Treatment of generalized anxiety disorders is what you will need. Anxiety disorders can take various forms, in particular:
• generalized anxiety disorder - the patient constantly or periodically experiences anxiety without objective reason;
• panic condition - the patient periodically develop pronounced unexplained transient attacks of fear;
• situational anxiety - the patient experiences a pronounced unreasonable fear (phobia), sometimes provoking panic attacks or clinical manifestations of depression. Such states include fear of communicating with people (social phobia), fear of public places and open spaces (agoraphobia), fear of animals (zoophobia);
• Hypochondria - fear of disease, even if a person is physically healthy.
When does anxiety occur?
Anxiety is often a symptom of mental disorders, for example:
- depression;
- post-traumatic stress disorder;
- syndrome of compulsive states.
Increased anxiety can occur with certain somatic diseases, in particular with thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism) or abrupt withdrawal of tranquilizers or alcohol.
Symptoms
Patients suffering from anxiety disorders usually have:
• tension and hyperactivity, sometimes accompanied by a decrease in the ability to concentrate;
Characteristic pallor of the skin;
• increased sweating. Also there may be frequent urge to urinate or defecate. In addition, many patients experience:
• sensation of impending threat (sometimes accompanied by palpitation);
• a sense of lack of air;
• sense of depersonalization (the patient feels himself "outside his body") or derealization (everything around him seems distant or unreal) - in such cases, the patient may feel that he is "going crazy";
• increased anxiety - many patients lose their appetite and have difficulty falling asleep.
In many, though not all cases, anxiety is an exaggerated reflection of the real life situation. Some individuals may have a genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders, but common predisposing factors are:
• Dysfunctional childhood;
• Lack of parental care;
• low level of education;
• the violence experienced in childhood;
■ impaired function of neurotransmitters in the brain (biochemical mediators of nerve impulse transmission).
Prevalence
The prevalence of anxiety disorders is very high - in modern society such disorders account for up to half of all psychiatric pathology. Anxiety disorders can occur at any age, from childhood. It is assumed that women suffer from them more often than men. However, the exact quantitative ratio is difficult to establish, due to the fact that many patients, especially men, do not seek medical help. At least 10% of the population are experiencing panic conditions during this or that period of life, and more than 3% suffer from such seizures for many months and even years. To a greater extent these violations are affected by representatives of the age group 25-44 years. Heavy forms of social phobia are observed in about 1 in 200 men and in 3 out of 100 women. The diagnosis of an anxiety disorder is usually based on a clinical history. To exclude somatic diseases accompanied by similar symptoms, such as hypoglycemia, asthma, heart failure, taking or stopping medications or drugs, epilepsy, vertigo, a number of laboratory and other studies are carried out. It is important to find out the presence of concomitant mental illness, which may manifest increased anxiety, such as depression or dementia. Treatment of anxiety disorders often requires a combination of psychotherapeutic and medical methods, but many patients refuse psychiatric care, believing that they suffer from some kind of somatic disease. In addition, patients are often afraid of the side effects of prescribed medications.
Psychotherapy
In many cases, the counseling of a psychologist and the identification of internal conflicts help. Sometimes cognitive behavioral therapy gives a good effect. Reducing anxiety can contribute to the development of relaxation techniques and overcome stress. In phobias, the method of systematic desensitization helps. With the support of the therapist, the patient gradually learns to cope with the frightening situation or object. Some patients are helped by group psychotherapy.
Medication
The drugs most often prescribed for the treatment of anxiety disorders include:
tranquilizers - some preparations of this group, for example diazepam, can be prescribed courses up to 10 days. When using them, it is important to use minimally effective dosages to avoid the development of addiction and dependence. Side effects of tranquilizers include dizziness and the formation of mental dependence; antidepressants - do not cause such strong dependence, as tranquilizers, however for achievement of the maximum effect it can be required to four weeks. After determining the effective dose, treatment is continued for a long time (six months or more). Premature discontinuation may lead to an exacerbation of symptoms; beta-blockers - can help reduce some of the somatic symptoms of anxiety (heart palpitations, tremors). However, the drugs of this group do not have a direct effect on psychological manifestations, such as emotional stress and anxiety.