Anxiety and Depression Flashcards
What is Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)?
Fear or anxiety about one or more social situiations in which the invidiual is exposed to possible scrunity by others
How does an individual act if they have Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social situations are avoided or endured with marked fear or anxiety
What is the stress response?
Threatening stimulus causing fear
What does the stressor cause?
- Increased vigilance and arosual
- Increased avoidance behaviour
- Activation of the sympathetic nervous sytem
What occurs when stress is detected?
Release of corticotropin-release hromone (CRH) in the Hypothalamus
What happens in the Pituitary gland when stress is detected?
Releases adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
What happens in the adrenal gland when stress is detected?
Releases cortisol
What effect does cortisol have on the body?
- Increases smpathetic neevrous sytem activation and the associated physiological symptoms
How is the stress response regulated?
- The amygdala activates the stress response
What type of medicines are usually prescribed for anxiety and depression?
SSRI - Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
What is indirectly involved in anixety disorders?
Serotonin
Why do SSRIs help in anxiety disorders?
- SRIs increase density of glucocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus
- hippocampus can better modulate CRH release in the hypothalamus
- Leading to HPA axis being less activated
What type of drugs can help with serve anxiety?
Benzodiazepines
Why are GPs relcuatate to prescribe Benzodiazepines?
Highly addictive class of drug
What is GABA?
An hibitory neurotransmitter - more activity = more inhibitory effect on brain
