Anxiety Disorders and Gender - Essay Example

Anxiety Disorders and Gender Introduction In life, we often encounter different circumstances in the course of carrying out our different activities. Some of these experiences leave good and bad memories in our memories that we always live to remember. Before most of these events take place, people often have various levels of anxiety that sometimes determine the experiences they get from the various activities that they engage in. Anxiety can be described as kind of an unpleasant state of an individual’s inner turmoil, which in most cases is accompanied by nervous behavior. For instance, rumination, somatic complaints and pacing back and forth; additionally, anxiety can also be said to be the subjectively unpleasant thoughts of anticipated events and others that are dreadful like those involving feelings of imminent deaths. Anxiety is very different from fear in as much as many people often confuse it. Fear, is an actual response by an individual to a perceived threat that is immediate and real. On the other hand, anxiety is the feeling of worry, fear and perceived threat in the environment, which is also a feeling of uneasiness. This paper addresses various kinds of anxiety disorders that people face in their daily lives, with emphasis on its effects on male and female gender. It examines so of the ways in which people affected by these disorders can cope with them. 2. Anxiety disorders Anxiety disorders are classified as mental disorders that are characterized by various feelings of fear and anxiety (Maj 13). Anxiety in this case, refers to the worry over certain unexpected events while fear is the actual reaction that people have over present events. Most of these feelings result in various physical symptoms like shakiness, fast heartbeat among many others. Anxiety disorders often come in various forms, with different attributes, having various effects in males and female members of the society. Some of these disorders include panic disorders, social anxiety disorders as well as specific phobia. It is important to note that in as much as these disorders have different attributes, they all comprise of special symptoms of anxiety. In some case, anxiety disorders have been described as being partly genetic, while in some cases, they have been thought to be caused by abuse of drugs like alcohol, caffeine, as well as abandonment of certain kinds of drugs as prescribed by the doctor. Anxiety disorders often come with mental disorders, especially bipolar, personal and eating disorders as well as major depressive disorders that people often have under special circumstances. In its broad context, anxiety describes four main aspects of people’s experiences that people can have; that is, physical tensions, mental apprehension, dissociative anxiety as well as physical symptoms. The kinds of emotions in anxiety disorders can be very wide, ranging from mild and simple nervousness to complex bouts of terror. Other kinds of medical and psychiatric problems may tend to mimic those symptoms of anxiety disorders like hyperthyroidism. Some of the most common forms of treatments advised for anxiety disorders include changes in lifestyle, medications and therapy. Physicians often recommend the use of medications only when other intervention approaches have proved ineffective and unreliable. It is important to note that anxiety disorders happen almost twice as frequent in females compared to males. Additionally, these disorders begin manifesting from childhood, in this case, immediate care and management approaches are supposed to be observed in order to help these children as they mature. 3. Causes of anxiety disorders At present, the particular causes of anxiety in people have remained largely unknown. However, it should be known that anxiety disorders are much more like any other kinds of illnesses; therefore, they are not to be treated as manifestations of individual weaknesses, flaws of character or the result of poor parentage and upbringing (Craske, 24). While scientists are still active in their research over this problem, it should be noted that anxiety disorders are mostly caused by multiple factors that include changes in the environment as well as mental processes. In the human body, many diseases are often brought about by various problems emerging from the operations of brain circuits (Craske, 54), which play the role of regulating fear and other kinds of emotions that one portrays at various instances. Research and studies on the causes of anxiety disorders have indicated that long-lasting stress that can happen to be very severe changes the manner in which nerve cells in these circuits transfer and share information from one part of the brain to the other (Khouzam 41). In order studies, people that have been diagnosed with certain anxiety disorders often have changes in some of their brain structures (Khouzam 43), which control memories associated with various kinds of strong emotions. Additionally, anxiety disorders have been found to run in families, in this case, evidence shows that they are genetic just as other diseases like obesity, cancer and various other forms of inherited diseases. Additionally, various environmental factors have been strongly linked to anxiety disorders. These include such factors like trauma, which may arise from various events like death or serious injuries to individuals or their loved ones. In terms of prevalence, anxiety disorders have been found to affect millions of people across the world, depending on the prevailing environmental factors besides genetic influences. Medical reports have provided concrete to show that these disorders begin childhood, and proceeds all the way to adolescence and adulthood in case one does not get proper medication and other effective interventions mechanisms. For various reasons, anxiety disorders are common in women, much more than they happen in males. It is important to note that currently, proper interventions mechanisms have been devised for people diagnosed with this problem. In this case, people that detect any kinds of abnormal signs and feelings in their bodies should seek immediate medical attention for diagnosis and proper advice given. 4. Anxiety Disorders and Gender According to numerous research studies women are more prone to getting anxiety disorders compared to men. Many pollsters that have called on women to find out their views about various social, economic and political factors affecting people have often confessed that women are more worried about many of the things that they raise in the opinion polling, ranging from criminal activities to the states of the economy. On the other hand, psychologists have explained that in most of their work, they diagnose more women suffering from anxiety disorders, often twice compared to men. Research has also revealed that women are more likely to be inclined to negative emotions, self-criticisms and never-ending ruminations about problems and challenges of life. The observations identified can be because of the cultural set up within which women often find themselves in. This is where major patenting and social biases often cause girls to become needlessly and nervous adults From the foregone discussion, it is evident that anxiety disorders have become the most common psychiatric disorders that affects millions of people across the world, with women having a greater probability of these effects compared to males. In most populations, it has been found that anxiety disorders are estimated to have a prevalence rate of about 28.8% in lifetime, with an additional estimate of a 12month period of prevalence at about 18.1%. Some of the most common forms of anxiety disorders that affect men and women in varying degrees include the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), panic and social anxiety disorders (SAD), Obsessive-Compulsory Disorders (OCD),, Post-Traumatic Stress disorders (PTSD) and anxiety disorders among others. Recently, most of the studies and researches have turned on women, because of the highest frequency with which they are being affected with this disorders compared to men. This has problem the need to find out some of the major factors that contributes to this development among this group in the entire population. Recent studies conducted in the United States, have shown that women are at a higher probability of getting these disorders compared to men. The study shows that for panic disorders the probability of women getting it compared to men stands at 7.7% to 2.9%, GAD has a ration of 6.6% to 3.6% with PTSD standing at 12.5% vs. 6.2% in the course of their lives. In as much as it is less common, the statistics also that gender differences exist in the development of OCD in the lifetime of both males and females. It is important to note that in all these studies, few of them have made an investigation of whether the characteristics of these disorders in women differ considerably from those in males having the same kinds of disorders. The analysis that was done on the registries of female twins gave valuable insight into the factors involved towards the development of these disorders in women. The data collected in these surveys indicates the potential role played by genetic factors against environment towards the development if these anxiety disorders in women. Additionally, the data provides an important insight into the roles played by the reproductive hormones in women as well as the related cycles in the particular course of development and the projected outcomes. The data that has been collected and published over this issue shows great gender differences as far as bioavailability, absorption and psychotropic distribution in women having these kinds of disorders. These differences play an important role as far as methods for possible treatments these conditions in women are concerned 5. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorders have been known to have an estimate lifetime prevalence of about 5.7%. In this same research, women have been shown to have a likelihood of getting this order compared to men, with the statistics of women to men standing at 6.6% to 3.6% respectively. GAD, as part of the anxiety disorders is often characterized by increased levels of worry and anxiety. Some of the symptoms associated with this disorder include restlessness, excessive fatigue, lack of concentration in various issues, irritability, muscle tensions and sleep disturbances. Women diagnosed with this problem often have various distinguishing features compared to men suffering from GAD. Women that have been medically diagnosed with GAD tend to portray earlier age of onset compared to men suffering from the same problem. Women that suffer from GAD happen to have a great probability of having cornobid psychiatric disorders, to be specific, the depressive disorders in comparison to men suffering from GAD (Thackery 65). Besides GAD, many examples exist about women that end up contracting various forms of anxiety disorders. The resultant effects of anxiety disorders are more pronounced in women compared to men; however, from the foregone discussion, it is evident that with earlier diagnosis, reliable intervention mechanisms are always available to those that have anxiety disorders. One of the advantages associated with earlier diagnosis of anxiety disorders is that it helps to avoid some of the complications that are accompanied with this problem at latter stages. Some people have ended breaking up completely, with others succumbing to it. In as much as women are a greater risk of contracting this disorder, men do not have an excuse for not seeking medical intervention as soon as they detect abnormal signs and symptoms in their bodies. It has also been that earlier diagnosis and medical assistance is sometimes cheaper compared to when the problem has aggravated and reached its latter stages. 6. Prevention and treatment It is important to note that at present, no proper prevention approaches have been found for anxiety disorders; however, it is important that people maintain healthy lifestyles and situations that can prompt stress (Vanin and Helsley 37). This includes ensuring that one stays in peaceful environments and avoids environmental factors and circumstances that can be detrimental to physical and mental health. People need to reduce the intake of drugs that can cause anxiety like caffeine as well as others that have a similar effect on people’s health (Evans 67). However, in extreme cases, physicians often advice the use of drugs that can reduce the anxiety and stress levels in individuals diagnosed with these disorders. They are supposed to stick to the prescriptions given in order to complete the dosages offered. Overall, people have a duty to ensure that they stay in safe and healthy environments and are always at peace with their intra and internal environments. Works Cited Craske, Michelle. Origins of Phobias and Anxiety Disorders: Why More Women than Men? Amsterdam: Elsevier. 2003. Print Evans, Dwight. Treating and Preventing Adolescent Mental Health Disorders: What We Know and What We Do not Know: A Research Agenda for Improving the Mental Health of Our Youth. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print. Khouzam, Hani. "Anxiety Disorders: Guidelines for Effective Primary Care. Part 1: Diagnosis". Consultant. 49.3. 2009. 34-68 Maj, Mario. Early Detection and Management of Mental Disorders. Chichester, West Sussex: J. Wiley, 2005. Print. Thackery, Ellen. The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Group, 2003. Print. Vanin, John and Helsley, James. Anxiety Disorders: A Pocket Guide For Primary Care. Amsterdam: Humana Press. 2007. Print Read More