Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety describes a healthy feeling people go through when facing a threat, or when stressed. Anxiety disorders are a group of illness characterized by a persistent feeling of high anxiety, discomfort, and tension. Anxiety disorders are the standard form of mental illness, and affect 1 out of 20 people in any given time. Different types of anxiety disorders exist across the globe, which have different symptoms, and have different approach in terms of treatment.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is brought by uncontrollable, and unrealistic worry about daily issues such as health, friends, money, and career. An individual with GAD finds it difficult to control their anxiety, and may worry more than seems warranted about actual events (Boer, Huizinga & van der Helm-van, 2019). GAD comes gradually and can begin across the life cycle, though the risk is high between childhood and middle age. A feeling of constant apprehension accompanies a generalized anxiety disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) is suffered mostly by people who have experienced significant trauma, such as war, child abuse, rape, or fire (Javitt & Javitt, 2018). People with PTSD repeatedly re-live the traumatic event through distressful recollections, such as nightmares, and flashbacks. Flashbacks are brought by triggers related to the experience, which the person tries to avoid.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsion disorder involves unwanted thoughts and results in the performance of certain rituals in an attempt to control persistent thoughts (Taylor, 2019). The rituals performed are usually interfered with everyday life. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder are always embarrassed and keep the formalities as a secret, even from their relatives.
Social Phobia
Social phobia is an intense, persistent fear of social or performance situations. People fear they might be misjudged or scrutinized by others (Taylor, 2019). Exposure to social conditions provokes an immediate anxiety response that may include tremors, sweating, discomfort, diarrhea, muscle tension, confusion, palpitations, which may meet criteria for the panic attack in severe cases.
Specific Phobia
Specific phobias are intense fears about particular objects or activities that interfere with a person’s life (Javitt & Javitt, 2018). Water, height, dogs, dark places, or snakes are some of the examples which cause freight in different types of people. Someone with a specific phobia is beautiful in the absence of the feared object; however, in the presence of the feared object, they become anxious and experience panic.
Causes of Anxiety Disorders
Many interrelated factors cause anxiety disorders. Origin of the particular disorder varies, and determining the cause in every case is complicated (Reiche, Hermle, Gutwinski, Jungaberle, Gasser& Majić, 2018). Development of anxiety disorders appears to result from genetic interplay, biological, social-economic, and workplace stress. Theories have been proposed to explain how these factors contribute to the development of the disorder.
Experimental
People may learn their fear from previous encounters, such as physical or sexual abuse, embarrassing situation, or witnessing a violent scene (Javitt & Javitt, 2018). Such experience intrudes fear in a person’s life which may lead to the development of anxiety disorder. Similar subsequent experiences serve to reinforce the fear.
Cognition
Some people believe, or predict the outcome of certain situations will be embarrassing, or harmful (Boer &Huizinga & van der Helm-van, 2019). Cognition may occur, for example, if parents feel entitled to their children’s behavior, and are overprotective, they continually warn against potential problems. Continuous thinking about predicted outcomes may cause anxiety disorder.
Biological
Amygdala is a structure within the brain, serves as a communication pivot that hints the presence of danger and activates a fear response. Amygdala stores emotional memories and may play a role in the development of anxiety disorders. (Javitt & Javitt, 2018) Children of adults suffering from anxiety disorder are at higher risk of an anxiety disorder than the general population, which may imply a genetic factor.
Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders can be treated effectively. Each disease has unique characteristics; most respond well to psychological therapies. (Taylor, 2019) Effective treatment of anxiety disorders include:
- Psychological therapies, such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), are focused on changing thinking patterns, and beliefs that may trigger anxiety. CBT involves reading about the problem, keeping records between appointments, and completing a homework assignment where the treatment procedures are practiced.
- Anti-depressants play an essential role in treating the associated or underlying depression.
- Anti-anxiety medication influences the neurotransmitter system in the brain; this medication does not cure anxiety disorders but controls the symptoms while the person undergoes psychological treatment.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) uses the strategy of mindfulness and acceptance, alongside commitment, and behavior change, as a method of getting off unwanted thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Conclusion
Anxiety is a normal subjective human emotion. Anxiety has become the cause of tremendous suffering for millions of people. Anxiety disorders are common in the society, causing impairment of social, and occupational functioning. Anxiety disorders can be treated effectively by a combination of medication, and cognitive behavior therapy. Many people are suffering from anxiety disorders without their knowledge. Future remains optimistic for those who struggle with anxiety. We believe that advancement in the treatment of anxiety disorders will continue to bring hope and relief to people, and families affected by these disorders.
References
Boer, A. C., Huizinga, T. W., & van der Helm-van, A. H. (2019). Depression and anxiety associate with less remission after 1 year in rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 78(1), e1-e1.
Javitt, G. A., & Javitt, D. C. (2018). Diet, Microbiome, and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. In Diet, Microbiome and Health (pp. 369-405). Academic Press.
Malhi, G. S., Outhred, T., Hamilton, A., Boyce, P. M., Bryant, R., Fitzgerald, P. B. … & Singh, A. B. (2018). Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders: major depression summary. Medical Journal of Australia, 208(4), 175-180.
Reiche, S., Hermle, L., Gutwinski, S., Jungaberle, H., Gasser, P., & Majić, T. (2018). Serotonergic hallucinogens in the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from a life-threatening disease: a systematic review. Progress in neuro- psychopharmacology and biological psychiatry, 81, 1-10.
Taylor, S. (2019). Treating anxiety sensitivity in adults with anxiety and related disorders. In The Clinician’s Guide to Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment and Assessment (pp. 55-75). Academic Press.