ANXIETY

The feeling of anxiety is common to all and we have all felt it many times in the course of our lives. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it becomes a disorder.

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Nearly 40 million people above the age of 18 are affected by this disorder in a given year. Anxiety disorder may be caused by a mental condition, a physical condition, the effects of drugs, or from a combination of these.

Some of the common Types of Anxiety Disorders are:

I PANIC DISORDER

This condition is characterized by periods of intense fear or a psychological distress that lasts for about half an hour.

II GENERAL ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD)

This condition is characterized by excessive anxiety and worry, occurring more days than not for a period of at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities. Having this disorder means always anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, though, the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint.

III PHOBIC DISORDERS

These are persistent, unreasonable, intense fears (phobias) of situations, circumstances, or objects giving rise to anxiety and avoidance. Phobic disorders are classified as general (agoraphobia and social phobia) or specific.

A) Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia literally means “fear of the marketplace”. Therefore, people with agoraphobia are afraid of open or public places. In reality, most people with agoraphobia are actually afraid of having a panic attack in these settings, especially settings in which there will be no one to help in case of panic attack or an actual emergency.

B) Social Anxiety Disorder

The person suffering from this disorder has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. The anxiety in this case arises out of the fear of being closely watched, judged or criticized by people around you.

C) Specific Phobias

A specific phobia is fear of and anxiety about a particular situation or object. Specific phobias are the most common anxiety disorders. Among the most frequent are fear of animals zoophobia), heights (Acrophobia) and thunderstorms (Astraphobia or Brontophobia).

i) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is a type of disorder involving two elements: obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are repetitive unwanted thoughts that make you feel anxious. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors and rituals that the patient feels compelled to perform as performing them temporarily reduces the anxiety.

ii) Separation Anxiety

This form of anxiety is a normal developmental stage experienced by a child when separated from the primary caregiver. It typically manifests itself as crying and distress when the child is away from a parent or from home.

ANXIETY MANAGEMENT & TREATMENT

At Home: In certain cases, it is possible to treat anxiety at home. However, these cases are limited to ones where the attack is of a short duration and where you know the reason for the attack. In such cases, stress can be relieved by practicing activities such as: Meditation, Watching TV, Deep breathing , Resting in a dark room etc.

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Medical Treatment: When the nature of attacks is more serious in nature then the patient has to turn to medical treatment. Medical treatment depends on the cause of the anxiety.

There are cases when the cause cannot be identified. In such cases, the only way to treat is control of symptoms.

Medication does not cure anxiety disorders, but it helps to keep them under control while the person receives psychotherapy.

With proper treatment many people with anxiety disorders can lead normal, fulfilling lives.

Cathy M. Ross

With an estimated 40 million Americans living with the impacts of anxiety disorders, the need for property treatment is evident. This mental illness can create symptoms that make getting through everyday life difficult at best. Fortunately, there are a host of anxiety medicine options that patients are often given to coincide with other forms of treatment.

When anxiety medication is used in conjunction with therapy, self-help techniques and support, many forms of anxiety are treatable and even curable. Even conditions as serious as posttraumatic stress disorder can be brought under wraps with the use of anxiety medication.

Types Of Anxiety Medication

There are two types of anxiety medication that most doctors consider prescribing to patients. They both can have a very positive impact in lessening and/or controlling the symptoms of anxiety.

- Antidepressants. Medications such as Zoloft and Paxil are given for more long-term treatment of anxiety symptoms. These medications can take some time to work, so patients are advised to use them as directed and follow instructions carefully. When used in conjunction with behavioral and cognitive therapy, this type of anxiety medicine can be very beneficial for patients.

- Anti-anxiety. This type of anxiety medication involves rapid treatment of acute symptoms. This class of anxiety medicine is considered potentially addictive and has depressant effects. Patients are advised not to take this form of medication for a long period of time. Other options for treatment are generally more effective for overall, lasting relief from anxiety symptoms.

What Medicine Does

Anxiety medicine is not necessarily designed to cure or overcome anxiety symptoms. What it does do is bring symptoms in line so patients can work on other forms of therapy. When anxiety disorders are present, patients often benefit from:

Psychological therapy

- Behavioral and cognitive therapy can give people the tools they need to overcome anxiety disorder. When medications bring symptoms in line, patients are free to work on other, most lasting, techniques for conquering their anxiety disorder. In many cases, positive thinking, desensitization and other techniques come into play to assist patients in “living through” the experiences that trigger their anxiety.

- Self-help. Meditative therapy, self-hypnosis, relaxation techniques and more can all help patients further overcome their illnesses. While it is true not all anxiety disorders are curable, most are controllable if the right therapy is applied.

Anxiety medicine is not a cure all, but it is an important part of an overall treatment plan. When controlling symptoms is a must to put a person back on the right track, these medicines do the job.

Anxiety is part of our natural “fight-or-flight” response. It’s our body’s way of warning us of possible danger ahead. Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal, pathological anxiety, fears, phobias. Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental health problems. Anxiety disorders are a group of disorders which affect behaviour, thoughts, emotions and physical health. It is estimated that they affect approximately 1 in 10 people. 18.1% of Americans are affected by anxiety disorders. They are more prevalent among women than among men, and they affect children as well as adults. Anxiety disorders are illnesses. It can be present from an early age or begin suddenly after a triggering event. They are prone to flare up at times of high stress.

Anxiety can be accompanied by headache, sweating, palpitations, and hypertension. Many types of anxiety disorder some types including general anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder is a common chronic disorder and its affects twice as many women as men .People with this disorder feel afraid of something but are unable to articulate the specific fear. They fret constantly and have a hard time controlling their worries. Other types of panic disorder. In panic disorder, a person suffers brief attacks of intense terror and apprehension that cause trembling and shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing, and feelings of impending doom or a situation that would be embarrassing. Another types of anxiety disorder is phobias.

Phobias are divided into two categories: social phobia, which involves fear of social situations, and specific phobias, such as fear of flying, blood and heights. Social Phobia is also form of anxiety disorder. People with social phobia feel a paralysing, irrational self-consciousness about social situations. They have an intense fear of being observed or of doing something horribly wrong in front of other people. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder which results from a traumatic experience. Post-traumatic stress can result from an extreme situation, such as being involved in warfare, rape, hostage situations, or involvement in a serious accident. It can also result from long term (chronic) exposure to a severe stressor. Separation Anxiety Disorder is the feeling of excessive.

Treatment can offer stupendous relief, often in a relatively short amount of time. Most anxiety disorders are treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, or a combination of the two. Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is very effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. CBT will help you identify and challenge the negative and irrational beliefs that are holding you back from working through your fears. Cognitive-behavior therapy for anxiety usually takes between 12 and 20 weeks. CBT is conducted both in individual therapy and in groups of people with similar anxiety problems. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, controlled breathing, and guided imagery may reduce anxiety. Acupuncture may help reduce anxiety.

Anxiety Disorder Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Antidepressants drugs is also recommend.

2. Biofeedback to control muscle tension.

3. Cognitive behavioral therapy is also helpful in anxiety disorder.

4. Relaxation techniques is very effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

5. Benzodiazepines (such as Xanax) is also useful against anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is a problem for many people, some of whom do not even know they suffer from anxiety. There are two ways to treat anxiety: anxiety pills and certain types of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is generally used along with anxiety pills to treat anxiety. By using a combination of pills and psychotherapy, the results can increase your quality of life.

Types of Anxiety Pill

There are basically two types of anxiety pills: MAOIs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors and SSRIs or serotonin reuptake inhibitors. There are a couple of other types that are not used quite as often: benzodiazepines and beta-blockers

MAOIs are classified as an antidepressant but are often prescribed for anxiety disorders. These anxiety pills work by not allowing your body to break down your body’s monoamine neurotransmitters. This helps increase the levels of serotonin, melatonin and adrenaline, which helps with both depression and anxiety.

Certain research has shown that those who suffer from anxiety and depression also often have low levels of serotonin. Anxiety pills such as MAOIs help treat anxiety by increasing the levels of certain naturally occurring compounds in your body, which in turn helps level out the effects of anxiety and depression.

SSRIs specifically work with your body to increase the levels of serotonin. Serotonin is required to metabolize stress hormones. This basically means that your body needs certain levels of serotonin to get rid of the hormones that are produced by anxiety and stress. Low levels of serotonin have been shown to be present in those who suffer from anxiety and depression. Many pills contain SSRIs as a method of increasing the levels of serotonin in the body.

Anxiety pills usually do not have many, if any, side effects. For most anxiety sufferers, pills can help quite a bit. The effectiveness of anxiety pills will differ from person to person; this is why it is important to discuss treatment options with your doctor. You may have to try a couple of different varieties of anxiety pills before you find the right one for you specific condition.

Hopefully by working with your physician, you can find the right pills for your specific situation. Along with behavioral therapy, anxiety pills can be of great benefit to someone suffering from anxiety. Today there are better anxiety pills available than even five years ago. Working with your doctor of therapist to determine the best course of treatment is the first step to ridding yourself of the worst effects of anxiety.