Anxiety disorders Flashcards
What are the three groups of symptoms associated with anxiety?
Physical
Cognitive
Behavioural
What are some of the physical symptoms of anxiety?
- Sweating, hot flushes or cold chills
- Trembling or shaking
- Muscle tension or aches and pains
- Numbness or tingling sensations
- Feeling dizzy, unsteady, faint or lightheaded
- Dry mouth (not due to medication or dehydration)
- Feeling of choking
- A sensation of a lump in the throat, or difficulty in swallowing
- Difficulty breathing
- Palpitations or pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Nausea or abdominal distress (e.g. churning in stomach)
What are some of the cognitive symptoms of anxiety?
- Fear of losing control, “going crazy or dying
- Feeling keyed up, on edge or mentally tense.
- Difficulty in concentrating, “mind going blank”
- Feeling that objects are unreal - derealization
- Feeling that the self is distant or “not really here” -depersonalisation
- Hypervigilance (internal and external)
- Racing thoughts
- Meta-worry (worry about everything, worrying about worrying)
- Health anxiety
- Beliefs about the importance of worry
- Preference for order and routine
What are the behavioural symptoms of anxiety?
- Avoidance
- Social isolation
- Hyperchondriasm
- Sleep disturbance
- Excessive planning
- Weight loss
- Substance abuse
- Seeking reassurance
What is the amygdala?
Two almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep and medially within the temporal lobes of the brain, known to process memory, decision-making, and emotional reactions
What part does the amygdala play in the stress response?
Amygdala acts as the emotional filter of the brain for assessing whether sensory material via the thalamus requires a stress or fear response
What happens to cortisol levels during stress?
Increases
What is generalised anxiety disorder?
Anxiety that is generalized and persistent but not restricted to, or even strongly predominating in, any particular environmental circumstances
What are the symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder?
Persistent nervousness, trembling, muscular tensions, sweating, lightheadedness, palpitations, dizziness, and epigastric discomfort
Fears that the patient or a relative will shortly become ill or have an accident are often expressed
There is no specific trigger for these symptoms/fears
What non-specific symptoms is generalised anxiety disorder associated with?
- Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
- Becoming easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, restless unsatisfying sleep)
What is the male:female ratio of those affected by generalised anxiety disorder?
1:2 male:female
What is the typical age of onset of GAD?
20-40
What is panic disorder?
The essential feature is recurrent attacks of severe anxiety (panic), which are not restricted to any particular situation or set of circumstances and are therefore unpredictable
What are the dominant symptoms of panic disorder?
Sudden onset of palpitations, chest pain, choking sensations, dizziness, and feelings of unreality (depersonalization or derealization)
There is often also a secondary fear of dying, losing control, or going mad
What are the three types of phobia?
- Agoraphobia
- Social phobia
- Specific phobia
What is agoraphobia?
A fairly well-defined cluster of phobias embracing fears of leaving home, entering shops, crowds and public places, or travelling alone in trains, buses or planes