Anxiety

Anxiety – General Information

Anxiety problems affect more than 30 million people every year and make them feel uncertain and full of fear. In contrast with the minor attacks which appear as a result of a certain event, such as a first date or a public speech, the Anxiety disorders continue for a couple of months or even a year and they can lead to severe problems if not treated correctly. These problems are usually accompanied by other problems, such as alcohol abuse, excessive smoking or use of drugs. The main types which can appear are:

• Obsessive compulsive disorder: is characterized by upsetting and persistent obsessions and the need for certain rituals; these are considered to treat the panic, but they end up controlling the sufferers.
• Panic disorder: this is an actual illness, which involves uncontrolled attacks of terror, weakness, sweatiness, dizziness and faintness. These kinds of attacks give the people the impression of a different reality and they make them lose control.
• Post traumatic stress disorder: appears after a certain event that had affected the physical area. It can result from a number of situations, like torture, rape, abuse, accidents, and natural disasters.
• Specific phobias: these are represented by an extreme concern about something that does not actually affect the sufferers.
• Social phobia: is diagnosed at those people who fear to be watched by the others and they tend to be extremely self-conscious in order not to be judged.
• Generalized fear disorder: is causes extreme tension and worry throughout the day.

Anxiety – Symptoms

The symptoms associated with Anxiety differ a lot from one person to another but it is a general fact that they affect all the parts of somebody’s body and they present a different intensity. The most common signs of Anxiety, grouped by the body part they affect, are:

• Body: increased or decreased temperature,  chronic fatigue, flushed skin, red skin, clumsiness, dizziness, disorientation, excess of energy, impossibility to relax, numbness, nausea, back pain, neck pain, muscle tension, sweating, tiredness, shaking, weight loss;
• Chest: pain, discomfort, heart palpitations, irregular rhythms, shortness of breath;
• Head: dizziness, headaches, migraines, giddiness, itchy scalp, toothaches, pain in the scalp;
• Mouth / Stomach: choking, unusual taste or smell, diarrhea, constipation, difficulty in pronouncing, swallowing, dry mouth, lack of appetite, nausea, numbness, tight throat, itchy tongue, vomiting, frequent urination, abdominal stress;
• Skin: numbness, burning skin, excessive sensitivity, infections, tingling, rashes.
• Mind: unconsciousness, feelings of deja-vu, derealization, depersonalization, feelings of unreality, of losing control, of going crazy, nightmares, obsession of getting better, difficulties in speaking, thinking, speaking, concentrating.

Anxiety can also cause some problems regarding the senses:

• Hearing: reduced hearing, noises in the head or the ears, possible deafness
• Sight: disturbed visions, itchy eyes, sensitivity to light, flashing light, stars and a loss of depth perception
• Touch: burning skin, extreme sensitivity, pain, chills, tingling.   

The symptoms can be also observed in the general condition of the sufferer, who may experience depression, feelings of anger, impatience, misconceptions of scary and frightening things, uncontrolled crying.

Anxiety – Treatment 

In most of the cases, Anxiety is treated with psychotherapy, drugs or a combination of these. If choosing medication, then this should be adequate to the kind of disorder developed by the patient. In order to choose the best treatment, the doctor should first determine if the symptoms developed by the sufferer are caused by a physical problem or by Anxiety. In the second case, he should specifically determine which kind of illness is present at his patient and he should find out all the details about other problems, such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse or depression. If the patient experienced another case of Anxiety he should provide his doctor with all the necessary information, such as the drugs which were used, the consequences and the period of recovering as well as the kind of therapy which was used, if necessary. Sometimes, it can happen that a certain treatment proves effective or some patients but not for all; in this case, it may be because of the incorrect dosage or period of administration. In what concerns medications, these can not completely heal this disease, but they are used in order to keep the patient in a stable situation, while he receives therapy. The drugs are prescribed by specialized people, such as a psychiatrist, and they usually consist of antidepressants or beta-blockers, which are used for controlling some symptoms.

Antidepressants are usually used in order to cure depression, but they are also extremely effective in treating this particular disease but it is very important to use them until the symptoms disappear, period which usually lasts about 3 to 5 weeks. Recently, there was discovered a new type of antidepressants, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which facilitate the communications between different brain cells. In addition, they present lees side effects than the regular antidepressants; the most common reactions are nausea or some minor sexual dysfunctions. Most familiar antidepressants are the tricycles and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which are administrated in smaller doses at the beginning and then increased gradually. These substances can though cause drowsiness, dizziness, weight gain, confusion, muscle stiffness, dry mouth and they can make the patient to refuse certain foods or drinks. 

Another way of treating this disease is to use benzodiazepines, which have less side effects, like headaches, nausea or dizziness. They are recommended for short periods of time as the body gets used to them and require bigger and bigger doses. On the other hand, beta-blockers are usually prescribed in order to prevent the symptoms to develop before a certain event, such as a public speech. Except from the usage of drugs, the most efficient way to treat Anxiety is to start psychotherapy sessions. These will help the patient to overcome the terrifying feelings and thoughts as well as to reduce the number of the panic attacks and to know how to react in high-crisis situations. Those who suffer from social phobia are encouraged to socialize with the others and not to think that they are permanently judged by the people around them; those who develop obsessive compulsive disorders are stimulated to get dirty and wait a long period of time before cleaning up.