Anxiety Disorder - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. MF.

Fear and anxiety are not only sources of human suffering, but also have enormous adaptive significance. The role of fear is that it protects us from an emergency situation, while anxiety keeps us ready in case of a potential threat. Anxiety is a normal human emotion, each of us experiences this feeling from time to time. But if this emotion degenerates into a constant strong stress and affects a person's ability to lead a normal life, they talk about a mental illness.

Anxiety disorder is a constant, unreasonable anxiety and anxiety, unrelated to what is happening, caused by psychoemotional overstrain.

The cause of the occurrence of anxiety disorders.

The exact cause of an anxiety disorder is not known, but like other mental illnesses, it is not the result of poor parenting, weakness of will power or a character defect. Scientists continue their research and have already established that a number of factors affect the development of the disease:
- changes in the brain,
- the impact of environmental stress on the body,

- disruption of the functioning of the inter-neural connections that participate in the formation of emotions,
-prolonged stress disrupts the transmission of information from one area of ​​the brain to another,
- pathology( abnormal development, disease) of brain structures that are responsible for memory and the formation of emotions,
- prdraspolozhennost to breakdown may be genetically inherited from one parent( as cancer or asthma).
- psychotraumatic( psychological trauma, stress) events in the past.

There are several diseases that can affect the onset of an anxiety disorder.
- Mitral valve prolapse( a problem that occurs when one of the heart valves does not close properly).
- Hyperthyroidism( gland hyperactivity).
- Hypoglycemia( low blood sugar).
- Frequent use or dependence on psychoactive stimulants( amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine).

Panic attacks, as manifestations of anxiety disorders, can also be caused by diseases and other physical causes.

What are the symptoms you need to see a doctor?

If you find one of the listed signs of an anxiety disorder, you should immediately consult a doctor. Symptoms may vary depending on the type of anxiety disorder, but the general ones include:
- a frequent feeling of panic, fear, anxiety,
- sleep disorders,
- cold or sweaty hands and / or feet,
- shortness of breath or shortness of breath,
- dry mouth,
- numbness or tingling in the hands or feet,
- nausea,
- muscle tension,
- dizziness,
- chest pressure, palpitation,
- hyperventilation( rapid breathing) of the lungs,
- violationview,
- bilateral headache,
- difficulty swallowing,
- bloating, diarrhea.

All manifestations of the disease are accompanied by a sense of anxiety and repeated negative thoughts, distortions of perception of reality.

In its structure, the anxiety disorder is not homogeneous, it is formed by many components: behavior, physiology and consciousness. The disease directly affects behavior, reduces efficiency, can cause stammering, insomnia, hyperactivity( increased activity), stereotyped( repetitive) behavior.

The physiological( bodily) symptoms of anxiety disorder are often misinterpreted as a threat to life, because patients tend to see reality only as "black" or "white."For example, chest pain is perceived as a heart attack, a headache is a brain tumor, rapid breathing is a sign of impending death.

Diagnosis of anxiety disorder

How to assess the risk of developing an anxiety disorder?
To detect a predisposition to the development of the disease, three or more positive answers to the following questions are necessary.

1. Do you experience episodes of intense fear or panic?
2. Have you ever felt in your head the constant presence of bad thoughts?
Did you think that you were "crazy"?
3. Do you notice anxiety and fear more than usual?
4. Do you avoid certain situations or communication, because you are afraid that you will be overcome by a panic attack?
5. Do you panic when standing in line when stuck in a traffic jam, are you in a crowd or a place from which you can not escape or get out?
6. When you are in an unknown room, do you know, just in case, where there are emergency exits?
7. Do you think you have obsessive thoughts?
8. Do you have one or more symptoms of anxiety regularly( daily or weekly)?
9. Are you nervous much more than before?
10. Are you fanatically caring about your health?
11. Are you impatient, but quickly disappointed in everything?
12. Do you sometimes feel that you are living in a dream or that your life is not real?
13. How would you rate your self-esteem( how do you feel about yourself)?
14. Do you often say "yes" to people when they want to say "no"?
15. Do you often feel "broken"?
16. Does nervousness or anxiety prevent you from working?
17. Do you like to keep everything under control?

To determine the final diagnosis and to prescribe the right treatment, the doctor must determine the type of anxiety disorder. There are several types of anxiety disorders.

Phobias is a constant fear, disproportionate to a real threat, panic when dealing with a particular situation. Phobias are difficult to control, despite the patient's desire to free himself from fear. The most common are specific phobias or social phobias.

* A specific phobia when a person feels a strong fear of a particular object or situation. There are five common types of specific phobias: fear of animals( cats, dogs, rats, snakes, etc.), phenomena of nature( darkness, showers, water, etc.), situations( elevators, bridges, tunnels,.).Less common is the fear of the sight of blood, injections, trauma or other unusual phobias( vomiting, gasps).

* A person suffering from social phobia is afraid of negative evaluations of other people. Constantly feels that he looks stupid, does not say so, behaves wrong. Believes that other people treat him badly, embarrassed. The disease leads to the destruction of social ties.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD) is a reaction to past events that were very hard to resist( death or serious trauma( own or close person and other tragic experiences)).

The patient, as a rule, is haunted by recurrent obsessive memories. It can be nightmares, the feeling that the event once again happened( delirium, hallucinations, memories), and other inappropriate physiological reactions to imaginary events. Such a person is too excited, hardly falls asleep, has difficulty concentrating, sensitive, inclined to outbursts of anger.

Acute stress disorder - a prerequisite for its occurrence is a psychotraumatic situation. Nevertheless, there are several significant differences from PTSD.The patient is deprived of emotional reactions( emotionally flattened), feels that the environment is unreal, like a dream, perceives his own body, as something alien or sees himself as another person. Later, such a disease as dissociative amnesia may develop.

The main feature of the panic disorder is the emergence of panic attacks. Panic attack occurs unexpectedly, quickly brings the patient to a state of terror. It lasts from a few minutes to an hour, accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting, palpitations, tremor, stomach upset or nausea, numbness in the extremities, hot flashes or chills, pain or chest tightness, fear of death or loss of control.

Generalized anxiety disorder - in contrast to panic attacks, is characterized by the fact that the disease is chronic and can last for several months. Patients are not able to relax, easily get tired, have difficulty concentrating, are irritable, live in constant fear, have difficulty in making decisions, are very afraid of making a mistake, are always tense and irritated. This disorder reduces self-confidence and lowers one's self-esteem in the patient. Many of these patients are dependent on the opinions of others, often feel inferior, have a deep conviction that they are not able to change everything for the better.

Obsessive compulsive disorder - an important feature of this disease are repetitive, non sequential, non-desirable and uncontrollable( compulsive) obsessions or ideas that penetrate the patient's mind and are difficult to get rid of. The most frequent of them are concern with dirt and microbes, fear of getting sick or catching an infection. The life of such a person is full of certain rituals, for example: frequent washing of hands, cleaning, prayers. These actions are, in a way, a response to obsessive thoughts and their goal is to protect themselves from anxiety. Most of those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder are also depressed.

Treatment of anxiety disorders

One of the greatest achievements of modern psychology is the development of new effective methods for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Many people discover their own effective ways to cope with anxiety, for example, even breathing, relaxation, yoga.

Self-care

Patients suffering from anxiety disorders, first of all, must learn to control the physiological symptoms of anxiety. There are two methods: relaxing the muscles and controlling the breathing( relaxation techniques in the Phobia article & gt; & gt;).This facilitates anxiety, helps to fall asleep, reduces pain from muscle tension. Training in muscle relaxation is a gradual process that requires daily exercise. This method has long been used successfully in the treatment of anxiety disorders and is an effective method in managing anxiety.

The next step in fighting anxiety is deep, even breathing( but not hyperventilation).Breathing exercises are an effective way to control the physical symptoms of a panic attack.

Psychotherapy

Cognitive therapy has proven to be extremely effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Anxiety can take the form of pessimistic thoughts, images and fantasies, from which it is difficult to get rid of. Together with the therapist, the patient analyzes and reformulates these thoughts, then gives them a more optimistic meaning. Therapy is aimed at teaching the patients to worry positively, to perceive events more realistically, to prove incompatibility of negative thoughts with facts.

Addiction therapy is a method in which patients are repeatedly exposed to what causes them fear. Treatment begins with simple tasks, gradually the exercises become more complicated. This is repeated until the patient has lost a sense of anxiety in a particular situation. Using this method, 80-90% of specific phobias are cured.

Drug therapy

Pharmacotherapy is needed only in severe cases of anxiety disorders and should not be the only method of treatment. Medications can not be used as a permanent treatment, but only when it is necessary to alleviate some of the symptoms of a panic disorder.

Drugs used to treat panic disorder include:

Antidepressants - Maprotilinum, Mianserinum, Milnacipranum, Mirtazapinum, Moclobemidum, Paroxetinum, Pipofezinum, Pirlindol( Pirlindolum), Sertralinum, Tianeptinum, Trazodonum, Fluvoxaminum, Fluoxetinum. They start to work only after a few weeks, so they need to be taken constantly, and not only during acute need.

Benzodiazepines - Diazepam, Clonazepam, Noozepam, Frizium, Lorazepam. It, in the majority, calming or abirritating preparations which very quickly act( as a rule, through 15 - 30 minutes).Taking these medicines during a panic attack provides a quick relief of the symptoms. Nevertheless, benzodiazepines are very dangerous. They cause dependence and have severe symptoms of withdrawal( withdrawal, narcotic withdrawal), so drugs should be used with great care and only as directed by the doctor.

Phytotherapy

Peppermint - especially useful when in a panic situation there are problems with the stomach.
Straw of oats - has the properties of an antidepressant, gently tones and protects against overloads of the nervous system.
Chamomile flowers are good not only for the digestive system, they also relax and soothe.
Lavender flowers - extract is ideal for aromatherapy, relieves headaches, relieves depression and tension.
Lime flowers - the broth has an antispasmodic and sedative effect;stabilizes the pressure, which can be increased by anxiety.
Passionflower is one of the best natural sedatives. It is especially recommended when there is insomnia.
Melissa - soothes nerves, relieves headache, cheers up and energizes.
Valerian - helps fight panic attacks, eases breathing and sleep, relieves muscle spasms and headaches caused by anxiety.
Hops cones - from fatigue and nervousness, excessive irritability and excitability, mood disorders and difficulties with falling asleep.

Prevention of anxiety disorders

When it comes to anxiety disorder, professional treatment and therapy are of great importance. But there are preventive measures that you can take to help yourself and prevent the development of the disease:

Learn more about anxiety disorders, if this happens you will know the symptoms, take control of the situation, avoid unexpected sensations, quickly recover from stress.

Avoid frequent coffee consumption, cigarette smoking. Nicotine and caffeine can provoke anxiety disorder in susceptible people. Also, be careful with medications that contain stimulants( diet pills, colds).

Learn how to control your breathing. Deep breathing can relieve the symptoms of panic. Having learned to control your breathing, you will develop a skill that you can use to calm yourself.

Use relaxation techniques. With regular application, exercises such as yoga, meditation, and muscle relaxation will help strengthen the body.

Doctor psychiatrist Kondratenko NA