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What does anxiety disorder mean


NIMH » Anxiety Disorders

Overview

Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Many people worry about things such as health, money, or family problems. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For people with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and various phobia-related disorders.

Signs and Symptoms

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) usually involves a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread, which can interfere with daily life. It is not the same as occasionally worrying about things or experiencing anxiety due to stressful life events. People living with GAD experience frequent anxiety for months, if not years.

Symptoms of GAD include:

  • Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
  • Being easily fatigued
  • Having difficulty concentrating
  • Being irritable
  • Having headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches, or unexplained pains
  • Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
  • Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep

Panic Disorder

People with panic disorder have frequent and unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear, discomfort, or sense of losing control even when there is no clear danger or trigger. Not everyone who experiences a panic attack will develop panic disorder.

During a panic attack, a person may experience:

  • Pounding or racing heart
  • Sweating
  • Trembling or tingling
  • Chest pain
  • Feelings of impending doom
  • Feelings of being out of control

People with panic disorder often worry about when the next attack will happen and actively try to prevent future attacks by avoiding places, situations, or behaviors they associate with panic attacks. Panic attacks can occur as frequently as several times a day or as rarely as a few times a year.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. For people with social anxiety disorder, the fear of social situations may feel so intense that it seems beyond their control. For some people, this fear may get in the way of going to work, attending school, or doing everyday things.

People with social anxiety disorder may experience:

  • Blushing, sweating, or trembling
  • Pounding or racing heart
  • Stomachaches
  • Rigid body posture or speaking with an overly soft voice
  • Difficulty making eye contact or being around people they don’t know
  • Feelings of self-consciousness or fear that people will judge them negatively

Phobia-related disorders

A phobia is an intense fear of—or aversion to—specific objects or situations. Although it can be realistic to be anxious in some circumstances, the fear people with phobias feel is out of proportion to the actual danger caused by the situation or object.

People with a phobia:

  • May have an irrational or excessive worry about encountering the feared object or situation
  • Take active steps to avoid the feared object or situation
  • Experience immediate intense anxiety upon encountering the feared object or situation
  • Endure unavoidable objects and situations with intense anxiety

There are several types of phobias and phobia-related disorders:

Specific Phobias (sometimes called simple phobias): As the name suggests, people who have a specific phobia have an intense fear of, or feel intense anxiety about, specific types of objects or situations. Some examples of specific phobias include the fear of:

  • Flying
  • Heights
  • Specific animals, such as spiders, dogs, or snakes
  • Receiving injections
  • Blood

Social anxiety disorder (previously called social phobia): People with social anxiety disorder have a general intense fear of, or anxiety toward, social or performance situations. They worry that actions or behaviors associated with their anxiety will be negatively evaluated by others, leading them to feel embarrassed. This worry often causes people with social anxiety to avoid social situations. Social anxiety disorder can manifest in a range of situations, such as within the workplace or the school environment.

Agoraphobia: People with agoraphobia have an intense fear of two or more of the following situations:

  • Using public transportation
  • Being in open spaces
  • Being in enclosed spaces
  • Standing in line or being in a crowd
  • Being outside of the home alone

People with agoraphobia often avoid these situations, in part, because they think being able to leave might be difficult or impossible in the event they have panic-like reactions or other embarrassing symptoms. In the most severe form of agoraphobia, an individual can become housebound.

Separation anxiety disorder: Separation anxiety is often thought of as something that only children deal with; however, adults can also be diagnosed with separation anxiety disorder. People who have separation anxiety disorder have fears about being parted from people to whom they are attached. They often worry that some sort of harm or something untoward will happen to their attachment figures while they are separated. This fear leads them to avoid being separated from their attachment figures and to avoid being alone. People with separation anxiety may have nightmares about being separated from attachment figures or experience physical symptoms when separation occurs or is anticipated.

Selective mutism: A somewhat rare disorder associated with anxiety is selective mutism. Selective mutism occurs when people fail to speak in specific social situations despite having normal language skills. Selective mutism usually occurs before the age of 5 and is often associated with extreme shyness, fear of social embarrassment, compulsive traits, withdrawal, clinging behavior, and temper tantrums. People diagnosed with selective mutism are often also diagnosed with other anxiety disorders.

Risk Factors

Researchers are finding that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the risk of developing an anxiety disorder.

The risk factors for each type of anxiety disorder vary. However, some general risk factors include:

  • Shyness or feeling distressed or nervous in new situations in childhood
  • Exposure to stressful and negative life or environmental events
  • A history of anxiety or other mental disorders in biological relatives

Anxiety symptoms can be produced or aggravated by:

  • Some physical health conditions, such as thyroid problems or heart arrhythmia
  • Caffeine or other substances/medications

If you think you may have an anxiety disorder, getting a physical examination from a health care provider may help them diagnose your symptoms and find the right treatment.

Treatments and Therapies

Anxiety disorders are generally treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. There are many ways to treat anxiety, and you should work with a health care provider to choose the best treatment for you.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy or “talk therapy” can help people with anxiety disorders. To be effective, psychotherapy must be directed at your specific anxieties and tailored to your needs.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an example of one type of psychotherapy that can help people with anxiety disorders. It teaches people different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations to help you feel less anxious and fearful. CBT has been well studied and is the gold standard for psychotherapy.

Exposure therapy is a CBT method that is used to treat anxiety disorders. Exposure therapy focuses on confronting the fears underlying an anxiety disorder to help people engage in activities they have been avoiding. Exposure therapy is sometimes used along with relaxation exercises.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Another treatment option for some anxiety disorders is acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT takes a different approach than CBT to negative thoughts. It uses strategies such as mindfulness and goal setting to reduce discomfort and anxiety. Compared to CBT, ACT is a newer form of psychotherapy treatment, so less data are available on its effectiveness.

Medication

Medication does not cure anxiety disorders but can help relieve symptoms. Health care providers, such as a psychiatrist or primary care provider, can prescribe medication for anxiety. Some states also allow psychologists who have received specialized training to prescribe psychiatric medications. The most common classes of medications used to combat anxiety disorders are antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications (such as benzodiazepines), and beta-blockers.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants are used to treat depression, but they can also be helpful for treating anxiety disorders. They may help improve the way your brain uses certain chemicals that control mood or stress. You may need to try several different antidepressant medicines before finding the one that improves your symptoms and has manageable side effects.

Antidepressants can take several weeks to start working so it’s important to give the medication a chance before reaching a conclusion about its effectiveness. If you begin taking antidepressants, do not stop taking them without the help of a health care provider. Your provider can help you slowly and safely decrease your dose. Stopping them abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms.

In some cases, children, teenagers, and adults younger than 25 may experience increased suicidal thoughts or behavior when taking antidepressant medications, especially in the first few weeks after starting or when the dose is changed. Because of this, people of all ages taking antidepressants should be watched closely, especially during the first few weeks of treatment.

Anti-anxiety Medications

Anti-anxiety medications can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, or extreme fear and worry. The most common anti-anxiety medications are called benzodiazepines. Although benzodiazepines are sometimes used as first-line treatments for generalized anxiety disorder, they have both benefits and drawbacks.

Benzodiazepines are effective in relieving anxiety and take effect more quickly than antidepressant medications. However, some people build up a tolerance to these medications and need higher and higher doses to get the same effect. Some people even become dependent on them.

To avoid these problems, health care providers usually prescribe benzodiazepines for short periods of time.

If people suddenly stop taking benzodiazepines, they may have withdrawal symptoms, or their anxiety may return. Therefore, benzodiazepines should be tapered off slowly. Your provider can help you slowly and safely decrease your dose.

Beta-blockers

Although beta-blockers are most often used to treat high blood pressure, they can help relieve the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as rapid heartbeat, shaking, trembling, and blushing. These medications can help people keep physical symptoms under control when taken for short periods. They can also be used “as needed” to reduce acute anxiety, including to prevent some predictable forms of performance anxieties.

Choosing the Right Medication

Some types of drugs may work better for specific types of anxiety disorders, so people should work closely with a health care provider to identify which medication is best for them. Certain substances such as caffeine, some over-the-counter cold medicines, illicit drugs, and herbal supplements may aggravate the symptoms of anxiety disorders or interact with prescribed medication. People should talk with a health care provider, so they can learn which substances are safe and which to avoid.

Choosing the right medication, medication dose, and treatment plan should be done under an expert’s care and should be based on a person’s needs and their medical situation. Your and your provider may try several medicines before finding the right one.

Support Groups

Some people with anxiety disorders might benefit from joining a self-help or support group and sharing their problems and achievements with others. Support groups are available both in person and online. However, any advice you receive from a support group member should be used cautiously and does not replace treatment recommendations from a health care provider.

Stress Management Techniques

Stress management techniques, such as exercise, mindfulness, and meditation, also can reduce anxiety symptoms and enhance the effects of psychotherapy. You can learn more about how these techniques benefit your treatment by talking with a health care provider.

Join a Study

Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditions. The goal of clinical trials is to determine if a new test or treatment works and is safe. Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be better helped in the future.

Researchers at NIMH and around the country conduct many studies with patients and healthy volunteers. We have new and better treatment options today because of what clinical trials uncovered years ago. Be part of tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs. Talk to your health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for you.

To learn more or find a study, visit:

  • NIMH’s Clinical Trials webpage: Information about participating in clinical trials
  • Clinicaltrials.gov: Current Studies on Anxiety Disorders: List of clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) being conducted across the country
  • Join a Study: Adults - Anxiety Disorders: List of studies being conducted on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, MD
  • Join a Study: Children - Anxiety Disorders: List of studies being conducted on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, MD

Learn More

Free Brochures and Shareable Resources

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): When Worry Gets Out of Control: This brochure describes the signs, symptoms, and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.
  • I’m So Stressed Out!: This fact sheet intended for teens and young adults presents information about stress, anxiety, and ways to cope when feeling overwhelmed.
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: When Unwanted Thoughts Take Over: This brochure describes the signs, symptoms, and treatment of OCD.
  • Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms: This brochure describes the signs, symptoms, and treatments of panic disorder.
  • Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness: This brochure describes the signs, symptoms, and treatment of social anxiety disorder.
  • Shareable Resources on Anxiety Disorders: Help support anxiety awareness and education in your community. Use these digital resources, including graphics and messages, to spread the word about anxiety disorders.

Multimedia 

  • Mental Health Minute: Anxiety Disorders in Adults:Take a mental health minute to watch this video about anxiety disorders in adults.
  • Mental Health Minute: Stress and Anxiety in Adolescents: Take a mental health minute to watch this video about stress and anxiety in adolescents.
  • NIMH Expert Discusses Coping with the Pandemic and School Re-Entry Stress: Learn about the causes or triggers of stress and coping techniques to help reduce anxiety and improve the transition back to school.
  • NIMH Expert Discusses Managing Stress and Anxiety: Learn about coping with stressful situations and when to seek help.
  • GREAT: Learn helpful practices to manage stress and anxiety. GREAT was developed by Dr. Krystal Lewis, a licensed clinical psychologist at NIMH.
  • Getting to Know Your Brain: Dealing with Stress: Test your knowledge about stress and the brain. Also learn how to create and use a “stress catcher” to practice strategies to deal with stress.
  • Guided Visualization: Dealing with Stress: Learn how the brain handles stress and practice a guided visualization activity.
  • Panic Disorder: The Symptoms: Learn about the signs and symptoms of panic disorder.

Federal Resources

  • Anxiety Disorders (MedlinePlus – also en español)

Research and Statistics

  • Journal Articles: References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine).
  • Statistics: Anxiety Disorder: This webpage provides information on the statistics currently available on the prevalence and treatment of anxiety among people in the U.S.

Last Reviewed: April 2022
Unless otherwise specified, NIMH information and publications are in the public domain and available for use free of charge. Citation of NIMH is appreciated. Please see our Citing NIMH Information and Publications page for more information.

When Worry Gets Out of Control

Do you often find yourself worrying about everyday issues for no obvious reason? Are you always waiting for disaster to strike or excessively worried about things such as health, money, family, work, or school?

If so, you may have a type of anxiety disorder called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD can make daily life feel like a constant state of worry, fear, and dread. The good news is GAD is treatable. Learn more about the symptoms of GAD and how to find help.

What is generalized anxiety disorder?

Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Many people may worry about things such as health, money, or family problems. But people with GAD feel extremely worried or nervous more frequently about these and other things—even when there is little or no reason to worry about them. GAD usually involves a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread that interferes with how you live your life. It is not the same as occasionally worrying about things or experiencing anxiety due to stressful life events. People living with GAD experience frequent anxiety for months, if not years.

GAD develops slowly. It often starts around age 30, although it can occur in childhood. The disorder is more common in women than in men.

What are the signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder?

People with GAD may:

  • Worry excessively about everyday things
  • Have trouble controlling their worries or feelings of nervousness
  • Know that they worry much more than they should
  • Feel restless and have trouble relaxing
  • Have a hard time concentrating
  • Startle easily
  • Have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
  • Tire easily or feel tired all the time
  • Have headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches, or unexplained pains
  • Have a hard time swallowing
  • Tremble or twitch
  • Feel irritable or "on edge"
  • Sweat a lot, feel lightheaded, or feel out of breath
  • Have to go to the bathroom frequently

Children and teens with GAD often worry excessively about:

  • Their performance in activities such as school or sports
  • Catastrophes, such as earthquakes or war
  • The health of others, such as family members

Adults with GAD are often highly nervous about everyday circumstances, such as:

  • Job security or performance
  • Health
  • Finances
  • The health and well-being of their children or other family members
  • Being late
  • Completing household chores and other responsibilities

Both children and adults with GAD may experience physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath that make it hard to function and that interfere with daily life.

Symptoms may fluctuate over time and are often worse during times of stress—for example—with a physical illness, during school exams, or during a family or relationship conflict.

What causes generalized anxiety disorder?

Risk for GAD can run in families. Several parts of the brain and biological processes play a key role in fear and anxiety. By learning more about how the brain and body function in people with anxiety disorders, researchers may be able to develop better treatments. Researchers have also found that external causes, such as experiencing a traumatic event or being in a stressful environment, may put you at higher risk for developing GAD.

How is generalized anxiety disorder treated?

If you think you’re experiencing symptoms of GAD, talk to a health care provider. After discussing your history, a health care provider may conduct a physical exam to ensure that an unrelated physical problem is not causing your symptoms. A health care provider may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker. The first step to effective treatment is to get a diagnosis, usually from a mental health professional.

GAD is generally treated with psychotherapy (sometimes called “talk therapy”), medication, or both. Speak with a health care provider about the best treatment for you.

Psychotherapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a research-supported type of psychotherapy, is commonly used to treat GAD. CBT teaches you different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations that help you feel less anxious and worried. CBT has been well studied and is the gold standard for psychotherapy.

Another treatment option for GAD is acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT takes a different approach than CBT to negative thoughts and uses strategies such as mindfulness and goal setting to reduce your discomfort and anxiety. Compared to CBT, ACT is a newer form of psychotherapy treatment, so less data are available on its effectiveness. However, different therapies work for different types of people, so it can be helpful to discuss what form of therapy may be right for you with a mental health professional.

For more information on psychotherapy, visit the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) psychotherapies webpage.

Medication

Health care providers may prescribe medication to treat GAD. Different types of medication can be effective, including:

  • Antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
  • Anti-anxiety medications, such as benzodiazepines

SSRI and SNRI antidepressants are commonly used to treat depression, but they also can help treat the symptoms of GAD. They may take several weeks to start working. These medications also may cause side effects, such as headaches, nausea, or difficulty sleeping. These side effects are usually not severe for most people, especially if the dose starts off low and is increased slowly over time. Talk to your health care provider about any side effects that you may experience.

Benzodiazepines, which are anti-anxiety sedative medications, also can be used to manage severe forms of GAD. These medications can be very effective in rapidly decreasing anxiety, but some people build up a tolerance to them and need higher and higher doses to get the same effect. Some people even become dependent on them. Therefore, a health care provider may prescribe them only for brief periods of time if you need them.

Buspirone is another anti-anxiety medication that can be helpful in treating GAD. Unlike benzodiazepines, buspirone is not a sedative and has less potential to be addictive. Buspirone needs to be taken for 3–4 weeks for it to be fully effective.

Both psychotherapy and medication can take some time to work. Many people try more than one medication before finding the best one for them. A health care provider can work with you to find the best medication, dose, and duration of treatment for you.

For basic information about these and other mental health medications, visit NIMH’s Mental Health Medications webpage. Visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website for the latest warnings, patient medication guides, and information on newly approved medications. 

Support Groups

Some people with anxiety disorders might benefit from joining a self-help or support group and sharing their problems and achievements with others. Support groups are available both in person and online. However, any advice you receive from a support group member should be used cautiously and does not replace treatment recommendations from a health care provider.

Healthy Habits

Practicing a healthy lifestyle also can help combat anxiety, although this alone cannot replace treatment. Researchers have found that implementing certain healthy choices in daily life—such as reducing caffeine intake and getting enough sleep—can reduce anxiety symptoms when paired with standard care—such as psychotherapy and medication.

Stress management techniques, such as exercise, mindfulness, and meditation, also can reduce anxiety symptoms and enhance the effects of psychotherapy. You can learn more about how these techniques benefit your treatment by talking with a health care provider.

To learn more ways to take care of your mental health, visit NIMH’s Caring for Your Mental Health webpage.

How can I support myself and others with generalized anxiety disorder?

Educate Yourself

A good way to help yourself or a loved one who may be struggling with GAD is to seek information. Research the warning signs, learn about treatment options, and keep up to date with current research.

Communicate

If you are experiencing GAD symptoms, have an honest conversation about how you’re feeling with someone you trust. If you think that a friend or family member may be struggling with GAD, set aside a time to talk with them to express your concern and reassure them of your support.

Know When to Seek Help

If your anxiety, or the anxiety of a loved one, starts to cause problems in everyday life—such as at school, at work, or with friends and family—it’s time to seek professional help. Talk to a health care provider about your mental health.

Are there clinical trials studying generalized anxiety disorder?

NIMH supports a wide range of research, including clinical trials that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditions—including GAD. Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be better helped in the future.

Researchers at NIMH and around the country conduct clinical trials with patients and healthy volunteers. Talk to a health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for you. For more information, visit NIMH's clinical trials webpage.

Finding Help

Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

This online resource, provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), helps you locate mental health treatment facilities and programs. Find a facility in your state by searching SAMHSA’s online Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator. For additional resources, visit NIMH's Help for Mental Illnesses webpage.

Talking to a Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health

Communicating well with a health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Find tips to help prepare for and get the most out of your visit at Taking Control of Your Mental Health: Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider. For additional resources, including questions to ask a provider, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website.

If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You also can text the Crisis Text Line (HELLO to 741741) or use the Lifeline Chat on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.

Reprints

This publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from NIMH. We encourage you to reproduce and use NIMH publications in your efforts to improve public health. If you do use our materials, we request that you cite the National Institute of Mental Health. To learn more about using NIMH publications, please contact the NIMH Information Resource Center at 1-866‑615‑6464, email [email protected], or refer to NIMH’s reprint guidelines.

For More Information

MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) (en español)

ClinicalTrials. gov (en español)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
NIH Publication No. 22-MH-8090
Revised 2022

Anxiety disorder: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Psychotherapist

Krashkina

Irina Ivanovna

Experience 31 years

Psychotherapist, candidate of medical sciences, member of the Russian Professional Psychotherapeutic League

Make an appointment

Anxiety disorder is a type of neurotic condition in which a person experiences continuous anxiety about life circumstances, their appearance and relationships with people around them. Staying in this state for a long time creates uncomfortable living conditions for a person, which become the reason for him to withdraw into himself, not to develop his own abilities and limit his social circle.

Symptoms and signs

It is believed that when an anxiety disorder appears, the symptoms are as follows:

  • severe form of anxiety and emotional stress before the onset of panic attacks;
  • frequent mood swings;
  • persistent sleep disorder;
  • constant conflicts with others;
  • reduced acuity of reactions and inhibited thinking;
  • increased sweating, rapid pulse;
  • fatigue and weakness leading to decreased performance;
  • complaints about the appearance of pain in different parts of the body.

These symptoms of an anxiety disorder are signs of autonomic and mental disorders.

The hallmarks of symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder are:

  • total manifestation of anxiety before any life circumstances;
  • inability to concentrate on domestic activities or work;
  • constant motor voltage;
  • inability to relax;
  • indigestion and stomach pain;
  • heart disease.

Symptoms of an anxiety-depressive disorder occur against the background of constant depression:

  • lack of interest in the manifestations of life and close people;
  • lack of positive emotions;
  • sudden feeling of fear;
  • vegetative disorders - rapid pulse, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, increased sweating, proximity to fainting, etc.

Causes of the onset and development of the disease

Experts believe that the following factors contribute to the appearance of the disease:

  • persistent circulatory disorders, hormonal imbalances or chronic heart disease;
  • a chronic form of dependence on alcohol, drugs, psychoactive substances, as well as a sharp cessation of their use;
  • craniocerebral injuries and their consequences;
  • being in a situation of prolonged stress;
  • character traits - melancholic temperament, disturbing accents in the temperament of the character;
  • tendency to exaggerate dangers due to their high susceptibility;
  • neurotic and mental disorders: depression, neurasthenia, hysteria, schizophrenia, paranoia, various manias;
  • mental trauma in children at an early age and in adults in extreme situations - war, earthquake, being in a state close to death, loss of a loved one or his support, and others.

Psychologists view the process of anxiety in different ways:

  • adherents of psychoanalysis believe that the reason is the regular suppression of their own desires;
  • the second believe that the reason is the break in the connection between the stimulus and the response of the psyche to the stimulus;
  • still others believe that the reason is in the reaction of the psyche to the distorted mental images of a person.

Disease classification

Anxiety disorder according to the ICD is a neurotic disorder along with fears, suspiciousness and post-traumatic disorders. One of the main signs of an anxious personality disorder is the pathology of the origin of anxiety, the disproportionate degree of protection to the stimulus factor.

Pathological anxiety:

  • not caused by real danger;
  • is not proportionate to the significance of the situation;
  • is not associated with a lack of time and knowledge;
  • is being actively ousted;
  • brings significant discomfort to a person's life;
  • is much more pronounced than normal;
  • is long in time;
  • has satellites in the form of tension and expectation of consequences, concern and doubt, feelings of helplessness.

Types of anxiety disorder:

  • anxiety-depressive disorder is caused by the constant presence of anxiety without sources of danger, has pathological changes in the patient's personality;
  • phobic anxiety disorder is based on fixation on past unpleasant consequences;
  • social anxiety disorder is characterized by the patient's avoidance of contact with other people;
  • mixed anxiety disorder causes a simultaneous feeling of pathological anxiety and depressed mood;
  • anxiety-panic disorder is characterized by the presence of panic attacks;
  • Anxiety-neurotic disorder is associated with anxiety before any diseases, severe shyness and unrest;
  • generalized anxiety disorder is accompanied by excessive fussiness, anxiety without certain dangers and threats.

Risk factors and groups

Risk factors include child abuse, hereditary mental disorders, historical family poverty, or other antisocial manifestations.

The risk group includes people prone to neurotic diseases - depression, hysteria; people taking alcohol, drugs, psychotropic drugs; women between the ages of 20 and 30.

Complications

In the absence of adequate treatment, anxiety disorder leads to the following socio-psychological complications:

  • low self-esteem;
  • self-isolation from society;
  • insomnia;
  • the appearance of a feeling of hopelessness;
  • exhaustion of the organism.

Social complications are job loss, financial problems, relationship breakdown, alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse, and others. Physical complications - irritation in the intestines, heartburn, lack of interest in sex, weight loss or excess weight gain, headaches and muscle strain, decreased immunity, the development of allergies, accelerated aging, cancer, heart disease and many others.

Diagnostics

The accumulated information about this disease made it possible to test reliable methods of drug and psychotherapeutic treatment. This disease belongs to the areas of professional interest of a psychiatrist and a medical psychologist.

Specialists use the following methods for diagnosing a neurotic disease:

  • initial individual consultation involves a survey to identify emotional reactions, obtain information about the patient's lifestyle, motives and interests;
  • psychodiagnostic examination and projective testing aimed at identifying pathological anxiety and associated disorders;
  • observations of the patient and his life, relationships with the outside world and with people.

Preparing to see a doctor

Before entering the psychotherapist's office, the patient is advised to formulate all his problems, report on the use of all psychoactive substances, including the start/end dates and the total duration of the use. In addition, the positive attitude of the patient to the treatment and the effect that it will bring is extremely important.

Treatment

Anxiety disorders are treated with a complex of methods based on changing the patient's lifestyle, psychotherapy and taking medications. Treatment for generalized anxiety disorder is based on the use of psychoactive-type medications, such as antidepressants. In no case should you arbitrarily stop taking medications. Psychotherapy of anxiety disorder is carried out by various methods - individual, group, family. The main direction of the impact of therapy is an increased impact on the attitude towards the fears and anxieties that have appeared.

Among traditional medicine, it is possible to use medicinal herbs, infusions and decoctions from them, for example, lemon balm, chamomile. These herbs act on the human body, bringing a relaxing effect, thanks to this effect, anxiety disorders and their cause temporarily reduce their degree of activity.

Self-treatment of an anxiety disorder threatens with pains and neuroses of a different nature, which need to be treated more deeply.

Prevention

Experts argue that there are no effective means of preventing anxiety disorders, while being attentive to your fears and the reasons for their appearance in the early stages is easier to cure, giving positive predictions for the absence of relapses.

Need for help

Between the feeling of anxiety in normal and pathological conditions, a very thin, barely distinguishable line is drawn, due to the fact that anxiety is a natural protective reaction of the body to external stimuli. At the same time, it is not permissible to independently diagnose and treat the disease, since this entails a complication and aggravation of an already existing condition.

In the center of Moscow, in JSC "Medicine" (clinic of academician Roitberg), specialists provide the necessary assistance in the fight against anxiety disorders of any type and etiology. You can make an appointment by calling +7 (495) 775-73-60 or in person at the address: Moscow, 2nd Tverskoy-Yamskoy pereulok, 10, Mayakovskaya metro station.

Anxiety Disorder - American Medical Clinic

US
medical clinic

St. Petersburg, embankment of the Moika River, 78.

+7 (812) 740-20-90

Content:

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

Excessive anxiety, tension and fear that patients with anxiety disorders experience 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 disease as early as possible and consult a doctor.

Symptoms of an anxiety disorder

Main 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 loved ones;
    • stress, inability to relax;
    • decreased performance, difficulty concentrating;
    • irritability.

  2. Physical:

    • constant feeling of fatigue and weakness;
    • muscle tension;
    • pain in the head and abdomen;
    • trembling, chills;
    • sleep disorders;
    • increased sweating;
    • shortness of breath up to a feeling of suffocation;
    • nausea and vomiting;
    • stool disorders.

The degree of manifestation of symptoms or their combinations depends on the form of 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 from the difficulty of adapting to a particular stressful situation.
  • Generalized anxiety disorder (also known as 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 life, work, family, etc.
  • Anxiety-phobic disorder - causes panic attacks that cause extreme fear and a sense of impending death; fear of people and their large crowds; fear of some serious illness.

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

Anxiety treatment

Treatment of anxiety disorder is carried out in a complex, in several directions. 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 symptoms: