Anxiety
Anxiety Disorders, formerly known as Neuroses, feature anxiety as an underlying dynamic that is either experienced by the person as anxiety symptoms, or as other symptoms that are used to escape or avoid anxiety (such as somatic symptoms or Obsessive Compulsive symptoms). While not as severe as some other disorders, Anxiety Disorders still involve a great deal of distress for the person experiencing them.
In order to define anxiety, one must first differentiate this state from the experience of fear. When referring to a fear reaction, we are speaking of an emotional and physiological reaction to a real danger. Anxiety, in contrast, features emotional and physiological reactions out of proportion to a perceived danger. Physiological symptoms may include increased muscle tension, rapid respirations, increased heart rate, and sweating.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is marked by "free floating anxiety", with persistent and pervasive feelings of fright. The person experiencing this anxiety constantly feels threatened. Symptoms may include motor tension, twitchiness, an inability to relax, autonomic hyperactivity (increased heart rate and sweating), an upset stomach, and headaches. The person may also experience apprehensive expectations or an anticipation that something terrible is going to occur, but they don't know what it is. Vigilance of Scanning may also be a factor, in which the person has a heightened attention to everything in their environment, often resulting in increased distractibility and decreased concentration. Basically, the person suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder experiences a chronic state of tension without any clear source or focus.
Panic Disorder is comprised of very intense panic attacks for short durations (minutes to a few hours at most). The person feels as if they are going to faint and even die. Symptoms may include chest pains, heart palpitations, hot and cold flashes, feelings of unreality, dizziness or faintness (though it is extremely rare for anyone experiencing a panic attack to actually faint) Another major feature of Panic Disorder is that the person cannot identify any specific reason for the panic. It feels as though it comes out of nowhere (which makes it even more terrifying to those experiencing them).
Phobias are persistent and recurrent fears of a particular situation, object or activity. The person experiencing them knows that the fear is irrational, but they cannot help it. There are several types of Phobias:
- Agoraphobia: The most severe of the phobias, it includes a fear of open spaces, public places, and crowds. The person fears and avoids places for which there is no quick escape. It is also common for agoraphobics to fear being alone, so they usually stay at home with a friend or relative present. If they do leave the house, they are usually accompanied by a friend or family member. This phobia is most often associated with women, and usually arises during late teens or early twenties. Agoraphobia often begins with a panic attack while the person is away from the house, and the person then stays at home to avoid experiencing that situation again.
- Simple Phobias: A fear of one particular object or event, such as a fear of flying, snakes, insects, heights, etc. These are typically not difficult to treat, and can be remedied on an outpatient basis.
- Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) is when a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of interacting with other people in social situations. A person with social phobia constantly fears they will embarrass themselves or make mistakes in front of other people, developing a negative self-consciousness. When placed in a social situation, they become anxious or may have a panic attack. As the illness progresses, persons with social anxiety disorder may have distorted thinking, and may begin to avoid contact with other people. This may interfere with work, school and personal relationships.
Recent Articles (More...)
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Anxiety in Teenagers – Is it Getting Worse?
By Steven Petrus, Psy. D. on September 1, 2009
Anxiety and stress levels in teenagers have drastically increased over the last few decades. This article discusses the reasons teens are so anxious and how anxiety affects a teenager's life. If you are concerned about your teen suffering from anxiety, please call Meridian Youth Treatment Center where we offer an anxiety assessment and can help you and your family.
