and overwhelming, and can be crippling. Anxiety disorders can cause low self-esteem, lead to substance abuse, and isolation from one’s friends and family.
There are many types of anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders, phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder.
What are the symptoms? A person with an anxiety disorder will feel distressed a lot of the time for no apparent reason. An episode can be so severe it is immobilizing. The person might have –
- Persistent, excessive or unrealistic worries
- Compulsions and obsessions which they can't control
- Intense excessive worry about social situations
- Panic attacks
- An intense, irrational fear of everyday objects and situations (phobia)
Other symptoms of anxiety disorders may include a pounding heart; difficulty breathing; upset stomach; muscle tension; sweating or choking; feeling faint or shaky.
Treatment
Anxiety disorder can be treated by trained mental health professionals such as licensed psychologists. Research has demonstrated that a form of psychotherapy known as "cognitive-behavioral therapy" (CBT) can be highly effective in treating anxiety disorders. Psychologists use CBT to help people identify and learn to manage the factors that contribute to their anxiety.
Behavioral therapy involves using techniques to reduce or stop the undesired behaviors associated with these disorders. For example, one approach involves training patients in relaxation and deep breathing techniques to counteract the agitation and rapid, shallow breathing that accompany certain anxiety disorders.
Through cognitive therapy, patients learn to understand how their thoughts contribute to the symptoms of anxiety disorders, and how to change those thought patterns to reduce the likelihood of occurrence and the intensity of reaction. The patient's increased cognitive awareness is often combined with behavioral techniques to help the individual gradually confront and tolerate fearful situations in a controlled, safe environment.
Appropriate medications may also have a role in treatment. Since there are side effects of drugs, they must be monitored closely by the provider who prescribed the medication.
Psychologists sometimes use other approaches to effective treatment in addition to individual psychotherapy. Group psychotherapy, involving unrelated individuals who all have anxiety disorders, can be an effective approach to delivering treatment and providing support. Family psychotherapy can help family members better understand their loved one's anxiety and learn new ways of interacting that do not reinforce the anxiety and associated dysfunctional behaviors.
