Have you been anxious about writing an exam and then when you get to the hall you start to feel very anxious and stressed but after the exam you realize that you are calm and you are no longer tense when this stress doesn't go away then it becomes an anxiety and while some people would get pass it, others would not get pass it where they start to feel very tensed and it is affecting their daily activities, it becomes an anxiety disorder?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a disorder where the patient has anxiety for generally everything, from cars, money, phones, health, family, relationship, house, and so on. It can even be so serious that the thought of getting through the day can be very scary. The anxiety is persistent, excessive, and unreasonable as there are no reasons to be worried. It is often beyond the control of the patient suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Risk factors include Genes, Environmental factors, and neurological issues. Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder will exhibit symptoms such as impaired concentration, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), frequent worry and tension, diet changes, and irritability. To diagnose Generalized Anxiety Disorder, patients must exhibit excessive anxiety and worry present and occur often, the patient must experience three symptoms of the symptoms. Treatments would include medications such as anti-anxiety medications (benzodiazepines) and psychotherapy which includes cognitive behavioral therapy.
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Phobias is another mental disorder that involves an extreme fear of something that isn't considered a great threat. The thought of such an object can lead to extreme fear and anxiety which could affect daily routines. People can have phobias for different things, ranging from the fear of blood (hemophobia), fear of snakes (Ophidiophobia), Spiders (Arachnophobia), fear of tight spaces (claustrophobia), and so on. People with phobias exaggerate the possibility of a thing happening, and the chances of it happening. Diagnosis of phobia can be done by physical examination. Treatment can include cognitive behavioral therapy, Exposing the patient to the feared situation, and using antidepressants, depending on the type of phobia.
Another disorder I will be discussing is panic disorder. Panic disorder is identified by frequent and repeated episodes of panic attacks which can be caused by intense fear about a negative occurrence even when there is no real threat. It can be so severe that they are having a heart attack when they are not. Patients can have chest pain, headache, nausea, stomach upset, dizziness, numbness or tingling, palpitation, shortness of breath, and chills. Sometimes, there are no triggers and it just begins, and over time if not quickly treated, the patient would begin avoidance of the place and event that caused the attack when it isn't really a threat. Treatment would involve psychotherapy (cognitive behavior therapy), medication, or both of them. Cognitive behavior therapy includes methods to help the patient learn to understand when they are about to have a panic attack, and how to overcome it. These steps include learning, monitoring, breathing for relaxation, rethinking, and exposure to situations that cause anxiety. Antidepressants can be given to patients, also in severe cases, antiseizure medication can be given to patients.
Another psychological disorder is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, where a patient checks over and over something that isn't needed. They can check if a door they closed minutes ago is closed multiple times. They have frequent and obsessive thoughts over an action continuously causing them to repeat a certain ritual or action times without a number. OCDs are obsessions and compulsions. The patient will check and recheck severally so they do not hurt themselves or others, they might also be compelled to arrange things more and more. The DSM-5 can be used to diagnose patients and patients may either have obsession or compulsion, or they might have both. The treatment would include Psychotherapy (cognitive behavior therapy) where the patient is exposed to the situation leading to obsessions or compulsion. Also using medications such as the Serotonin reuptake inhibitor is effective in treating OCD.
On a final note, I will discuss Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is an anxiety disorder as a result of a threat to life in some way or another, or as a result of something traumatic. PTSD can occur from events such as war, car crashes, rape, accidents, and so on. It leads to a flight or fight reaction where the patient responds even when there is no danger but the thought or flash of previous memory triggers it. Symptoms of patients with PTSD are intrusive memories of the trauma or similar scenes, avoidance is also another symptom of PTSD, Negative thinking and mood, and hyperarousal. Treatment of PTSD will include Psychotherapy such as exposure therapy and cognitive behavior therapy, and medications such as antidepressants (Sertraline, and Paroxetine).
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/generalized-anxiety-disorder
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441870/
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/phobias
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/panic-disorder
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms
- https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/what-is-obsessive-compulsive-disorder
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
- https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd