Anxiety Disorders and How They Affect Peoples Lives - Research Paper Example

Running Head: Anxiety Disorders Anxiety Disorders: Symptoms, Causes, and Effect on People’s Lives A Discussion Paper of Professor Date of Submission Abstract Anxiety disorders have an effect on the manner an individual behaves, feels, and thinks, and, if left untreated, can bring about severe misery and disruption to the individual’s life. Opportunely, treatment of anxiety disorders is typically very effective. There are several forms of anxiety disorders. Successful treatments for anxiety disorders are offered, and research is discovering promising therapies that can aid most individuals with anxiety disorders lead fulfilling, fruitful lives. This essay will focus on four of the major types of anxiety disorder, (1) generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), (2) obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), (3) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and (4) social anxiety disorder (SAD). The discussion will concentrate on the symptoms, causes, and effects of these anxiety disorders on people’s lives. Introduction Anxiety is the concept used to explain a common feeling individuals experience when stressed or confronted with danger or threat. When individuals experience anxiety, they normally feel troubled, discomfited, and nervous. Anxiousness can be a consequence of life experiences, such as major accident, severe illness, job loss, death of a loved one, or relationship breakdown (Oei & Browne, 2006). Feeling anxious in these circumstances is fitting and normally people experience anxiety for only a specific period of time (Stein & Gorman, 2001). Due to the fact that feelings of anxiety are very widespread, it is crucial to become aware of the difference between anxiousness fitting to a condition and the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are a group of illnesses typified by relentless feelings of intolerable anxiety, and severe tension and uneasiness. Individuals are prone to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder once their anxiety level becomes severe that it considerably affects their daily life and prevents them from doing what they want to accomplish (Mcnally, 2003). Anxiety disorders are the most widespread type of psychological disorder, and impinge on one in 20 individuals at any given time. They normally develop in early adulthood, but can begin in early life or later in life. Anxiety disorders usually become manifest unexpectedly, with no evident cause (Oei & Browne, 2006, 53). They are usually accompanied by extreme physical turmoil, such as tremors and breathlessness. Other signs can include shuddering, sweating, feelings of nausea, choking, dizziness, abdominal tension, feelings of imminent threat or feelings of losing control (Oei & Browne, 2006). This essay will discuss four of the forms of anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD). The symptoms, causes, and consequences of these anxiety disorders will be discussed briefly but substantially. Generalised Anxiety Disorder Individuals with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) endure the day burdened with blown up tension and nervousness, although there is little or nothing to aggravate it. They expect catastrophe and are excessively worried about health concerns, family difficulties, money, or problems at work (Coolidge, Segal, Coolidge, Spinath & Gottschling, 2010). At times merely the idea of going through the day generates anxiety. GAD is detected when an individual worries intolerably about different daily difficulties for at least 6 months. Individuals with GAD seem incapable of relieving themselves of worries, although they frequently understand that their anxiety is more severe than the circumstance deserves (Coolidge et al., 2010). They startle easily, cannot calm down, and have problems focusing. Usually they have difficulty staying asleep or even falling asleep. Physical symptoms that frequently come with anxiety include nausea, irritability, trembling, sweating, difficulty swallowing, muscle tension, headaches, fatigue, breathlessness, hot flashes, and having to go to the bathroom habitually (Mantella, Butters, Dew, Mulsant, Begley, Tracey, et al., 2007). A study conducted by Frederick Coolidge and associates (2010) on the cause of nightmares and generalised anxiety disorders in children and adolescents showed that a common genetic origin is still inconclusive, though cannot be completely disregarded. There were a number of indications that they do have a few common genetic roots. However, at present, it should be assumed that generalised anxiety disorder and nightmares have basically separate genetic roots. When the level of their anxiety is mild, individuals with GAD can maintain a job and functional socially. Even though they do not avoid particular situations as an outcome of their illness, individuals with GAD can have problems performing the most basic everyday activities if the level of their anxiety is acute (Mantella et al., 2007). Other anxiety disorders, substance abuse, or depression, regularly come with GAD, which seldom arises alone (Mantella et al., 2007). GAD is generally remedied with cognitive-behavioural therapy or medication, but coinciding conditions should also be remedied applying the appropriate treatments (Oei & Browne, 2006). Therapy is a major element of treatment for generalised anxiety disorder. Several studies reveal that therapy is as effectual as medication for numerous individuals. And primarily, therapy for generalised anxiety disorder is free from side effects (Oei & Browne, 2006). Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that is chiefly effective in the treatment of GAD. Cognitive-behavioural therapy checks up alterations in our ways of perceiving ourselves and the world. Likewise, medication can be helpful in treating generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) (Oei & Browne, 2006). Yet, it is commonly prescribed only as a short-term means to alleviate symptoms at the start of the treatment procedure, with therapy the means to lasting success. There are three forms of medication recommended for generalised anxiety disorder: (1) antidepressants, (2) benzodiazepines, and (3) buspirone (Mantella et al., 2007). Generalised anxiety disorder is a persistent anxiety disorder related with severe disruptions in daily functioning and activities and high comorbidity with substance abuse, depression, and other anxiety disorders. Treatment concentrates on mitigating the severity and occurrence of nervous symptoms. Psychological treatments appear to be useful in milder types of GAD and have been reported to sustain progress after six months (Mantella et al., 2007). Temporary pharmacotherapy is recommended for individuals with more acute symptoms; however, numerous patients need continuing treatment. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder have chronic, distressing thoughts or obsession, and exercise rituals of compulsion, to deal with the anxiety these obsessions generate. More often than not, compulsion ends up dominating them (Abramowitz, Taylor, & McKay, 2009). For instance, if individuals develop an obsession with trespassers or prowlers, they may bolt or re-bolt their doors several times before retiring to bed. If they are obsessed with dirt or germs, they may cultivate a compulsion to clean their houses over and over again. Being anxious of social humiliation may compel individuals with OCD to check their appearances compulsively; at times they get ‘fixed’ in the mirror and are unable to move away from it. Carrying out these kinds of rituals is not gratifying (Abramowitz et al., 2009). At best, it generates a momentary respite from the anxiety generated by obsessive ideas. In comparison with individuals with other anxiety or mood disorders, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder are more likely to be jobless, more likely to reveal disrupted occupational and social functioning, and less likely to be married (Valente, 2002). This illness has a 2-3% lifetime rate in the mainstream population, not including sex variations in distribution, excluding that in children the illness is more prevalent in boys than in girls. The course of the disorder is somewhat wide-ranging (Abramowitz, Taylor & McKay, 2009, 492). Symptoms may vary, ease eventually, or become aggravated. If OCD gets worse, it can hinder an individual from functioning or performing everyday tasks at home. Individuals with OCD may attempt to care for themselves by preventing circumstances that prompt their obsessions, or they may resort to drugs or alcohol to pacify themselves (Valente, 2002). OCD frequently reacts well to therapy with specific prescriptions and/or exposure-based psychotherapy, where in individuals confront circumstances that generate anxiety or fear and become less responsive to them (Abramowitz et al., 2009). Medical treatments are most effective in combination with other treatments to alleviate symptoms. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) function to lessen anxiety and improve mood by enhancing amounts of serotonin in the brain (Abramowitz et al., 2009). Tranquilizers are at times recommended to individuals with more acute symptoms of OCD. Tranquilizers calm the muscles, easing compulsive desires (Abramowitz et al., 2009). Psychotherapy is a remarkably effectual treatment for OCD. It must consistently be the premium treatment for OCD, specifically in children. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is the only verified type of psychotherapy for OCD. CBT for obsessive compulsive disorder is extremely useful (Valente, 2002). Even though the treatment is commonly uncomplicated and time-limited, numerous community specialists are not prepared to perform the most effective treatments for this illness. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) arises after a frightening episode that involved physical injury or the risk of physical injury. The individual who suffers from PTSD may have been the person who was injured; the injury may have afflicted a significant other, or the individual may have seen a dangerous incident that happened to strangers or significant others (Mcnally, 2003). PTSD was introduced to the public with regard to war veterans, but it can originate from different traumatic events, such as rape, torment, mugging, child abuse, bombings, car accidents, or natural calamities such as typhoons or volcanic eruptions (Mcnally, 2003). According to the study of Anna Kline and colleagues (2010) on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, “rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among returning soldiers ranging from 4% to 31% and rates of depression ranging from 3% to 25%, with rates varying by diagnostic criteria, military population, deployment location, and time since deployment. Traumatic brain injury has been identified in 19% of returning troops” (Kline, Falca-Dodson, Sussner, Ciccone, Chandler, et al., 2010, 276). Returning soldiers with PTSD may get frightened easily, become disinterested in things they used to get pleasure from, become desensitised, and have difficulties feeling friendly, be short-tempered, become more antagonistic, or even become violent (Kline et al., 2010). Symptoms of PTSD seem to be aggravated if the episode that prompted them was intentionally instigated by another individual, as in kidnapping or assault. Most individuals with PTSD frequently relive the ordeal in their minds (Kline et al., 2010). These are referred to as flashbacks. Flashbacks may involve feelings, smells, sounds, or images, and are usually prompted by commonplace occurrences (Mcnally, 2003), such as vehicles flopping on the street or a door slamming. An individual experiencing a flashback may become detached with reality and think that the painful occurrence is taking place once more. Nonetheless, not every devastated individual develops minor or advanced PTSD. The course of the disorder differs. Some individuals recuperate within 6 months, whereas others endure symptoms much longer. In a number of individuals, the condition becomes persistent (Mcnally, 2003). Specific forms of medication and specific forms of psychotherapy commonly alleviate PTSD symptoms quite successfully. Treatment for PTSD alleviates symptoms by helping patients cope with the trauma they have experienced. Instead of avoiding the ordeal and flashbacks, patients will be persuaded in therapy to remember and understand the sensations and emotions they felt throughout the original incident (Kline et al., 2010). Besides providing an outlet for feelings they have been suppressing, therapy for PTSD will aid in restoring their sense of control and lessening the strong grip the memory of the ordeal has on their life (Kline et al., 2010). Some of the major treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are family therapy, medication, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), and trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy (Mcnally, 2003). Medication is at times recommended to individuals with PTSD to alleviate minor symptoms of anxiety or depression, but it does not remedy the roots of PTSD. On the other hand, family therapy can be particularly effective. Family therapy can help the patient’s family members understand what the patient is experiencing (Mcnally, 2003). It can also help family members communicate better and solve family problems. Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EDMR) integrates eye movements with cognitive-behavioural therapy. Once EDMR disentangles pieces of the trauma, they can be joined together into an organised memory and worked out. Similarly, trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy entails thoroughly and slowly revealing patients to feelings, thoughts, and circumstances that remind them of the trauma (Kline et al., 2010). Therapy also entails recognising distressing thoughts about the upsetting incident, specifically thoughts that are unreasonable and altered, and substituting them with more reasonable thought. Social Anxiety Disorder Social anxiety disorder, also referred to as social phobia, is diagnosed when individuals become intolerably nervous and extremely uncomfortable in daily social situations. Individuals experiencing social phobia have a chronic and extreme fear of being observed and judged by others and of performing acts that will humiliate them (Stein & Gorman, 2001). They can feel anxious for days or weeks prior to a feared situation. This phobia may become quite severe that it disrupts school, work, and other commonplace endeavours, and can make it difficult to build and sustain relationships (Stein & Gorman, 2001). While several individuals with social phobia understand that their anxiety about being with other individuals is unnecessary or irrational, they are incapable of overcoming them. Even if they are successful in dealing with their fears and be with other people, they are frequently extremely nervous beforehand, are extremely ill at ease during the encounter, and be bothered about how they were evaluated afterward (Stein & Gorman, 2001). Physical symptoms that usually come with social phobia include profuse sweating, blushing, nausea, shaking, and trouble talking. When these signs arise, individuals with social phobia believe as though everyone is focused on them. Social phobia can be effectively remedied with particular forms of medications or psychotherapy (Stein & Gorman, 2001). Therapy for social anxiety disorder comprises psychological counselling and at times prescriptions, such as antidepressants, to alleviate depression and anxiety. A combination of professional counselling and medication may be successful for continuing treatment for individuals who have fear over numerous social circumstances (Stein & Gorman, 2001). For individuals who fear only a few social circumstances, such as eating in public or public speaking, professional counselling to prevail over the phobia may be quite helpful. Forms of counselling most generally applied to alleviate social anxiety disorder consist of cognitive-behavioural therapy, which aids patients in recognising anxieties and the conditions that aggravate the anxiety (Oei & Brown, 2006). There is also supportive therapy that includes family therapy, education about the illness, and support groups or group therapy. Conclusion Anxiety is a common response to stress. It facilitates an individual in coping with a stressed situation in the workplace, sustaining focus on a major speech, studying harder for an examination. Generally, it facilitates an individual in coping. However, when anxiety becomes an unreasonable, extreme fear of daily situations, it has become an immobilising illness. Four major forms of anxiety disorders are (1) generalised anxiety disorder, (2) obsessive-compulsive disorder, (3) posttraumatic stress disorder, and (4) social anxiety disorder. Effectual treatments for these anxiety disorders are offered, and research is discovering innovative, enhanced treatments that can help numerous individuals with anxiety disorders have satisfying, and fruitful lives. References Abramowitz, J.S., Taylor, S. & McKay, D. (2009). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Lancet , 491-497. Coolidge, F., Segal, D.L., Coolidge, C.M., Spinath, F.M. & Gottschling, J. (2010). 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