| Women's Health
Beyond Worry: Anxiety Disorders
By Edel Jarboe
Ordinarily, anxiety is
necessary for our survival. It helps us to focus on the task at hand, motivates
us to overcome procrastination, and to avoid danger. Almost everyone experiences
some form of anxiety as we go about our daily lives. However, when we have
severe anxiety, we are incapable of reasoning our way out of the panic and
find ourselves at its mercy. In other words, there is a marked difference
between feeling occasionally shy or nervous and being literally crippled
by fear.
Unlike the normal stress (fight or flight) response
that is brought about by a real threat or challenge, severe anxiety is
characterized by excessive feelings of worry and fear that are out of proportion
to the situation. These feelings are more intense and last longer than normal
feelings of anxiety. Because excessive anxiety can trap the person in patterns
of avoidance and withdrawal, anxiety disorders get in the way of living a
normal everyday life and affect a sufferers work, family, relationships,
and well-being.
Unfortunately, anxiety disorders often coexist
with other disorders, such as depression, substance abuse, or another anxiety
disorder. For this reason, people with untreated anxiety are at higher risk
for suicide, severe depression and for self-medication with alcohol or drugs.
Anxiety disorder sufferers are also at higher risk for job loss and
divorce. |
| General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
General anxiety disorder affects about 10 million
Americans and is typified by an almost constant state of worry, tension,
or anxiety about almost everything in a sufferer's life including health,
family, work, or money. While it is normal to worry about these things, the
extent to which a GAD sufferer worries is to a much greater extreme. This
disorder usually occurs in the early 20's although in some cases it can start
in childhood or later in life.
Someone suffering from generalized anxiety disorder
finds it difficult to control their worry and has three or more of the following
symptoms occur over a six-month period:
- feeling on edge or very restless
- difficulty concentrating
- irritability
- muscle tension
- easily fatigued
- sleep disturbances
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by recurring
attacks of anxiety or terror, which usually last for a specific period of
time, for example for 15 to 30 minutes. According to the National Institute
of Mental Health, approximately 2.4 million Americans ages 18 to 54 suffers
from panic disorder in a given year. A diagnosis of panic disorder is made
when a person experiences at least two repeated, unexpected attacks followed
by at least one month of worrying that another panic attack will strike.
A panic attack consists of a person feeling extreme fear or discomfort along
with at least four of the following symptoms:
- rapid heart beat
- sweating
- shakiness
- shortness of breath
- choking feeling
- dizziness
- nausea
- feelings of unreality
- numbness
- hot flashes or chills
- chest pain
- fear of dying
- fear of going insane
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder is an extreme fear of
public embarrassment or being judged by others. This disorder typically begins
in childhood or early adolescence and rarely develops after age 25. According
to the National Institute of Mental Health, this condition affects as many
as approximately 5.3 million Americans a year.
Extreme shyness and discomfort in social settings
characterizes social anxiety disorder. Typical symptoms include frequent
blushing, shortness of breath, trembling, rapid heartbeat, and profuse sweating.
These symptoms can vary in severity from mild and bearable to full-blown
panic attacks. Moreover, this fear of being publicly scrutinized and humiliated
can range from a limited or specific social phobia such as eating a meal
in a restaurant to a generalized social phobia where a person's anxiety extends
to a variety of social settings.
What Causes Anxiety Disorders?
A combination of biochemical, genetic,
psychological, and environmental factors appear to contribute to the development
of anxiety disorders. Researchers believe that most people with anxiety disorders
seem to have a biological vulnerability to stress, which makes them more
susceptible to environmental stimuli. Moreover, studies have shown that an
imbalance of chemical messengers in the brain (neurotransmitters) may contribute
to anxiety disorders. In fact, some experts have identified a genetic defect
that affects dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, which appears to cause
a syndrome that includes migraine headaches, anxiety, and depression. Studies
have also shown that about 20-25% of close relatives of people with panic
disorders experience this disorder. Finally, psychological and environmental
factors such as low self-esteem, poor coping skills, and long-term exposure
to abuse, violence, or poverty can also make a person more susceptible to
anxiety disorders.
Treating Anxiety Disorders
For anxiety disorders, the most effective treatment
seems to be a combination of antidepressant drugs and cognitive-behavior
therapy. Paxil, for example, is the latest antidepressant drug to be used
to treat social anxiety disorder (often experienced as extreme shyness),
panic disorder, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Other
drugs used in the treatment of anxiety disorders include Prozac and Zoloft.
However, it should be pointed out that it usually takes two to four weeks
before an antidepressant medication is effective.
The focus of cognitive therapy is to alter the
sufferer's catastrophic thinking about what others are thinking about them
and to address the real consequences of a flawed performance. It encourages
sufferers to put things in perspective by asking themselves "What if I do
have a panic? What is the worst thing that can happen?" The focus of the
second half of cognitive-behavior therapy, the behavioral part, is to gradually
expose the sufferer to the circumstances that can trigger their anxiety.
It teaches them techniques such as deep breathing, affirmations, and progressive
relaxation in order to get them in the habit of focusing on the present moment
rather than on the dreaded imaginary outcome. Moreover, a healthy lifestyle
that includes exercise (such as aerobics and yoga), adequate sleep, and nutrition
has also been shown to help to reduce the impact of anxiety attacks.
According to the American Psychiatric Association,
anxiety disorders are the most common of emotional disorders affecting more
than 20 million Americans (approximately one in nine) a year. However, only
about a quarter of those who experience this problem seek help. Many people
with anxiety disorders try to hide what is happening to them because they
feel a sense of shame over their perceived lack of control. Their anxiety
becomes an emotional, physical, and psychological prison. Although there
is help and hope available, reaching out for this help may be especially
hard for the anxiety sufferer. If you, or someone you know, are suffering
from an anxiety disorder, please do not be afraid to get help. You don't
have to suffer in silence.
~~~~~
Also see:
Anxiety And Panic
Attacks: You can cure panic attacks instantly with this
method.
~~~~~
Also see:
Conquer Stress,
Depression and Anxiety Naturally and Permanently: No matter how long
you've suffered or what you've tried before.
~~~~~
Edel Jarboe is
the founder of Self Help for
Her.com, an online self-help magazine helping you create a better life.
She also publishes a free weekly newsletter, which features advice on goal
setting, stress management, coping with difficult people, and overcoming
obstacles: Subscribe here
and receive a FREE stress report.
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