Major Anxiety Disorders

Facts about Anxiety Disorders Major Anxiety Disorders Panic Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder Specific Phobias Social Anxiety Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Causes of Anxiety Disorders Treatment of Anxiety Disorders Cognitive Therapy Behaviour Therapy Medication

• 25% of the population will at sometime in their lives, suffer from an anxiety disorder ranging from specific phobias to more debilitating disorders such as panic disorder. 5-7% will suffer from panic disorder. Up to 10% may have social anxiety. (Health Canada 1996).
• Ratio of female (16%) to male (9%) with anxiety disorders. (Chambless, Cherney, Caputo, Reinstein, 1987)
• Anxiety disorders are the most treatable of all mental illnesses.
• Anxiety disorders are often accompanied by depression. Risk of suicide is high. Persons with panic disorder were 7 times greater at risk for suicide than those with major depression or those with neither disorder. (Weissman & Merikangas, 1986)
• Cognitive behavior therapy is reported to be 80-90% effective with an 80% recovery rate a year later depending on the extent of avoidant behavior. (Walker, Cox 1998).
• Alcohol and drugs are often used to self-medicate for anxiety and panic. 23% - 44% of inpatient alcoholics have one or more anxiety disorders. (Chambless, Cherney, Caputo & Reinstein, 1987)
• Unresolved, on-going high stress levels put ALL individuals at risk of developing an anxiety disorder.
• Early intervention means rapid recovery.

• Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems.
• Anxiety disorders carry significant personal and societal costs in terms of lost wages, decreased productivity, reduced quality of life and frequent use of health care services.
• Treatment for anxiety disorders is 80-90% effective with an 80% recovery rate a year later, depending on the degree of avoidant behaviour.

Panic Disorder

• shortness of breath
• racing heart
• tight chest
• trembling or shaking
• choking sensations
• numbness or tingling
• dizziness
• feelings of unreality

People suffering a panic attack believe they are in mortal danger, i.e. they are dying, having a heart attack or losing control.

Persons with panic disorder often develop agoraphobia, the fear of being in a public place and far from help. If left untreated, agoraphobia can become so disabling that some individuals are completely housebound.

(more Panic Disorder details...)

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Individuals experience unrealistic or excessive worry for at least six months about two or more life events. Symptoms may include:

• irritability
• insomnia
• muscle tension
• restlessness
• nausea
• abdominal distress
• shortness of breath
• racing heart

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Specific Phobias

An irrational fear of a specific object or situation that poses no real threat or danger. Sufferers will avoid the source of their fear at all costs, thus limiting their lives. Common phobias:

• fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia)
• fear of heights (acrophobia)
• fear of flying (aviophobia)

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Social Anxiety Disorder

Extreme anxiety about being negatively evaluated by others and/or being publicly embarrassed. Sufferers may have:

• difficulty eating or writing in public
• difficulty maintaining eye contact
• blushing, sweating, racing heart in social interactions
• difficulty approaching the opposite sex

Avoidance and social withdrawal may develop if left untreated, affecting work, school and relationships.

(more Social Anxiety Disorder details...)

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessions are unwanted and intrusive thoughts or impulses that produce extreme anxiety. These often involve a theme of harm or danger such as:

• contamination
• fear of leaving something undone that may cause harm
• fear of disorder

Compulsions or rituals are performed to alleviate the anxiety:

• excessive washing, cleaning
• repetitively checking, counting
• constant arranging, organizing

If the OCD is severe, the performance of these rituals can wholly consume one's time and energy, impairing daily functioning.

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder can affect individuals who have survived a severe physical or mental trauma, or have witnessed such an event. Trigger events can be abuse, assault, rape, robbery, accident or natural disasters.

Symptoms can range from constantly reliving the event, flashbacks or emotional numbing. Persons will avoid places that remind them of the event. They often self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.

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Research indicates that there is no single explanation for the cause of anxiety disorders but that several of the following factors may contribute to their origins.

• Genetic predisposition - If you look back at the mental health of your parents, grandparents, etc., you may see a pattern of anxiety conditions which may have some bearing on your anxiety. However, this is not a conclusive predictor but one of several factors that may contribute to an anxiety disorder.
• Learned behaviour - Children are great imitators. How did your parents and early caregivers react to stress? Did you observe them reacting to situations with tension and panic?
• Early environment - stressful childhood events. Research is studying the impact of early childhood stress on adult anxiety problems. Anxious kids often grow up into anxious adults.
• Biochemistry dysfunction in the brain - mainly in the neurotransmitters. Studies indicate that an imbalance in these chemicals can precipitate anxiety disorders. This may explain why the new medications that regulate these chemicals work so well.
• Stress - Acute and/or prolonged stress is often a precursor to an anxiety disorder. This doesn't mean that if you are under a lot of stress, you will develop an anxiety problem or any other mental health problem. For some individuals, severe stress can result in migraine headaches or irritable bowel syndrome or skin rashes - but for someone who is already predisposed to an anxiety disorder, severe stress may activate anxiety problems.

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