Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterised by significant feelings of anxiety and fear. Anxiety is a worry about future events, while fear is a reaction to current events. These feelings may cause physical symptoms such as a fast heart rate and shakiness. There are various kinds of anxiety disorders, including generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, panic disorder and selective mutism.
Anxiety disorder is the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Risk factors include a history of child abuse, family history of mental disorders, even poverty. Anxiety disorders often occur with other mental disorders, particularly major depressive disorder, personality disorder and substance disorder. To be diagnosed, symptoms typically need to be present for at least 6 months, be more than what would be expected for the situation, and decreased functioning.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common disorder, characterised by long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any one object or situation. People suffering from GAD experience non-specific persistent fear and worry, and become overly concerned with everyday matters. GAD is characterised by chronic excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance.
A large percentage of people suffering from generalised anxiety disorder will also meet the criteria for depression.
Anxiety disorder is the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Risk factors include a history of child abuse, family history of mental disorders, even poverty. Anxiety disorders often occur with other mental disorders, particularly major depressive disorder, personality disorder and substance disorder. To be diagnosed, symptoms typically need to be present for at least 6 months, be more than what would be expected for the situation, and decreased functioning.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common disorder, characterised by long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any one object or situation. People suffering from GAD experience non-specific persistent fear and worry, and become overly concerned with everyday matters. GAD is characterised by chronic excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance.
A large percentage of people suffering from generalised anxiety disorder will also meet the criteria for depression.
Panic Disorders
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterised by recurring unexpected panic attacks (i.e. sudden periods of intense fear that may include palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, numbness, or a premonition that something terrible is about to happen). The maximum degree of symptoms occurs within minutes and typically last about ten minutes, but can be as short-lived as 1-5 minutes, or even up to more than an hour, or until helpful intervention is made. There may be ongoing worries about having further attacks and avoidance of places where attacks have occurred in the past.
The cause of panic disorder is unknown. From a biological perspective, research indicates irregular norepinephrine activity produced by the adrenal glands, and improper brain circuit function performance in people who have panic attacks. This circuit consists of the amygdala (the stress centre in the brain), central grey matter, ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, and the locus ceruleus. From a cognitive perspective, people with panic disorder may experience panic reactions because they mistake their bodily sensations for life-threatening situations, e.g. a heart attack. These bodily sensations cause some people to feel as though they have lost control, which may lead to feelings of panic.
This disorder is often accompanied by intense worry about when the next attack will happen and fear or avoidance of places where panic attacks have occurred in the past.
Panic disorder has been found to run in families, which may suggest the possibility of inheritance playing a strong role in determining who will suffer from it. However, there also is the possibility of learnt behaviour, living in a parental home where one or both parents suffer from panic disorder. Risk factors include smoking, psychological stress, and a history of child abuse. Diagnosis involves ruling out other potential causes of anxiety, including other mental disorders, medical conditions such as heart disease or hyperthyriodism, and the use of narcotics/illicit substances.
The cause of panic disorder is unknown. From a biological perspective, research indicates irregular norepinephrine activity produced by the adrenal glands, and improper brain circuit function performance in people who have panic attacks. This circuit consists of the amygdala (the stress centre in the brain), central grey matter, ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, and the locus ceruleus. From a cognitive perspective, people with panic disorder may experience panic reactions because they mistake their bodily sensations for life-threatening situations, e.g. a heart attack. These bodily sensations cause some people to feel as though they have lost control, which may lead to feelings of panic.
This disorder is often accompanied by intense worry about when the next attack will happen and fear or avoidance of places where panic attacks have occurred in the past.
Panic disorder has been found to run in families, which may suggest the possibility of inheritance playing a strong role in determining who will suffer from it. However, there also is the possibility of learnt behaviour, living in a parental home where one or both parents suffer from panic disorder. Risk factors include smoking, psychological stress, and a history of child abuse. Diagnosis involves ruling out other potential causes of anxiety, including other mental disorders, medical conditions such as heart disease or hyperthyriodism, and the use of narcotics/illicit substances.