Apr
3
Anxiety Disorders
Filed Under Anxiety
The symptoms of anxiety
We will all experience anxiety at some point in our lives. Either before a medical examination, an interview or public presentations, most people will experience psychological feelings of worry or nervousness and occasionally, more physical symptoms, such as dry mouth, sweating, flushing or palpitations.
In these circumstances, anxiety is a normal, protective physiological response to an unpleasant or threatening situation. Mild to moderate anxiety can help to improve performance and appropriateness of action. However, excessive or prolonged symptoms can be distressing and have severe effects on normal social functioning.
Diagnosis
In general, women are twice as likely to suffer from an anxiety disorder than men. However, the ratio can vary for specific anxiety disorders.
The term ‘anxiety disorder’ includes a variety of complaints that can exist on their own or in conjunction with another psychiatric or physical illness. Symptoms may vary but generally present with a combination of the following disorders.
- dry mouth and/or difficulty in swallowing
- sensitivity to noise
- palpitations, chest discomfort and/or constriction, awareness of missed beats, breathlessness
- restlessness, tremor and muscle aches
- fearful anticipation, worry, headache, dizziness, insomnia, irritability, social avoidance
- bloating, loose bowels, frequent micturation, amenorrhoea, erectile dysfunction
To be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder, the symptoms must be prolonged, cause significant distress and impair normal social functioning.
Anxiety disorders are broadly divided into generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social phobia (or social anxiety disorder), specific phobias, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Brief description of anxiety disorders
Generalised anxiety disorder Persistent and excessive anxiety on most days lasting for at least six months. It is not restricted to any one specific situation.
Panic disorder Recurrent but unexplained surges of severe anxiety (panic attacks). Patients tend to develop a fear of repeat attacks. Often seen in agoraphobia (fear of places or situations where escape might be difficult).
Social phobia A marked, persistent and irrational fear of being observed either embarassed or humiliated in public as in public speaking or eating with others.
Specific phobia Marked and persistent fear that is excessive and/or unrealistic precipitated by the presence (or anticipation of) a specific object or situation eg flying, spiders, snakes. Sufferers will avoid the object or situation or suffer intense anxiety if confronted with the feared object.
Post traumatic stress disorder Occurs after an event or exposure to a situation that involves actual death or threatened death or serious injury to oneself or others. The person responds with intense fear, horror or helplessness. Sufferers can experience flashbacks with symptoms usually occuring within six months of the actual traumatic event.
Obsessive compulsive disorder Persistent thoughts, impulses or images that are intrusive and distressing. Sufferers try to rid themselves of these obsessions by carrying out repetitive and time-consuming behaviours or actions (compulsions) as with excessive washing and cleaning.
Two thirds of sufferers with an anxiety disorder will often present with other psychiatric symptoms, most often depression. Further, there is often not an exact cause of the particular anxiety order seen. Many medical disorders can mimic anxiety symptoms such as hypoglycaemia, hyponatraemia, alcohol or drug abuse and hyperthyroidism.
We will look at treatment options in the next article.
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