| Anxiety disorders are one of the most common | | | | Patients may be treated by psychosocial therapies, |
| psychiatric illnesses affecting both children and adults. | | | | medication, or a combination of both. Psychosocial |
| There are about 40 million known cases in the United | | | | therapies are usually attempted first and include |
| States alone. These disorders usually develop from a | | | | Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), anxiety |
| complex set of risk factors which may include | | | | management, relaxation therapies, exposure therapy, |
| personality, brain chemistry, genetics, and life events. | | | | and psychotherapy. These therapies always involve |
| Though anxiety disorders may be derived from so | | | | working closely with a mental health professional, |
| many factors, they are highly treatable. However, | | | | usually a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. |
| perhaps because of the stigma attached to this type | | | | During such therapies, patients and professionals |
| of disorder, only about one in three people afflicted | | | | discover what the source of the anxiety disorder is |
| actually receive any type of treatment. | | | | and how to deal with it. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy |
| It is important to know that the phrase "anxiety | | | | is one of the most useful of the therapies used today. |
| disorder" is an umbrella term for more specialized | | | | CBT actually helps people change their thinking |
| disorders including Generalized Anxiety Disorder ( | | | | patterns so that their reactions to anxiety-provoking |
| GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic | | | | situations become less severe. Successful CBT can |
| Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social | | | | make patients understand that their panic or anxiety |
| Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia), and Specific Phobias. | | | | attack is not really a heart attack. |
| Regardless of what specific anxiety disorder a person | | | | Anxiety Disorder Medication |
| has, they can be quite debilitating with a variety of | | | | Many times, anxiety disorders are treated with not only |
| symptoms. In most cases, these disorders present | | | | psychotherapies but also with medications. The drugs |
| themselves with other mental disorders such as | | | | most commonly associated with anxiety disorder |
| depression. | | | | treatment include SSRIs, which are selective serotonin |
| The Symptoms | | | | reuptake inhibitors, beta blockers, benzodiazepines, |
| The symptoms of anxiety orders may manifest | | | | tricyclic antidepressants, and MAOIs, which are |
| themselves at an early age or start suddenly, perhaps | | | | monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Medication alone will not |
| after a triggering event. During high stress periods, | | | | cure anxiety disorders, but will help keep them under |
| anxiety disorder symptoms may present themselves | | | | control. The most successful treatments involve the |
| more frequently or with greater severity. Symptoms | | | | combination of medication and psychotherapy. Many |
| include sweating, headache, muscle spasms, | | | | doctors will prescribe medication shortly after diagnosis |
| hypertension, palpitations, fatigue, and exhaustion to | | | | so that the symptoms are alleviated quickly (usually |
| name a few. | | | | within 4 to 6 weeks) and allows the psychotherapy |
| Methods of Treatment | | | | protocol time to become effective. |
| As mentioned, anxiety disorders are highly treatable. | | | | |