Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is the experience of having worry, fear, or feelings of trepidation. Mild to moderate or occasion severe feelings of anxiety are normal reactions to stressors in daily life. Anxiety can manifest in one’s mood, behavior, thoughts, and emotions. Although the experience of anxiety can be unpleasant, a normal amount of anxiety can serve to help people to recognize and more effectively deal with stressful situations, such as starting a new job or moving across the country.

Anxiety can also be experienced without any stimulus at all or due to a perceived stressor that may not exist, such as a child who is afraid of a monster in the closet at night or a straight-A student who worries about getting a failing grade. If anxiety rises to excessive levels or becomes recurring or continuous, it can develop into a mental health condition, called anxiety disorder. There are many types of anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are multifaceted and can be difficult to recognize and differentiate from other medical conditions because they present with a wide variety of manifestations. Anxiety can also be a symptom of many medical conditions in addition to anxiety disorder.

Symptoms of anxiety run the gamut from almost unnoticeable, such as a mild elevation in heart rate, to so extreme that they can interfere with the activities of daily living. This can include having anxiety about closed in spaces that is so excessive that a person refuses to use an elevator. The symptoms of anxiety are related to a physiological human …more »

Anxiety disorders: Treatments

There are many ways to reduce, even eliminate the symptoms of anxiety. The most effective strategy is to address anxiety in a variety of ways. Taking inventory of stressors and developing strategies to eliminate or reduce them is an important approach. This may include making a list of stressors and grading them from most stressful to least stressful.

Symptoms of Anxiety disorders

 

  • Chest pain
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Heart palpitations
  • Increase in blood pressure

 

Treatments for Anxiety disorders

  • Medication: Antidepressants, Anti-Anxiety drugs, Beta Blockers
  • Psychotherapy
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Education about anxiety
  • Cognitive-behavior therapy