Introduction To Anxiety Disorder And Its Types
Introduction:
Occasionally, anxiety is part of normal life such as anxiety before
competitive exams, interviews, big decisions, etc. A little bit of anxiety is
not harmful, but it becomes harmful when it continues and develops into a disorder.
An anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive worry, fear about objects,
places, and situations, as well as discomfort. Anxiety is a branch of mental
disorder. Anxiety is the most prevalent mental disorder globally.
All the time anxiety is not good for both mental and physical
health. It is marked as a negative impact on the personality of an individual such
as impairing thinking, quick decision-making, learning, concentration, memorizing,
creativity, etc. Furthermore, it badly interferes with daily activities like household,
school, career, employment, relationships, etc. the better truth is that women
are more vulnerable to developing2 times more anxiety disorders than men.
Types Of Anxiety Disorder:
1.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder:
When a person always takes the tension to an unimportant thing or
too much worry about unrealistic situations is said to be Generalized anxiety
disorder. It happens due to stressful life events in the past. People with Generalized
anxiety disorder are always worried about their health, education, employment,
relationships, etc.
The symptoms of Generalized anxiety disorder include:
·
Headache
or migraine
·
Stomachache
·
Anxiousness
·
Difficulty
in eating, talking, sleeping, etc.
2.
Panic Disorder:
Panic disorder is a severe form of fear. It happens suddenly, and
due to the sudden attack of intense fear, people feel uncomfortable, lose their
senses, and become out of control. The sad reality is that someone with panic
disorder always worries about their next panic attack, when will it happen? The
level of anxiety is increased by that fear.
The symptoms of a panic attack are similar to those of a heart
attack include:
·
Sweating
·
Chest
pain
·
Increase
heart rate etc.
3.
Phobia Disorder:
A phobia is a kind of anxiety disorder in which a person experiences intense
fear of a specific object, place, or situation. Examples of phobias include the fear
of needles, the fear of blood, the fear of water, the fear of heights, the fear
of the dark, the fear of animals, the fear of insects, etc. It is always present
in the individual who has the disorder, therefore try to prevent their fear of
specific objects, places, or situations by avoiding them.
The symptoms of phobia disorder include:
·
Shaking,
light-headedness, faintness
·
Suffocation
·
Sweating
·
A
rapid heartbeat
·
Chest
pain
·
Shortness
of breath
4.
Social Anxiety Disorder:
Social anxiety disorder is a common
problem today. The better explanation for this is that the era is full of
competition in every field, including education, employment, financial status,
relationships, etc. Everyone desires to be the best in their field and tries to
put forth their best effort to increase their values and
importance.Unfortunately, individuals who do not have a good status, adequate
financial support, confidence, knowledge,and education, as well as those who
areunemployed,are unable to improve their values andface social anxiety, shame,
embarrassment, rejection, and other fears. This person prefers to live alone
and avoids social circles.
5. Separation
Anxiety Disorder:
Separation anxiety disorder is a
type of anxiety disorder that highly affects children and sometimes adults
facing it. The main issuesare the financial situations that everyone isin, dislike
of the spouse, misunderstandings between parents, or any other issues, as a
result, they both no longer want to live together, and ultimately the
separation between them, which hurt the children.Children of those parents are
always worriedabout being alone, being separated from those they are attached
to, or living with either their mother or father. When a child has separation
anxiety disorder, they may experience nightmares at any age.
FactorsOf Anxiety Disorders:
The following are the three main factors of
anxiety disorders.
1. Biological
Factors:
The anxiety disorder may occur due togenetics,
neurotransmitter imbalance, illness, side effects of medications, nutritional
factors, etc.
2. Psychological Factors:
Low self-esteem,negative emotions,
interpersonal conflicts, developmental crises, any form of rejection, etc. are
all psychological factors that lead to anxiety disorders.
3. Social Factors:
Social factors that contribute to anxiety
disorders includeadverse childhood events, stressful events in the past, a lack
of social support, work stress, a lack of social skills, changing values, terrorism,
etc.
Effects Of AnxietyDisorder:
Occasionally,short-term stress allows the brain to release
thetwo stresshormones cortisol and adrenaline. The levels of these two hormones
riseduringthe fight-or-flight situation, and when the situation ends over time,
the hormone levels return to normal. As a result, the hormone levels in the
bodyalways remain normal.However,underlong-term stress,the levels of cortisol
and adrenaline riseover time and don’treturn to normal.As a result of this
prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol and adrenalinecausessevere anxiety
disorder, which in turn leads tovarious other diseases like,
·
Cardiovascular disease(increased heart rate,
chest pain, high blood pressure, heart failure, etc.)
·
Gastrointestinal disease(stomachache, loss of
appetite, nausea, ulcer, diarrhea, constipation, etc.)
·
Respiratory disease(Rapid breathing, asthma,
etc.)
Other effects include:
·
Immune suppression
·
Diabetes
·
Weakness
·
Fatigue
SymptomsOf Anxiety Disorder:
There are thefollowing symptoms that anxiouspeople experience during the
anxiety period.
·
Shivering, sweating, vomiting, headache, and nausea
·
Stomach pain, diarrhea, and ulcer
·
High blood pressure, Tachycardia (increased heartbeat)
·
Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
·
Numbness (loss of feeling)
·
Nervousness, worry, irritability, and insecurity
·
Panic and fear attacks
·
Nightmares
Treatments For An Anxiety Disorder:
1. Medications:
Although it cannot treat anxiety disorders but
can help by reducing their symptoms.
These medications are used to treat anxiety
disorders by enhancing specific brain chemicals that regulate mood or stress.It
takes a week for it to start working, but once you start taking it,don’t stop using
itbefore the completion of the course because doing so can make the anxiety
symptoms come back.
·
Benzodiazepines:
Lorazepam, Clonazepam, Oxazepam, Diazepam and Alprazolam
drugs are belonged to the Benzodiazepines class. it is an anti-anxiety
medication used to treat anxiety symptoms. It affects more quickly than anti-depressants, that’s why most people either take excessive doses or are completely
dependent on it. Due to their high frequency of use, doctors only prescribe
benzodiazepines for a short period. However, they don't recommend stopping
abruptly because there is a potential that the symptoms of anxiety may return.
Currently, it is not recommended due to potential side
effects. The death rate is higher among those using benzodiazepines than
non-users.
·
Beta-Blockers:
Propanolol andAtenololit drugs belong to the
Beta-Blockers class. Although they are used to treat high blood pressure,they
can also help to reduce anxiety symptoms.
2. Alternative Treatments:
The prevalence of anxiety disorder has increased over
time, but the rate of effectiveness from medications hasbecome low, because of most
patients’unwillingness to take excessive amounts of the drugs,the development
of side effects from taking the drugs, or due to allergies when taking
anti-anxiety drugs. In order to complement conventional treatments, researchers
have developed some alternative treatments. These treatments include relaxation,
yoga, exercises, home remedies, herbal treatment, diet modifications,
aromatherapy, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, homeopathy, spiritual healing, change the
lifestyle, etc.
When patients with anxiety disorders started adopting
alternative treatments in place of conventional treatment, the results were
surprising. The effectiveness rate is higher than medications. Due to the lack
of side effects, patients are interested in this kind of treatment.
3. Psychotherapy:
Psychotherapy is beneficial over the long term
for treating anxiety disorder.
·
Behavioral Therapy:
By talking, guiding, and encouraging patients to face
fearful objects, locations, situations, etc., behavioral therapy helps in
reducing anxiety.Sessions with a psychiatrist can be used to do this.
·
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy:
Cognitive-Behavioral therapy helps to reduce anxietybyaltering aperson's
thoughts, actions, and reactions to situations. It is most effective in panic
disorder and social anxiety disorder. As a result of this therapy, the belief and
the behavior of the fear that maintains anxiety ultimately disappear.
Control And Prevention Of Anxiety Disorder:
·
Don't skip meals, especially the ones that will provide
more energy.
·
Limit the use of alcohol and caffeine.
·
Don’t compromise on sleep.
·
Build self-confidence.
·
Get educated on how to deal with anxiety disorders.
·
Spend time with friends and family.
References:
Ø Thibaut, F. (2022). Anxiety
disorders: a review of current literature. Dialogues in clinical
neuroscience.
Ø Shri, R. (2010). Anxiety: causes and
management. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 5(1),
100-118.
Ø Mental Health Information. (2022, April).
Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders
Ø Kristeen Cherney, P. (2022, September 22). Effects
of Anxiety on the Body. Retrieved from healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/effects-on-body
Ø Tips and Strategies to Manage
Anxiety and Stress. (2022, December 12). Retrieved from Anxiety and Depression
Association of America: https://adaa.org/tips
By: Aqsa Saeed
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