Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
Define “normal” reaction to stress vs. Anxiety rxn
- Normal” Reaction
A. Emotional reactions to real, external threats
B. Appropriate emotional response to actual danger - Anxiety Reactions
A. Reaction without obvious external threat
B. Response is excessive
What are the 4 etilogical theories for anxiety disorders?
- Psychodynamic Theory
- Learning Theory
- Cognitive Theory
- Biological Theory
What is the psychodynamic theory for anxiety disorders?
Rooted in the unconscious conflict
A natural biologically driven response mechanism to survive
What is the Learning theory for anxiety disorders?
Anxiety disorder develops when environmental cues become associated with anxiety producing events
Example: Fear of air travel would be enhanced by reading about air disasters
What is the cognitive theory for anxiety disorders?
Emotional states (i.e.: anxiety and depression)
Result of distorted beliefs about self, world, future
Result in autonomic through responses to external or internal cues that trigger anxiety
What is the biological theory for anxiety disorders?
- Acute fear state = “fight or flight” activation
- Brain regions (amygdala) activated
- Amygdala encodes fearful memory
- Fear and negative anticipatory expectation (anxiety)
- Awareness of fear in the frontal cortex
- Acute fear activates sympathetic nervous system
Define GAD
At least six (6) months of excessive worry about everyday issues that is disproportionate to any inherent risk, causing distress or impairment.
Define mild distress
subjective distress that DOES NOT significantly impair daily functioning or relationships
define Moderate distress
Significant worry that impairs functioning, adversely affects relationships, or causes considerable subjective distress.
What are the characteristics of GAD?
- Most common anxiety disorder
- Affects about 5% of Americans during lifetime
- Women more common than men
- Begins in early adulthood
- Usually chronic
- Comorbid major depressive disorder
- Mild to moderate familial heredity
- May be associated with bullying or peer victimization
What may GAD “look like”?
- Emotionally reactive temperament
- May be referred to as “neurotic”
- On edge or restless
- Feeling tired
- Difficulty with concentration
- Irritable
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance
- Constant state of worry and anxiety
- Out of proportion to the level of actual stress or threat
- Physical symptoms may be present
- Present as lack of confidence, perfectionist, conformist
What are the GAD DSM V criteria?
- Excessive anxiety and worry occurring for more days than not for at least six months
- Individual finds it difficult to control worry
- Anxiety and worry are associated with three or more symptoms present more days than not for the past six months
A. Restlessness and feeling keyed up or on edge
B. Being easily fatigued
C. Difficulty concentrating and mind going blank
D. Irritability
E. Muscle tension
F. Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling, staying asleep, restlessness, unsatisfying sleep) - Anxiety, worry or physical symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social occupational, or other important areas of functioning
- Disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (drug or prescribed medication) or medical condition (hypothyroidism)
- Disturbance is not better explained by another mental disorder
What questions might you ask to evaluate the presence of GAD?
- Are you a worrier?
- What do you worry about?
- Over the past few months have you been feeling jittery?
- Irritable?
- Do you feel any muscle tension? Where?
- Do you tire easily?
- Do you have insomnia?
- Do you have trouble concentrating?
define panic disorder
- Characterized by recurring panic attacks over a one month period and associated with worry about their implications.
- May or may not be associated with specific cues or may occur unexpectedly.
What are the characteristics of panic disorder?
- Panic attacks can occur in nearly every anxiety disorder
- Panic attacks may or may not be attributed to specific triggers
- Attacks usually last 15 - 30 minutes; residual effects may persist
- Panic disorder is prevalent in 1-3% of the population
How is GAD diagnosed?
- Excessive worry and anxiety
- Difficult to control
- Occurring more days than not
- At least six months
- Associated with at least three symptoms
- Not better explained by a substance abuse or medical issue
When does panic disorder usually develop?
- Twice as common in women as men
- May develop any time in the lifespan but most common onset is mid-20s
- Panic disorders may occur in childhood but may become dormant until adulthood
What does panic disorder “look like”?
- Severe anxiety symptoms
- Rapid onset
- Symptoms escalate within 10 seconds
- Symptoms resolve within 60 minutes (15-30 common)
- Patient feels as if they are having medical emergency
- Myocardial Infarction
- Stroke
- Other serious physical illness
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Tachycardia
- Tremor
- Hot or cold sensation
- Chest discomfort