It’s safe to say that everyone gets the feeling of being worried or panicked at one time or another during their lifetime. Those feelings are extremely common and natural and for most people they will pass. However, if a person has these feelings and the feelings don’t pass, then it’s time to talk to a doctor about possibly having a type of anxiety disorder.
There are seven types of anxiety disorders and they include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, separation anxiety, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Foa, Edna & Andrews, Linda Wasmer, 2006). Anxiety disorders affect 18% of the United States’ population and it is currently the most common type of mental illness. Of
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& Pedrick, C., 2006). They have also proved that there are at least three factors that can increase a person’s risk for developing an anxiety disorder. The first risk is personality. Anxiety disorders tend to develop in people who are extremely negative and are very timid. Anxiety disorders are also being studied that they may be due to genetics and run in families. Unfortunately for females, the third risk factor is gender. Females are at a higher risk for anxiety disorders (Wyborny, S, 2009). Just because a person has a risk factor for having an anxiety disorder, doesn’t mean that they will actually have one. On the other hand, even if they don’t have a risk factor they could still develop a type of anxiety disorder. Severe anxiety can happen for any reason and can happen to people of any age. For some types of anxiety disorders, culture and age can play a big factor into a person having a certain type of disorder (Van Duyne, 2003). If someone suspects that they have an anxiety disorder, they can go to the website of the Anxiety and Depression Associate of America (ADAA) and take a short survey. The results can then be printed out and taken with the person to see their family physician to get a proper diagnosis (“Screening for Generalized”, …show more content…
Today, a patient could be referred to a psychologist or social worker who can provide them with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Cognitive therapy helps the patient change their thinking habits to more positive thoughts. Instead of always being negative and dysfunctional, the psychologist or social worker hopes to turn the thoughts around to help the patient talk to themselves in healthy ways to prevent them for getting so worked up and worried about whatever it is that is bothering them. Behavioral therapy’s goal is to help change the patient’s behaviors so that their anxiety doesn’t worsen (Hyman & Pedrick, 2006). This involves getting exposure to the things that frighten or worry a person. They are facing their fears head on in order to make it less scary of them. Another part of behavior therapy is helping the patient to produce a different reaction when they are faced with their fears. The health care professionals are hoping that the more times a person sees and comes into contact with their fears, the more they will be comfortable with them and not react with so much anxiety. There is also a chance that the patient may need to go on medication to help prevent their anxiety. For medication prescriptions, they can
(198)First, we need to understand what fear and anxiety is. Fear is when the nervous system responds to a threat to ones well being. Anxiety is when there is a vague sense of danger. Both of these term help the body determine when action needs to be taken like “Fight” or “Flight”. When they both come clinically significant is when people can’t not live there normal lives without one or there other or both interfering. “Their discomfort is so server or to frequent, last too long, or is trigger to easily, (Comer, 2013, pp.114)”. Then they are termed with having an anxiety disorder or some other disorder. Most psychologist use the DSM-5 check list when diagnosing a patient with anxiety disorder. They look for these signs that the DSM-5 list:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, also known as (GAD) is one of the several types of anxiety disorders. GAD according to our textbook (Lahey) is an uneasy sense of general tension and apprehension for no apparent reason that makes the individual highly uncomfortable because of its prolonged presence. GAD is much more than the normal anxiety people experience day to day. Without provoking, it is chronic and exaggerated worry and tension. This disorder can involve anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about health, money, family or work. Sometimes, though, just the thought of getting through the day brings anxiety.
There are many characteristics associated with anxiety. Frequently, people with anxiety experience tightness in their chest, a racing or pounding heart, and a pit in their stomach. Anxiety causes some people to get a headache, to sweat, and even make them have the urge to urinate.
The onset of Generalized anxiety disorder begins in childhood or adolescents, and It can have a lifetime prevalence of 3-5% with a higher risk in women. One major effect of Generalized Anxiety Disorder is excessive worry or anxiety lasting up to 6 months at a time, although individuals that have Generalized Anxiety Disorder don’t identify their worrying as excessive all of the time, but they will recount subjective distress because of a constant worry, or may have difficulty with control over the worrying, or even experience social impairment. Anxiety can be associated up to 6 symptoms which include inability to sleep, fatigued, lack of concentration, easily agitated, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances. Most of which can affect everyday lifestyle and greatly effect physical health, not only can they cause personal distress but may also cause distress in those around.
CBT allows the patient to control and change his or her thoughts by changing his or her specific behaviors. There are two parts to CBT, exposure and response prevention. Exposure forces a patient to “stay in contact” with the objects; for example, a person with a fear of germs might hold a dirty dollar bill for an extended period of time. Response prevention ensures that a person does not perform the ritual he would normally; for example, after holding the dollar, he is not allowed to wash his hands. CBT is free of side effects but it does increase a patient’s anxiety level. I believe psychotherapy will work well for patients because it forces them to confront their fears and over an extended period of time. This guarantees the patient faces
Women are more likely to have panic disorder than men. Early adulthood and adolescence is when people usually develop panic disorder(Retrieved March 28, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_disorder). An average of six million adults living in America will experience panic disorder in one year(Facts & Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics). The essential features in the DSM are recurrent, unexpected panic attacks(Panic Disorder (DSM-IV-R) - Panic Disorder, Cont. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.biopsychinstitute.com/psychiatric-disorders/panic-disorder?start=1 ). According to the DSM, two unexpected panic attacks are required for the diagnosis, but most people have more. Individuals with this disorder frequently also have predisposed panic attacks. The doctor bases the diagnosis off of the intensity of the symptoms, the frequency of panic attacks, and the doctor's observation of the patient's behavior. Moderate is considered once a week, severe is considered daily. A lot of people do not know that their disorder is a real life thing and treatment is highly effective. Many people blow it off and don't speak up about it, making it worse. The associated features documented in the DSM are feelings of anxiety that are not focused on any situation or event. Individuals often
Bearing in mind that an anxiety response is a result of various factors, there are different types of anxiety disorders. The most common type of anxiety disorders as described as specific phobias, social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) (2016), specific phobias affect about 19 million adults in the U.S, while SAD affects 15 million, PD affects 6 million, GAD affects about 6.8 million, OCD affects about 2.2 million and PTSD affects 7.7 million adults respectively. Considering that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment (ADAA, 2016).
Social anxiety is a prevalent and common disorder amongst society. Social anxiety disorder is expressed as a fear in public and social situations for an individual (Kashdan, Farmer, Adams, Mcknight, Ferssizidis, Nezelf 2013). A person with social anxiety fears that a social appearance, outcome, or situation will lead a to negative response to their surrounding audience (Kashdan, Farmer, Adams, Mcknight, Ferssizidis, Nezelf 2013). However there are numerous treatments for social anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most efficacious treatments that a patient may receive (Hambrick, Weeks, Harb, & Heimberg, 2003. Cognitive behavioral therapy has numerous techniques that can be used on patients. The result of using cognitive behavioral therapy on patients shows that it has long-term and short-term effectiveness (Hambrick, Weeks, Harb, & Heimberg, 2003. In conclusion a patient with social anxiety disorder should have the opportunity to try cognitive behavioral therapy.
One kind of anxiety disorder is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This disease can ruin a person's life because it causes them to have repetitive thoughts and behaviors towards certain things. Life can become very difficult because this way of thinking and acting is very difficult to overcome, especially since the obsessions have no point and are stressful for the person. It begins to interfere with the person's school, work, and/or home.
Anxiety disorders cover a broad pool of psychological diseases it is impossible to fully analyze. If you where to see anxiety disorders from a biological perspective it will be categorized as a kingdom because it covers many disorders. Anxiety diseases are very extensive and vary among all patients. Some of these disorders are very hard to control and far more difficult to fully cure. Never the less there is always a treatment or a way that could improve the life of a patient suffering from panic attacks, specific phobias, obsessive-disorder, major depression, bi polar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
Anxiety is a term for several disorders that causes the body to feel fear, nervousness, apprehension, and worrying, "Anxiety is a word we use for some types of fear that are consequently to do with the thought of a threat or something going wrong in the future, rather than right now" (Mental Health Foundation). Many people suffer from anxiety every day, consequently most people can not pinpoint what exactly their anxiety originates from. No one likes to experience stress and anxiety, but it is just a phase of life that most humans have to overcome and become stronger. Anxiety disorders are one of the most inferior mental illnesses that affects teens and adults in the United States. Anxiety negatively affects the body and
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) is also often paired with systematic desensitization. CBT is focused on regaining control of reactions to stress and stimuli, ultimately reducing the feeling of helplessness (Palazzolo, 2014). One specific case of Psychotherapeutic Treatment for Aquaphobia takes a closer look at the break down of how systematic desensitization would be applied. Initially, the patient would be given information on their phobia, making it seem as unthreatening as possible and by showing them that they are not alone, as this disorder is common and that there is a cognitive approach to treat their condition. You first explain to the patient step by step the therapy that is going to take place. You ask them to carefully watch themselves throughout each situation and take notice at what parts they find challenging or lead them to avoidance. It is also suggested that the patients rates her anxiety during those situations on a scale from 1-10. The duration of this therapy would be approximately 13 sessions, meeting once a week for 30-45 minutes. The first three sessions are centered around their life and story of their disability, the diagnosis and the analysis of the disorder while working out a review of each sessions and what their ultimate goal
Cognitive therapy approaches of psychotherapy have proved to be one of the most effective psychological approaches for a wide range of behavioral problems. “CBT teaches anxiety reduction skills that people can use for the rest of their lives. Research shows the
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Every person experiences some form of anxiety in his or her lifetime. Anxiety helps us deal with tense situations like using our flight or fight reaction, study harder for an exam, or keep focus on important deadlines. Anxiety can be useful until it gets to the point of interfering with everyday life. Some people explain it as not being able to shut the anxiety off. When anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it becomes a disabling disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). Each year, anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). There are five major Anxiety Disorders they include Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Phobias.
Anxiety is our body’s reaction to stressful dangerous or unfamiliar situations (“What is Anxiety,” n.d.). Everyone has anxiety at times and this is necessary in human beings but some people have it much worse than others. Anxiety disorder makes life more difficult to cope with, it keeps people from sleeping, socializing with their peers and it makes it hard to concentrate (“What is Anxiety,”n.d.). So, what is the cause of anxiety? How can we tell if a person is suffering from an anxiety disorder? What are the different types of anxiety disorders around us?