Types of Anxiety Disorders - Research Paper Example

Anxiety disorders Name Tutor Course Date Anxiety disorders Introduction Being anxious in life is a normal feeling. It is that feeling of anxiety that keeps us alert and makes us to be prepared for anticipated events for example being anxious before a speech in front of a crowd helps us to get prepared by learning more about speech delivery and good presentation skills. It is a usual emotion that arises when we are faced with problems, fear or even challenging situations. Anxiety is a worrying feeling, nervousness or unease towards certain expectations (Biegel, 2005). This is a feeling towards imminent occurrences or events with an uncertain outcome. It might be a desire to do something so much or wanting something to happen very much. An anxiety may also be a certain issue that we are so much worried about that it brings unease and nervousness for example; my anxiety in life is to become the best parent to my children. Being anxious in life is a normal life experience but it is only advisable up to certain levels in the human system. Too much of something is poison and the implication of too much anxiety might lead to a mental problem. Too much anxiety will cause abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs such a tension, sweating and increased pulse rate (Pedersen, et. al., 2008). This usually interrupts with the normal physical and psychological functioning of the body. This also disrupts a person’s daily life and routine. This is called an anxiety disorder. Normal and psychiatric anxiety It is very normal for people to be anxious towards certain factors. The way the body works is such that some scenarios makes one feel tensed or anxious so that it triggers an increase in the hormones that help produce adrenaline which in turn increases energy levels and therefore helps the body get out of the specific situation. It them becomes a disorder if one gets too anxious such that it interferes with the normal activities of the body (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2013). For instance, students get anxious when they prepare to seat for their final exams, or one can get anxious if they are to meet some close friend or relative who they have not seen for a very long time. One gets worried or nervous about the financial situation of the family and so on. In fact, if a person does not get anxious of tensed over some circumstances, he should see a doctor because he or she might not be normal. Therefore, different situations warrant different reactions of which it is very normal. However, anxiety cases that are elevated such that the anxiety symptoms become out of hand or become extreme (Kring, et. al., 2010). This means that the person must be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders symptoms become serious when the anxiety reaction is in excess of normal reaction or is not proportional to the danger in the given situation. In some cases, the person will become anxious for no apparent reason. In such cases, it is important for the person to seek immediate medical attention. There are three factors that differentiate the normal anxiety from the abnormal anxiety. These factors are the intensity of the effects, the frequency and the duration of the anxiety. If these three factors prolong or have a longer effect upon the occurrence of certain events, then the state of body becomes pathological and requires immediate attention. Therefore, while normal anxiety works to improve the working of the body, the abnormal anxiety is one that paralyses or interferes with the body functions (Vanin & Helsley, 2007). It is however important for a psychiatrist to examine a person carefully in order to identify the disorders correctly because some actions may not necessarily point to anxiety disorders. For instance, some people may have a phobia for needles or even have panic attacks before a doctor’s visitation. However, they still visit the doctor and get regular immunization or treatments and which does not create any problems or panics to him. This therefore does not meet the full criteria for diagnosing him for a phobia disorder. It is important that the doctor ensures that the symptoms and effects take effect in a prolonged duration and distinguish it from normal occurrences. Types of anxiety disorders A psychiatric definition of anxiety disorder is a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks. There are mainly four types of anxiety disorders as discussed below. Post-traumatic stress disorder This is a type of anxiety disorder that arises as a result of life threatening event. Such events include being on the brink of death such as in an accident or an event such as a kidnapping and torture. This means that a person suffering from this disorder will have memories from that event and cause his body and mind to react by being worryful or anxious. Some of the symptoms that are associated with this disorder include having nightmares, withdrawal or lack of social interactions, avoiding similar situation that remind him of the specific event or being very hyper-vigilant. In most cases, a person suffering from post-traumatic stress should seek counseling from a qualified psychiatrist who can guide on how to deal with issues related to the disorder. Panic disorder This type of anxiety disorder is characterized by panic attacks, sudden feelings of terror that strike repeatedly and without warning. Panic disorder is also characterized by other symptoms such as sweating, chest pain, palpitations and a feeling of choking. It is often mistaken for a heart attack. Social anxiety disorder Some people are often scarred of public humiliation. They are mostly worried about doing things or saying something that will make them embarrassed when they are with other people. Due to this fear, they tend to isolate themselves from social situations. The social anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that causes intense worry, unease and nervousness about social situations. This is caused by fear of being judged by others, embarrassing oneself in public, being ridiculed by people, social humiliation, concern that you might offend someone and having anxiety in anticipation of feared activity or event. These kinds of patients will isolate themselves from the rest, avoid talking to people, not take part in conversation and also avoid social gathering (Kalueff, Ishikawa, & Griffith, 2008). They may avoid situations such as eating or drinking in public, writing or working in public, being the center of attraction, interacting with people especially in social gatherings, using public toilets and talking on the telephone in public (Liebert et. al., 2007). Phobias In life, everyone has something or things that they avoid. In other words, they find certain things uncomfortable to do, have or even feed on. They tend to be fearful to them or hate them. They are commonly referred to as phobias. This type of anxiety disorder will have irrational fear to these things. When a patient with this disorder comes into contact or accesses some of these phobias they undergo panic attacks (Gielen, Fish & Draguns, 2004). These places, events or objects create powerful reaction of fear and thus are called triggers. Control of this type of anxiety disorder mostly depends on the type and number of triggers that determine a patient’s phobia. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) A patient with GAD will have excessive, unrealistic worry about everyday life situations. The situation may not be a person’s phobia or might have nothing to provoke the anxiety. Such a patient may spend several hours of the day having exaggerated worry about small issues of day today life. This prevents the normal routine of a person. GAD is characterized by headaches, tension or nausea. Normal Presentation of Anxiety Disorder Anxiety disorder mental illness has several ways of presenting itself in a patient. This might be in private or public situations. The presentation can be through visible actions or inbuilt thoughts and ideas by the patients (Vögele Claus, 2013). The symptoms might be emotional or physical. Due to the various types of anxiety disorders, there are different physical symptoms and presentations of the various anxiety disorders. Emotional Symptoms One of the emotional symptoms that are common in all the four main types of anxiety disorders is persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threating. Anxiety disorder causes one to be fearful or uncertain most of the time. They are mostly fearful of dirt, germ, contaminations, disasters and violence. Secondly, the patient will have feelings of apprehension or dread. According to Giddey, 2010, severe anxiety disorders may produce agitation, suicidal ideation and increased risk of completed ideas. The patient will really want to stop the agonizing pain and torture once and for all by just ending their lives hence they will tend to have many suicidal ideas. Thirdly, they will have tense, jumpy feelings and lack concentration. A patient will have brief episodes of different kinds of feelings. This is usually caused by the different events occurring every now and then in the patient’s environment. It might also be due to certain words uttered by different people in the surroundings or even a change in geographical location by the patient. All these factors act as triggers to different feelings. The lack of stability in the patient’s emotions or feelings will not enable the patient to concentrate for long or they might not even concentrate at all. Fourthly, they always anticipate for the worst and are always watchful for signs of danger. An anxiety disorder patient will tend to have a pessimistic view about life. They will also feel insecure about various things (Callahan, 2003). They tend to magnify small ideas or issues to very large problems in the minds and see them as threats and danger. They will come up with ideologies that various things or events are signs to awaiting danger and then they will increase their vigilance in order to avoid the various forms of danger they might face. Lastly they will be restless or irritable. The patient will get obsessive and unwanted thoughts. These thoughts will result in ritualized behavior such as repeated checking of doors and windows to ensure they are locked or frequently switching off the lights at home. Flashbacks also cause the patient to be restless each time. Physical Symptoms The presentation of anxiety disorder is different depending on the type of anxiety disorder that a patient has. Each type of anxiety disorder will cause the patient to behave in a certain way or portray certain behaviors. Therefore, the physical symptoms can be categorized into four depending on the four types of anxiety disorders as follows: Panic Disorders Symptoms Patients with the panic disorder will mostly have panic attacks as the major symptom. They usually complain of chest pains or dyspnea fearing that they might be dying of myocardial infarction. They experience recurring episodes of panic. These episodes will lead to sudden and spontaneous rise in fear and discomfort which reaches its peak within minutes. They also cause behavioral change for example the patient will have the urge to flee certain areas and have a sense of doom and therefore will avoid certain situations or places (Tyrer, & Baldwin, 2006). Other symptoms that will accompany panic attacks are chills or hot flashes, dizziness, nausea, abdominal distress, shortness of breath, trembling, palpitations, pounding heart or accelerated heart rate. Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms As discussed above, a patient with social anxiety behavior will tend to avoid certain social situations or crowds completely as a way to avoid discomfort and distress. If he or she does not do that, then they usually show the following signs and symptoms while in a social gathering or in public; intense anxiety in social situations, avoidance of social situations, they show extreme confusion, their heart pound fast, they sweat profusely, they shake and blush, and they also have muscle tension, stomach upsets and diarrhea (Mathews, et. al., 2009). Children with the social anxiety disorder will tend to cry a lot and cling to their parent. Phobia Disorder Symptoms A patient with phobia disorder will show intense anxiety reaction to certain places, situations, uttered words and even people. They will work really hard to keep themselves from such situations. Some of the physical symptoms that patients will show once they have encountered with such situations or places include; difficulties in breathing, rapid heart rate, trembling and shaking, feeling of dizziness, sweating, stomach churning and chest pain. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms Generalized anxiety disorder will cause a patient to have muscle tightness and body aches, nausea, diarrhea, stomach problems, restlessness and also have trouble falling asleep. They will tend to avoid situations that make them anxious, put off thing due to overwhelm and are less able to concentrate. These patients will also sweat a lot, have severe headaches, give unrealistic views of problems and even show signs of excessive and continuous worry and tension Common Etiology of Anxiety Disorder From various researches carried out, there is no specific cause of anxiety disorders. This condition is aroused by different factors in the human body due to various life experiences, events and situations that we are in. The various factors that contribute to anxiety disorders are known as the risk factors and they are quite many. Therefore we can conclude that anxiety disorders can be caused by an interaction of the bio-psychosocial factors including genetic vulnerability, which interact with the risk factors such as situations, stress or trauma to produce clinically significant syndrome. Some of the risk factors are discussed below; Family history of mental health conditions Mental health issues may run down from generation to generation in a family tree. Having a relative with anxiety disorders might also be passed on as mental illness from one generation to another. This is mainly made possible if some of the risk factors that cause anxiety disorder are combined with mental health issues. Personality factors According to research carried out, people who have certain character traits or personality traits for example, children who are perfectionists, easily flustered, timid, inhibited, lack self-esteem or want to control everything tend to have anxiety disorders during their childhood, adolescence or as adults. Ongoing stressful events Some of the events that we go through in life are traumatizing and stressful. They act as triggers to anxiety disorders. Some of the situations include the death or loss of a loved one, abuse, unexpected pregnancies and work stress among many others. Physical health problems Some people acquire severe illnesses that cause anxiety disorders. This may be indirectly through trauma and stress caused by the disease or facts of the disease such as HIV/AIDS which has no cure. Anxiety disorder may be influenced directly by severe diseases such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension and heart diseases which will mimic anxiety conditions and have similar effects. Other mental health conditions Some mental health conditions that attack humans tend to have the same effect as anxiety disorders. They show the same kind of symptoms as the anxiety disorder and to some extreme they tend to cause anxiety, fear and worry as their symptoms. Such mental health conditions will often lead to anxiety disorders (Thomas, et. al, 2007). A good example of a mental health condition is depression which goes hand in hand with anxiety. Substance and drug use Some of the substance used by a person may have the same effect as anxiety disorder; they may also be used by the person as a mild anxiety manager such as alcohol. This will mostly lead to people developing a substance use problem along with their anxiety conditions. As the substance wears off, the anxiety is aggravated Course and Duration of Anxiety Disorders The course and duration of anxiety disorder are quite different depending on which type of anxiety disorder a patient might be suffering from. Since the different types of anxiety disorders have different triggers and are influenced by certain things, then the course in which the illness will take will be different from each other (Hudson, Dodd & Bovopoulos, 2011). Depending on the type and the number of triggering factors present, the duration in which the illness might move from bad to worse will be determined. In panic disorder, this condition usually starts during adolescence and it can be hereditary. A panic disorder might not be highly recognizable at its acute stage since most of the symptoms are characterized with physical illnesses. As the illness grows in a patient, the symptoms mentioned earlier start to become visible mostly associated with panic attacks. In social anxiety disorder, it is quite mistaken for shyness at early ages and is under-recognized and under-treated. This disorder usually begins at early teen age and it interferes with the daily routine of a child. If it is not detected early, it might disrupt a person’s adult life. As for the generalized anxiety disorder, it begins at variable ages mostly in early childhood. The course is usually long term and the symptom aggravate with age. If not treated then the patient develops depression at old age. GAD is hereditary. The most important risk factor to consider for the development of GAD is the family history of any anxiety disorder. The anxiety disorder might be episodic or persistent depending on the intensity Phobia disorder is highly dependent on the type and number of triggers mostly. The intensity of this condition will be determined by how many times a patient will encounter with things or situations that trigger phobic reaction. This is usually the most common disorder of all the anxiety disorders. Frequent encounter with these triggers really aggravates the condition which will lead to a serious mental illness. It is important for everyone to be keen and vigilant when identifying and detecting the anxiety disorders. Most anxiety disorders are treatable if detected at an early stage. Regular testing and screening to check for depressive or anxiety disorders should be done on everyone from time to time so as to be on the safe side. Once detected, anxiety requires medical attention from an expert. If one of your relative had any anxiety disorder, it is important to start seeking medical advice at an early age in order to keep our anxiety levels in the right level. Anxiety treatments Anxiety, like other illnesses, has specific ways that can be useful in dealing with it. However, if it is not dealt with at the right time, it can cause more problems and it might become impossible to deal with it. It is therefore important that a person seeks medical attention especially when the symptoms become severe. There are several methods of treating anxiety. In most cases, people who suffer from anxiety disorders will think that it is common to everyone who might be in the same situation. In some cases, the fear or uneasiness or worry might become frequent and heightened such that it becomes a condition known as generalized anxiety disorder which becomes very hard to leave with. Most people will usually take medicines that are self-prescribed, for instant antidepressants to help one to calm down. However this is not for a long term basis but only for that specific time of day. However, there are several other methods to treat anxiety disorders which include psychological therapies and counseling, medication, taking of caffeine, alternative medicines as well as taking the antidepressants. Anxiety disorders therapy for patients Anxiety, as stated before, can be very unpleasant and dreadful if not dealt with accordingly and if it is not handled with care. Personal counseling has been stated as one of the best ways to treat anxiety. In most cases, therapy or counseling has contributed to about fifty percent of the factors that contributed to reduced anxiety disorders. According to Saeed, et.al, 2007, counseling coupled with some self-help information has been known to be more productive and helpful to anxiety patients. During therapy or counseling, the counselor looks at ways through which he can tackle anxiety disorders and how best to control them in a long term basis (Hill, 2014). If the patient is left alone in the short run and without enough self-help information, they tend to re-grow the disorders again. Therefore, patients who seek to treat anxiety disorders in the long run must make it their lifestyle to always be watchful of all the factors that bring anxiety and be educated enough to know how to tackle them appropriately. Therapy helps a patient identify his or her fears and then try to rebuild their self-esteem. Counseling is a great tool in managing the symptoms and signs of anxiety so that they do not affect the normal activities. People who seek therapy to treat anxiety disorders are most certainly more affected and in an advanced stage of the disorder. This is because before therapy is recommended for a patient, they must have tried self-help programs first. Self-help program entails using books or computer programs that are specifically made for those with anxiety disorders. Close supervision from a therapist is considered while administering self-help programs. Therapy will usually be in two forms; the cognitive behavioral therapy and the applied relaxation therapy. How anxiety therapy/counseling helps Anxiety counseling has been known to bear fruits because it addresses the real problem with the patients of anxiety. First, it starts off by helping you as the patient understand your problem in that the therapist or counselor will help you find out what your fears are. This step is usually the diagnostic part. Unlike the other methods of treatment, counseling helps the patient to properly deal with such issues when they arise in the future. After this step, therapy helps manage one’s life better by meeting ones needs by tolerating and confronting ones fears (Sylver, Lilienfeld & Laprairie, 2011). For instance, the therapist can perform the guided fantasies in which the patient is asked to imagine confrontations with their own fears and then they are guided on how to overcome then. Another way that therapy helps is by helping one know their limits and triggers (Gelso & Samstag, 2008). Different factors will cause different people to have panic attacks. This means that people have different triggers which they need to understand how to deal with them. For instance, a trained therapist will teach a patient how to do muscle relaxations every time he or she is confronted with their anxiety stimuli. Therapists also help anxiety disorder patients the importance of having high self-esteem. Self-esteem is the self-worth that one is better and encompasses the beliefs that one can overcome certain fears. Counseling will also help a patient to spot potential obstacles or barriers to recovery. This means that they patient will be able to recover well under the guidance of the counselor. It is therefore helpful to seek medical attention when symptoms and signs prolong and especially in cases when the self-help option seems not to work. The psychiatric will help a patient understand the obstacles and help remove them. They also provide personalized assistance and insight based on their training and personal experience with anxiety (Shaffer, Vogel, & Wei, 2006).  Involving a third party in the equation would really help a patient to fully recover from anxiety disorders. The therapist should sort help from a close member of the family such as spouse or a friend if possible, those who can help. They will be given practical tips and instructions to exercise in case the anxiety effects prolong. The therapist/counsellor will also seek ways through which they can mentor one through the whole process and have a lasting recovery (Hanne & Hawken, 2007). General/ common therapy for anxiety disorders As stated earlier, lack of emotional balance and stress are some of the major causes of anxiety disorders. In case one notices that they have any anxiety disorders, they can do some general items to help in stress reduction and also to bring calmness in terms of emotional control. One of the most basic methods of removing stress is by doing regular exercises. It is recommended that daily aerobics keeps one out of health risk and also help in anxiety relief. Biofeedback also helps in anxiety relief (Schutz, 2006). This involves knowing ones heart rate and other specific psychological functions which help in identifying the body’s anxiety responses. Knowing one’s body will help know how to control anxiety through relaxation techniques. The other common method of stress relief is relaxation of the body muscles. This includes deep and controlled meditation, massages and controlled breathing. This really helps in emotional wellbeing. Cognitive behavioral therapy This is the most used type of therapy which has also been known to be very effective in dealing with the anxiety disorders. This therapy involves two aspects of counteracting anxiety; cognitive and behavioral therapy (Fadiman, 2005). Cognitive therapy involves studying the effects of negative thoughts and how they facilitate anxiety heightening. The aim of studying the negative thoughts is so as to be able to control them such that they do not cause anxiety (Bratton & Ray, 2002). Keeping the negative thoughts out of the mind will be the result of the therapy. The behavioral therapy on the other hand deals with how one behaves or reacts to situations that cause him to get anxious. This aims at knowing ones fears and helping them relax and reduce the anxiety at that particular moment. Cognitive behavioral therapy therefore works in three ways. The first one is to identify the negative thoughts that cause one to be anxious. This is because, for one to have some anxiety disorder, he or she must perceive a threat more than it is supposed to be. The therapy also helps one challenge the negative thoughts and finally replace the negative thoughts with more realistic thoughts (Rapee, et.al, 2011). Conclusion Anxiety disorders can be inherited or can be caused by many other environmental factors. The most important thing is to have a wide knowledge of the symptoms and signs so that whenever the signs exhibit themselves, you can seek medical attention. Exercising and doing regular meditation can be good methods of keeping anxiety disorders at bay. Even though some countries and states do not specify the type of qualification that therapists and counselors should possess in order to be allowed to take part in the professional, it is important to note that past experience in dealing with the anxiety disorders will be important to enable proper counseling and medication. Read More

This means that the person must be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders symptoms become serious when the anxiety reaction is in excess of normal reaction or is not proportional to the danger in the given situation. In some cases, the person will become anxious for no apparent reason. In such cases, it is important for the person to seek immediate medical attention. There are three factors that differentiate the normal anxiety from the abnormal anxiety. These factors are the intensity of the effects, the frequency and the duration of the anxiety.

If these three factors prolong or have a longer effect upon the occurrence of certain events, then the state of body becomes pathological and requires immediate attention. Therefore, while normal anxiety works to improve the working of the body, the abnormal anxiety is one that paralyses or interferes with the body functions (Vanin & Helsley, 2007). It is however important for a psychiatrist to examine a person carefully in order to identify the disorders correctly because some actions may not necessarily point to anxiety disorders.

For instance, some people may have a phobia for needles or even have panic attacks before a doctor’s visitation. However, they still visit the doctor and get regular immunization or treatments and which does not create any problems or panics to him. This therefore does not meet the full criteria for diagnosing him for a phobia disorder. It is important that the doctor ensures that the symptoms and effects take effect in a prolonged duration and distinguish it from normal occurrences. Types of anxiety disorders A psychiatric definition of anxiety disorder is a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks.

There are mainly four types of anxiety disorders as discussed below. Post-traumatic stress disorder This is a type of anxiety disorder that arises as a result of life threatening event. Such events include being on the brink of death such as in an accident or an event such as a kidnapping and torture. This means that a person suffering from this disorder will have memories from that event and cause his body and mind to react by being worryful or anxious. Some of the symptoms that are associated with this disorder include having nightmares, withdrawal or lack of social interactions, avoiding similar situation that remind him of the specific event or being very hyper-vigilant.

In most cases, a person suffering from post-traumatic stress should seek counseling from a qualified psychiatrist who can guide on how to deal with issues related to the disorder. Panic disorder This type of anxiety disorder is characterized by panic attacks, sudden feelings of terror that strike repeatedly and without warning. Panic disorder is also characterized by other symptoms such as sweating, chest pain, palpitations and a feeling of choking. It is often mistaken for a heart attack.

Social anxiety disorder Some people are often scarred of public humiliation. They are mostly worried about doing things or saying something that will make them embarrassed when they are with other people. Due to this fear, they tend to isolate themselves from social situations. The social anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that causes intense worry, unease and nervousness about social situations. This is caused by fear of being judged by others, embarrassing oneself in public, being ridiculed by people, social humiliation, concern that you might offend someone and having anxiety in anticipation of feared activity or event.

These kinds of patients will isolate themselves from the rest, avoid talking to people, not take part in conversation and also avoid social gathering (Kalueff, Ishikawa, & Griffith, 2008). They may avoid situations such as eating or drinking in public, writing or working in public, being the center of attraction, interacting with people especially in social gatherings, using public toilets and talking on the telephone in public (Liebert et. al., 2007).

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