Anxiety disorders types

The anxiety disorders are common and surprisingly disabling conditions. Studies on the health economics of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder document the cost to the individual and to society. Attention has focused on the major psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and the dementias. Studies suggest that many anxiety disorders are of early onset and too often chronic they are quite common and impose a heavy burden on society. More studies will be needed to discern the fine grain in the survey material and to identify more precisely the location and type of societal costs. These factors will vary from country to country, from district to district, between men and women and between various age groups. 

Anxiolytic The most commonly prescribed type of psychotropic drug, used chiefly to treat generalised anxiety disorders. 

In the case of panic disorder, the exclusion criteria specify that only certain types of panic attacks are relevant to this diagnosis (i.e., panic attacks resulting from drugs, other anxiety disorders do not count). One could sim-... 

Insomnia Due to Another Psychiatric Illness. Insomnia is often a symptom of mood and anxiety disorders. Depression is classically associated with early-morning awakening of the melancholic type, whereas so-called atypical depression leads to hypersomnia. Anxiety commonly leads to problems falling asleep. These patterns are not invariable. One should therefore always perform a thorough assessment for anxiety or depression in patients complaining of insomnia. 

Both acute and chronic anxiety can be treated with benzodiazepines, although it is anticipated that for most anxiety disorders counseling will also play an important role. Benzodiazepines employed in the treatment of anxiety should be used in the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration so that they will provide maximum benefit to the patient while minimizing the potential for adverse reactions. For most types of anxiety, none of the benzodiazepines is therapeutically superior to any other. Choice of a particular agent is usually made on the basis of pharmacokinetic (Table 30.2) considerations. A benzodiazepine with a long half-life should be considered if the anxiety is intense and sustained. A drug with a short half-life may have advantages when the anxiety is provoked by clearly defined circumsfances and is likely to be of short duration. 

Numerous studies found that childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse also predisposes victims of such abuse to the development of depression in adulthood (e.g., McCauley et ah, 1997). The risk for depression increases with early onset and severity of the abuse as well as with the experience of multiple types of abuse. In addition, child abuse is related to an array of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and PTSD (e.g., Kendler et ah, 2000). Other disorders related to childhood abuse include substance abuse, eating disorders, dissociation, and so-... 

In the United States, 13% of people will be diagnosed with a type of social anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime. As with many of the anxiety disorders, women have a greater chance of being diagnosed (16% for women versus 11% for men). Like panic disorder, 57% of patients with social anxiety disorder have another anxiety disorder at the same time. Of these, 37% also have depression, and 15% have a drug dependence. 

As with most other anxiety disorders, the cause of OCD remains far from certain. There seems to be a genetic factor that makes people more likely to develop OCD because first-degree relatives (that is, people like siblings and parents) of patients who have OCD show a statistically increased rate of OCD-type symptoms even if they do not experience the full-blown version of the disorder. Also, studies of identical and fraternal twins show that where one twin has OCD, the other twin has a 67% chance... 

GAD differs from other types of anxiety disorders because, although the anxiety is present most of the time, GAD patients do not fear specific events such as social situations or having a panic attack (as in social anxiety or panic disorder). GAD is distinguished from normal worry or anxiety because of its long-term duration. GAD is frequently the underlying cause of many symptoms, including irritability, insomnia, headache, and muscle tension. This can often make it very hard to diagnose. A person with GAD will often go to his or her family physician and complain of nerves. ... 

Before the idea of anxiety disorders in children was established, studies tended to focus on behaviors that suggested an anxiety disorder. Much research prior to 1980 investigated the effects of certain medications on children and teens who refused to go to school. This refusal could be rooted in several types of disorders, including phobia, social anxiety disorder, and depression. 

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