1: Anxiety - generalised anxiety, panics and phobias Flashcards
What are some physical symptoms of anxiety?
Sweating; hot flushes; cold chills
Tremor
Sesnory disturbance e.g pararesthesia
Feeling faint
Dry mouth
What are some cognitive symptoms of anxiety?
Fear of losing control
Feeling on edge
Difficulty concentrating
Hypervigilance
Meta-worry (worrying about worry)
Preference for order and routine
What is derealisation?
A feeling that you’re not real
What is hypervigilance?
Paying extreme attention to internal (e.g your heartbeat) or external (other people) factors
What type of lifestyle do people with an anxiety disorder prefer?
Ordered
Routine
What are some behavioural symptoms of anxiety?
Avoidance of certain situations
Exaggerated startle
Insomnia due to worrying
Excessive use of substances
Restlessness; inability to relax
Which structure initially determines if a sensory stimulus requires a stress response?
Amygdala
Which hormone regulates the stress response?
Which gland releases it?
Cortisol
Adrenal gland
When is anxiety pathological?
Extreme symptoms
Context: anxiety is disproportionate to situation
Impairment of daily activities
Which type of anxiety disorder has ever-present, non-specific symptoms?
What are some of these symptoms?
Generalised anxiety disorder
Sweating, tremor, feeling faint
What are the symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder?
Nervousness
Tremor
Aches and pains
Sweating
Dizziness
Generalised anxiety disorder presents as ___ worrying over no particular situation.
persistent
What is an endocrine disease which causes anxiety?
Hyperthyroidism
What are the criteria for diagnosing generalised anxiety disorder?
Long-lasting (most days for > 6 months)
Uncontrollable anxiety
Significant distress / impairment of function
What percentage of the population will have generalised anxiety disorder?
10%
Generalised anxiety disorder is more common in (men / women).
women
Generalised anxiety disorder often presents with medically ___ symptoms.
medically unexplained symptoms
90% of patients with GAD have other ___ disorders.
psychiatric
How is GAD managed in the long term?
Cognitive behavioural therapy
SSRIs / SNRIs
Pregabalin
Which class of drug can be used to control anxiety in the short term management of GAD?
Benzodiazepines