During an attack several of these symptoms occur in combination:. Because the symptoms are so severe, many people who experience a panic attack may believe they are having a heart attack or other life-threatening illness. They may go to a hospital emergency department. Panic attacks may be expected, such as a response to a feared object, or unexpected, apparently occurring for no reason. The mean age for onset of panic disorder is Panic attacks may occur with other mental disorders such as depression or PTSD.
A specific phobia is excessive and persistent fear of a specific object, situation or activity that is generally not harmful. These fears cause such distress that some people go to extreme lengths to avoid what they fear. Examples are public speaking, fear of flying or fear of spiders. Agoraphobia is the fear of being in situations where escape may be difficult or embarrassing, or help might not be available in the event of panic symptoms.
The fear is out of proportion to the actual situation and lasts generally six months or more and causes problems in functioning. A person with agoraphobia experiences this fear in two or more of the following situations:.
The individual actively avoids the situation, requires a companion or endures with intense fear or anxiety. Untreated agoraphobia can become so serious that a person may be unable to leave the house. A person can only be diagnosed with agoraphobia if the fear is intensely upsetting, or if it significantly interferes with normal daily activities. Social Anxiety Disorder previously called social phobia.
A person with social anxiety disorder has significant anxiety and discomfort about being embarrassed, humiliated, rejected or looked down on in social interactions.
People with this disorder will try to avoid the situation or endure it with great anxiety. The fear or anxiety causes problems with daily functioning and lasts at least six months. A person with separation anxiety disorder is excessively fearful or anxious about separation from those with whom he or she is attached. A person with separation anxiety disorder may be persistently worried about losing the person closest to him or her, may be reluctant or refuse to go out or sleep away from home or without that person, or may experience nightmares about separation.
Physical symptoms of distress often develop in childhood, but symptoms can carry though adulthood. The causes of anxiety disorders are currently unknown but likely involve a combination of factors including genetic, environmental, psychological and developmental.
Anxiety disorders can run in families, suggesting that a combination of genes and environmental stresses can produce the disorders. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 5, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Help with anxiety disorders. American Psychiatric Association. Reinhold JA, et al. Pharmacological treatment for generalized anxiety disorder in adults: An update.
Expert Opinion in Pharmacotherapy. Bandelow B, et al. Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis. International Clinical Psychopharmacology. Find support. Bazzan AJ, et al. Current evidence regarding the management of mood and anxiety disorders using complementary and alternative medicine. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. Natural medicines in the clinical management of anxiety.
Natural Medicines. Sarris J, et al. Plant-based medicines for anxiety disorders, Part 2: A review of clinical studies with supporting preclinical evidence.
CNS Drugs. When the stressor is over, the anxiety usually goes away. If your anxiety is disrupting your quality of life, it might be time to re-evaluate whether it may be an anxiety disorder. You can think of it almost as a spectrum or continuum of sorts. Sometimes it can help us prepare for things or help keep us alert in dangerous situations.
In general, two things need to be present that define an anxiety disorder, as opposed to simply being anxious:. Another common finding across anxiety disorders is out-of-the-ordinary and excessive anticipatory responding in the face of uncertainty. We all face uncertainty in our lives. With an anxiety disorder, people usually try to avoid triggering situations or things that worsen their symptoms. Your heart might pound and your stomach might churn, and you might be thinking a lot about the test and your possible result.
If you wake up one morning and, for no reason, are convinced that something bad will happen to a loved one, think about it all day, and then continue to have intrusive thoughts about it the next day, that may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is often characterized by excessive and hard-to-control worry that occurs for most of the day, more days than not.
Treatment for an anxiety disorder can include :. Other complementary treatments that may be used in conjunction with medication or therapy include:. Normal anxiety is usually short-term and related to a stressor. Treatment is necessary in order to manage it and minimize its impact on your life. Anxiety disorders can be treated and managed.
If you think you might have an anxiety disorder, talk with your doctor. They can help guide you to your next steps and help with potential treatments. Most people feel anxiety at some point.
0コメント