ANXIETY DISORDERS

CONCEPT PAPER
CAMILLE ANDREA VILORIA

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2019), anxiety is the state of being anxious.
It is an apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill- a
feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an
uncertain outcome.

Anxiety is a normal reaction to danger. It is the body’s automatic fight-or-flight response

whenever a person feels threatened, nervous, or is facing a challenging situation. For example, a
person may feel anxious during a job interviews, before taking an examination, first date, or before
making an important decision. If kept in control and in moderation, anxiety isn’t necessary a bad
thing and can be beneficial. It can even help people to stay alert and focused and motivate them to
solve problems. However, in some cases with other people, anxiety is already becoming constant
and overwhelming. Worries and fears interfere with their relationships and daily lives—these
people have crossed the line from normal anxiety into the territory of an anxiety disorder.

. Anxiety disorders differ from mere feelings of nervousness or anxiousness, and involve
excessive fear or anxiety. According to the Statistics of the National Institute of Mental Health
(2017), Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive of mental disorders and affect
nearly 30 percent of adults at some point in their lives. These disorders are real, serious medical
and mental conditions - just as real and serious as physical disorders such as hypertension and
hyperglycemia.

The term "anxiety disorder" refers to specific psychiatric disorders that involve extreme
fear or worry, and can keep a person from carrying on with his/her life normally. It occurs with a
number of types such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder and panic attacks,
and social anxiety disorder.

The most common type of Anxiety Disorder is the GAD or the Generalized Anxiety
Disorder. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder involves persistent and excessive worry that impedes
with daily activities. This ongoing worry and tension may be accompanied by physical symptoms,
such as restlessness, feeling on edge or easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension or
problems sleeping. Often the worries focus on everyday things such as job responsibilities, family
health or minor matters such as chores, car repairs, or appointments, but these worries occur in a
non-constant way.

Another type of an Anxiety Disorder is called the Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder is an
anxiety disorder characterized by reoccurring unexpected panic attacks. The core symptom of
panic disorder is the recurrent panic attacks - the overwhelming combination of physical and
psychological distress. During an attack, a person may sweat, have chest pain, and feel palpitations
or unusually strong or irregular heartbeats. Oftentimes they experience body convulsions,
shortness of breath, and the fear of losing control.

Attacks can be triggered by stress, irrational thoughts, general fear or fear of the unknown,
or even exercise. Some people get also triggered by cacophonic noises and crowded places.
However, not all attacks can be prevented. Sometimes the trigger is unclear and the attacks can
arise without warning. Attacks usually peak within 10 minutes, and they rarely last more than 30
minutes. But during that short time, the victim of the attacks may experience terror so severe that
he/she feels as if he/she is about to die or totally lose control.

The Panic Disorder is considered as the most dangerous type of Anxiety Disorder because
it can cause trauma to the panic sufferer leading them to experience symptoms even outside
specific panic episodes. They tend to worry even more to think something is wrong with their heart
or they are about to have another panic attack which makes their condition worse.

On the other hand, Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) or also known as social phobia,
describes an intense fear and avoidance of negative public scrutiny, public embarrassment,
humiliation, or social interaction. A person with Social Anxiety Disorder will try to avoid social
interactions or endure it with great anxiety. Common examples are extreme fear of public speaking,
meeting new people or even eating/drinking in public. The fear or anxiety causes problems with
daily functioning and lasts at least six months.

The diagnosis of anxiety disorders is difficult because there are no objective biomarkers,
Fortunately, the symptoms may be relieved by anxiety medications. Many people use anti-anxiety
medication when therapy, exercise, or self-help strategies.
 Although each anxiety disorder has unique characteristics, most respond well to two types
of treatment: psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” and medications. These treatments can be given
alone or in combination. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy, can help a
person learn a different way of thinking, reacting and behaving to help feel less anxious. The most
commonly used medications are anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants. Beta-blockers, used
for heart conditions, are sometimes used to control physical symptoms of anxiety.

Self-coping may also relieve the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Some examples of
effective self-help mechanisms include connecting with other people, managing stress, exercising
regularly, getting enough sleep, and lessening caffeine and alcohol intakes.

However, anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses are not being taken seriously. Most
people get confused between being anxious and having anxiety disorders. The final hindrance to
receiving treatment may be ignorance. Most people are not aware of the symptoms and causes of
anxiety disorders. When an individual or their loved one develops an anxiety disorder, they are
often left feeling confused, discouraged, and isolated. If someone has the flu, they know they have
the flu because they are familiar with the symptoms. The same doesn’t hold true for anxiety
disorders.

We need a shift in thinking. We’ve made great progress in fighting mental health stigma,
but we still have a long way to go in terms of anxiety disorders. Until people realize the severity
of anxiety disorders, it’s unlikely that we’ll see treatment numbers increase.