What are anxiety disorders?
At some point, we all experience anxiety symptoms as a normal reaction to everyday problems or major life events. However, some individuals experience exaggerated and inappropriate anxiety reactions that can severely impair social and work functioning. These people often suffer from an Anxiety Disorder, a group of psychiatric illnesses that have become increasingly recognised in recent years (ref.1).
Facts
What are anxiety disorders?
Anxiety Disorders Affect a Large Part of the Population
The Impact of Anxiety Disorders on the Individual is Immense
There are Serious Consequences for Society
Effective Treatment Options Do Exist for Anxiety Disorders
Facts:
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There are several different Anxiety Disorders, including Panic Disorder (PD), Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD).
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Roughly 25% of the population will, at some point during their lifetime, experience an Anxiety Disorder of some kind. Unfortunately, many affected people are not diagnosed or remain inadequately treated.
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The impact of an Anxiety Disorders on everyday life can be substantial, as symptoms are often chronic and can severely hamper social and working life. In addition, the economic burden of treating and managing the patient is considerable.
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The newer antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), offer effective and safe treatment for Anxiety Disorders.
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Cipralex, a powerful Serotonin Dual Action is well established in treating depression and has also proved to be effective and well tolerated in treating Anxiety Disorders.
What Are Anxiety Disorders?
Most people experience feelings of anxiety before an important event such as a big exam, a business presentation or the first date. Anxiety disorders, however, are illnesses that fill people’s lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear that are chronic, unremitting and can grow progressively worse. Tormented by panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, flashbacks or traumatic events, nightmares, or countless frightening physical symptoms, some people with anxiety disorders even become housebound.
Anxiety Disorders are psychiatric conditions where the key feature is anxiety at a level that hampers social and work functioning. Several diseases are part of the group of Anxiety Disorders:
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
GAD is characterised by persistent anxiety and worry about health, job, family relationships etc.
- Panic Disorder (PD)
The individual suffers from panic attacks with periods of intense fear.
- Social Phobia / Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
This condition is not just extreme shyness but is an acutely distressing illness where the person fears public scrutiny, such as talking to others or fear of eating in public, for example.
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
A person suffering from OCD is constantly troubled by obsessions (recurrent thoughts or impulses). In an attempt to cope with the obsessions, he/she develops compulsions (repetitive, ritualised actions).
- Agoraphobia
People with agoraphobia fear being caught in places or situations where it might be difficult to get away should they experience panic symptoms. In severe cases of agoraphobia, a person may end up completely house-bound.
- Specific Phobias
These are extreme fear of a particular object or situation, for example, fear of flying to the point where flight travel is completely avoided.
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a condition where a person keeps re-experiencing a traumatic event, for example as nightmares. The person tries to avoid stimuli that bring the event to mind.
Anxiety Disorders Affect a Large Part of the Population
During their lifetime, roughly 25 per cent of the population will experience an Anxiety Disorder of some kind (ref.2). Unfortunately, although Anxiety Disorders are relatively common, they are often under -diagnosed and inadequately treated (ref.3), (ref.4). In general, women are more prone than men to Anxiety Disorders; many disorders emerge in young adults.
The Impact of Anxiety Disorders on the Individual is Immense
For those who suffer from an Anxiety Disorder, the impact on their everyday life can be substantial. This is partly because symptoms can interfere with social and work life considerably, and partly because Anxiety Disorders are chronic illnesses that require continued therapy for resolution of symptoms. To complicate matters, patients often present with one or more Anxiety Disorders, as well as suffering from other illnesses such as depression or substance abuse (ref.5).
There are Serious Consequences for Society
Anxiety Disorders pose a serious problem for society as well as for the individual, as the economic burden of treatment and management is considerable. There is not only a need for targeted healthcare resources, but the costs of lost productivity and lost time from work are a drain on the economy (ref.6).
Effective Treatment Options Do Exist for Anxiety Disorders
The treatment of Anxiety Disorders includes both psychological and pharmacological treatment (mostly antidepressants), often in combination. The newer antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), offer effective treatment for Anxiety Disorders and are safer and better tolerated than older drugs (such as trycyclic antidepressants) (ref.7).
References:
1. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fourth Ed. (DSM-IV). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1994.
2. Lader MH, Uhde TW. Anxiety, Panic and Phobias. Oxford (UK). Health Press Limited; 2000.
3. Bebbington PE, Brugha TS, Meltzer H, Jenkins R; Ceresa C; Farrell M et al. Neurotic disorders and the receipt of psychiatric treatment. Psychol Med 2000; 30 (6): 1369-76.
4. Weiller E; Bisserbe JC; Maier W; Lecrubier Y. Prevalence and recognition of anxiety syndromes in five European primary care settings. A report from the WHO study on Psychological Problems in General Health Care. Br J Psychiatry 1998; (Suppl) 34: 18-23.
5. Dunner DL. Management of anxiety disorders: the added challenge of comorbidity. Depress Anxiety 2001; 13(2): 57-71.
6. Greenberg PE, Sisitsky T, Kessler RC, Finkelstein SN, Berndt ER, Davidson JR et al. The economic burden of anxiety disorders in the 1990s. J Clin Psychiatry 1999; 60 (7): 427-35.
7. Zohar J; Westenberg HG. Anxiety disorders: a review of tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000; (Suppl) 403: 39-49.