Anxiety disorders are the most common of all the mental disorders. At the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Federal agency that conducts and supports research related to mental disorders, mental health, and the brain, scientists are learning more and more about the nature of anxiety disorders, their causes, and how to alleviate them. NIMH also conducts educational outreach activities about anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses.
Causes of anxiety disorder
Genetic predisposition. Anxiety disorders tend to run in families, suggesting there's a genetic factor involved in the cause. Studies show that if one identical twin has an anxiety disorder, the second twin is more likely to have an anxiety disorder than if they were unrelated.
Personal characteristics. Researchers believe that people who have low self-esteem and poor coping skills may be prone to anxiety disorders.
What Are the Types of Anxiety Disorders?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)Â - OCD is characterized by unwanted thoughts or behaviors that seem impossible to stop or control. You may be troubled by obsessions, such as a recurring worry that you forgot to turn off the oven or that you might hurt someone. You may also suffer from uncontrollable compulsions, such as washing your hands over and over.
Post-traumatic stress disorder: PTSD is a condition that can develop following a traumatic and/or terrifying event, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one, or a natural disaster. People with PTSD often have lasting and frightening thoughts and memories of the event, and tend to be emotionally numb.
Symptoms of Anxiety
mood and other emotional problems, eating pattern changes, sleep pattern changes, mental changes, social problems, physical problems, childhood or adolescent depression
The anxiety and worry are associated with three (or more) of the following six symptoms (with at least some symptoms present for more days than not for the past 6 months; children don't need to meet as many criteria).
Treatment of anxiety disorder
The choices of treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy, lifestyle changes, and/or pharmaceutical therapy (medications). Mainstream treatment for anxiety consists of the prescription of anxiolytic agents and/or antidepressants and/or referral to a Psychologist/cognitive-behavioral therapist. Treatment controversy arises because some studies indicate that a combination of the medications and behavioral therapy can be more effective than either one alone, however others studies suggest pharmacological interventions are largely just pallative, and can actually interfere with the mechanisms of successful therapy.
It's important to understand what anxiety treatment can and can't do. An accurate diagnosis and proper treatment increase the odds that your symptoms will lessen significantly or disappear altogether. Once symptoms are under control, treatment can keep them from flaring up again and can help prevent a second anxiety disorder from developing. Treatment often improves or controls the problems caused by anxiety. For example, if anxiety is impairing your ability to work or creating friction between you and your family and friends, treatment can help you function better and improve your relationships.
Treatment Of Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorder medications are for those suffering panic attacks. These are used to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and lessen the number of panic attacks. Of course your physician should be made well aware of any and all medications taken to lessen the side-effects of drug interactions. A number of these drugs are effective in removing agitation and turmoil in a person's life.
TYPES OF MEDICATIONS
Due to the nature of the disorder and the parts of the physiology affected the drugs prescribed are similar. In fact most medications have a common mixture of ingredients. A lot of them contain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs or Benzodiazepines.
The substance Serotonin is also known as the brain's happy drug. Lack of serotonin, as believed by many of the scientists, is the cause of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. These increase the levels of serotonin in the brain. Some of the well-known name brands that use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are Prozac and Zoloft.
Benzodiazepines are psychoactive drugs for various Para-psychical influences. They act as minor tranquilizers and causes the body's nervous system to slow down, for those who are weak and remain sensitive to a lot of things,and helps them to relax. These anxiety disorder medications can also sometimes be very addictive, so they should only be taken when prescribed by a doctor. Some well-known name brands that use Benzodiazepines are Xanax and Valium.
Another medication used to treat panic attacks and anxiety are the Antidepressants. They affect the neurotransmitters in the brain. A good brand name for Antidepressants is Effexor. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), are also very powerful antidepressant drugs should be the last option a person wants to go for. When combined with other drugs and foods, this antidepressant can prove to be very toxic. And because of this the FDA has put out a warning on all antidepressants. A person taking this drug is more susceptible to attempt suicide, especially when the dosage is changed or when they just taking these drugs.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The effects of these medications should be visible within the first eight weeks of medication. A person who is using these drugs should find improvements in his/her symptoms in that time frame. To be on a safer side it is always recommended that the patient have a regular checkup with his/her doctor. This is especially important if the symptoms the drugs are prescribed are still present. In those cases the doctor's visit is a must. By allowing enough face time with a doctor they can change your medication or can increase the dosage as needed.
TREATMENTS ALONG WITH MEDICATION
Anxiety disorder medication is only the first step to improve the health of those afflicted with anxiety disorder. Doctors may also suggest counseling and other relaxation techniques as well. With a positive side effect of the latter as having positive long-term effects too.
CONCLUSION
After reading this article you should have come to the conclusion that there is no silver bullet cure for anxiety attacks. Medicated anxiety treatments are not a panacea and the medications are usually prescribed for a very long time. The time length for treatment can be as much as a year or sometimes much longer depending on the specific person's reaction to the medications and the severity of their anxiety disorder.
Both james sameul & Kenneth Langston are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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