Whats is Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety disorder is a mental disorder characterized by a state of general persistent anxiety. Unlike the usual short-term stress, which, for example, is associated with a public speaking engagement, the disorder lasts for a long time - for several months or more.

Excessive anxiety, tension and fear experienced by patients with anxiety disorders can be accompanied by both psychological and physical ailments. In order to avoid dangerous complications such as paranoia, nervousness, etc., it is necessary to recognize the signs of the disorder as early as possible and see a doctor.

Symptoms of anxiety disorder

Basic symptoms of anxiety disorder:

1. Psychological:

   • Excessive anxiety and tension in connection with current affairs or for no particular reason;
   • Unreasonable fear for your life and the lives of those closest to you;
   • stress, inability to relax;
   • decreased ability to work, difficulty concentrating;
   • irritability.

2. Physical:

   • constant feeling of fatigue and weakness;
   • muscle tension;
   • pains in the head and stomach;
   • trembling, chills;
   • sleep disturbances;
   • increased sweating;
   • difficulty breathing up to and including a feeling of suffocation;
   • nausea and vomiting;
   • stool disorders.

The degree of manifestation of symptoms or their combinations depends on the form of the anxiety disorder and the degree of neglect of the disease.

Forms of anxiety disorder

The following forms of anxiety disorder are distinguished:

• Adaptive anxiety disorder - excessive anxiety and other emotional reactions arise due to difficulties in adjusting to a particular stressful situation.
• Generalized anxiety disorder (aka anxiety-depressive disorder) - excessive anxiety persists constantly and is associated with a large number of life circumstances - the patient regularly experiences unreasonable fear for his or her life, work, family, etc.
• Anxiety-phobic disorder - causes panic attacks, which cause intense fear and a sense of impending death; fear of people and their large crowds; fear of some serious illness.

All these intrusive thoughts are unpleasant and alien to the patient, often they themselves are not aware of the reason for their occurrence. Seeing a doctor as soon as possible will solve this problem and return the person to a normal life.

Treatment of anxiety disorder

Treatment of anxiety disorder is carried out in a complex, multi-pronged manner. It includes:

1. Drug therapy - based on the characteristics of the patient's body and the disease, the doctor will prescribe a set of medications to eliminate the symptoms:

   • benzodiazepines - help relieve physical tension;
   • Buspirone, alprazolam - reduce feelings of anxiety;
   • antidepressants - set you up for positive thinking and keep anxious thoughts under control.

   Remember that medication therapy for anxiety disorders is carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor. The medications listed above, if used incorrectly, cause changes in the patient's behavior. These include suicidal thoughts, etc.

2. Psychological therapy - with the help of various psychological methods, the doctor helps the patient overcome the anxiety and restlessness that overtake him:

   • cognitive-behavioral therapy - by means of rational persuasion, the doctor changes the patient's general way of thinking in a positive direction;
   • Behavioral therapy - the doctor teaches the patient relaxation techniques - muscle relaxation, deep breathing, visualization, etc.

   The degree of application of various therapies and the duration of treatment depend on the form of the disease and its degree of neglect. Remember that it is the timely application to the doctor that guarantees the absence of severe mental complications.