medicalx - Anxiety

Living with fear

One in five adults in a given year, suffer from mental illness. The most common of these are anxiety disorders.

What they have in common Barbra Streisand, Abraham Lincoln, Nikola Tesla and Oprah Winfrey? They are all v in their lives suffer from anxiety disorders.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental diseases in which the main character, as the name suggests, anxiety. Anxiety is essentially a state of nervous tension. How large and complex that term implies a large number of words that describe different levels of anxiety. Anxiety, stage fright, tension, nervousness, fear and concern are just a few of them, namely that describe quite different situations, although showing similar signs.

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From fear to ansioznosti

Probably not the man who would not know fear. Each of us felt a degree of stage fright before the exam or other significant event, each having more or less dangerous situation felt a degree of fear of the 'scared', a real panic reactions.

Usually, anxiety or fear or anxiety completely normal reaction to an actual or impending danger. Like cough removes foreign bodies from the airways and allowing the withdrawal of the pain and prevent further damage, such as anxiety helps us to escape the current risks or to avoid future. Anxiety preparing our body to fight or flight response - increased activity of the brain, speeds up the heart and lead to better blood circulation in muscles. Although today a flight from risk usually does not run against the dangerous tiger, is still a useful test anxiety. Due to fear of an accident driving slower than they would otherwise, due to anxiety from any failure to prepare for public performance, or learn for the exam.
The body responds to namišjene fear in the same way as in real danger.

Sometimes, however, this protective mechanism works wrong and anxiety is triggered even when there is no risk. It may then initiated mild anxiety situation or thing, the reaction may be exaggerated, or it takes too long. The body is ready for flight or fight with the enemy, the real enemy is in fact hidden within us. And if we fear such a disproportionate obstacle in daily life, we talk about these anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders occur in all ages, both children and the elderly. Affects both sexes, although more frequent in women. Anxiety disorder is not only unpleasant for the individual, but a significant impact on many areas of a patient's life. Relationship problems, avoiding activities that should be enjoyable and less success in the workplace are just some of the consequences. Many of you are trying to help on their own, in various inappropriate ways, often with alcohol. In addition, the anxiety often associated with depression, which in the worst cases even lead to suicide.
What are the signs of anxiety?

Signs of anxiety are many. Psychological tension, irritability and impaired concentration are the most common psychological symptoms. In addition to these it is particularly prominent physical symptoms: pounding heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, abdominal pain, headache, nausea and other numbers. These symptoms can mimic a variety of physical illnesses, which makes the patient even more scared - chest pain, often resembling a heart disease, anxiety and shaking on thyroid disease.
What are anxiety disorders?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problems and because they suffer more than 10% of people worldwide. Anxiety disorders are many and differ by duration and severity of anxiety and cause, which is triggered. The most common of these are generalized anxiety, panic disorder and social phobia.

Generalized anxiety

People with generalized anxiety disorder are almost constantly anxious, worried and tense. Always have an exaggerated fear of accident or inappropriate concerned about health, family or agency. Often patients themselves but also the cause of their tension is unknown. Their concerns can not get rid of, although it may be aware of their absurdity. They can not be released either at night, so they have trouble sleeping, caring and usually accompanied by many physical problems such as headaches, sweating, shivering, or difficulty breathing.

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Unlike patients with generalized anxiety disorder, people with panic disorder experience anxiety attacks, which occur suddenly, without warning. Can trigger a variety of situations in which the patient finds himself. Panic attacks are characterized by a very strong fear patients often feel that they are on the verge of death, to express also the physical symptoms. In addition to sweating, dizziness or giddiness patients often experience pain in the chest, which can be reminiscent of a real heart attack. Although panic attacks last only a few minutes, are repeated and patients were also among them, more or less fearful in anticipation of the next panic attack. Therefore, avoid shopping, traveling by public transport, in short, anything that might trigger panic or where they would feel helpless.

Social Phobia

Social phobia is excessive, pathological fear of other people, especially when the patient is in the center of attention. Some degree of stage fright, of course, perfectly normal in such situations, but we fear it does not block and the task can be performed. Social phobia is a significant obstacle to the patient. The most common is excessive fear of public speaking, but can be intensified by the fear of eating in the restaurant or writing in the presence of other people like. when signing a check. Minor errors in such situations, patients seem catastrophic, they feel unable to control social situations, they must be avoided and are isolated from other people. In the workplace, which requires contact with human beings fail.

Specific Phobias

Very popular are the so-called specific phobia, the fear of a specific facility or situation. More than one in 10 people are too afraid of snakes, mice, storms or flying. Although the individual is aware that fear is not reasonable, it can not get rid of. Despite the presence of fear, most manage to avoid these situations by providing them a phobia does not cause some significant problems in life.
How can we help?

It is wrong to believe that the anxiety caused by human weakness, and that would have a strong desire and determination can overcome. Anxiety patients can not force themselves to feel better. Despite the absurdity of their fears are aware, they can not get rid of. Helping these patients is very important, because their disorder can be an important obstacle in life.

The presence of anxiety disorder, the physician may have mostly a decision on the basis of the problems described by the patient. However, before the start of treatment necessary to exclude physical diseases show similar symptoms and so do some investigation.
Treatment of anxiety disorders

For the treatment of anxiety disorders used different medicines, often in combination with psychotherapy, but also only psychotherapy. Selection of treatment depends on the type of anxiety disorder.

In different phobia or panic disorder help the patient deal with situations that are avoided by dotedaj. This first meeting is often accompanied by a psychotherapist and support products, and helps the patient and detailed explanation of what is happening in your body anxiety. Short term treatment of at least expressed in more disruption is not sufficient and long-term treatment are particularly important medicines.
Medicines for anxiety disorders

For the treatment of anxiety disorders is used primarily by two groups of medicines - antidepressants and anxiolytics. While antidepressants are primarily used to treat depression, but are also effective in many anxiety disorders. Anxiolytics (anti anxiety) are working very quickly and are therefore particularly important in the early treatment when necessary to facilitate rapid troubleshooting. Antidepressants are the most important impact of slower thereafter.