Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
1
Q
What is fear?
A
- A cognitive response to a specific source or object that the person can identify or describe
- Involves intellectual or cognitive appraisal of threatening stimuli
- Fear provokes anxiety
2
Q
What is anxiety?
A
- Integral part of human experience
- A vague, subjective feeling of uneasiness, tension, apprehension or dread
- Results from an external threat to one’s integrity
- Function of anxiety is to warn individual of impending threat, conflict or danger
3
Q
What are the four levels of anxiety?
A
Mild, moderate, severe and panic
4
Q
Describe mild anxiety:
A
- Feels comfortable/safe, carries through with habitual behaviours
- Aware of surroundings, thoughts controlled, able to learn and problem solve
- Vitals normal, mild muscle tension
- Generally we live in a state of mild anxiety
5
Q
Describe moderate anxiety:
A
- Vitals slightly elevated, tension present
- Feels ready and challenged, and able to engage in competition and learn new skills
- Able to learn and problem solve
- Can be a good place to be when trying to accomplish goals
- Perceptual field narrows, can be confused
6
Q
Describe severe anxiety:
A
- Fight or flight, ANS stimulated
- Feels threatened/startled
- Shaky, stuttering, disorganized
- PF narrows, selective attention, time distortion, problem-solving is difficult
7
Q
Describe panic anxiety:
A
- Can occur in someone exposed to high levels of stress and living with chronic stress
- Body reaches exhaustion state from prolonged ANS stimulation
- Intervention required
- PF scattered/closed, no problem solving
- Feels helpless/angry/fearful
- Combative or withdrawn
8
Q
What is signal anxiety?
A
- Identifiable cause, environmental cue
- Ex. phobias (becoming frightened easily when seeing a spider)
9
Q
What is trait anxiety?
A
Function of personality structure, learned anxious behavior from upbringing
10
Q
What is state anxiety?
A
- Conflicting or stressful situations
- A state where you are in conflict
- Ex. upcoming exam, competing demands for time, trouble at work, etc.
11
Q
What is free-floating anxiety?
A
- Unattached to any idea or event
- Comes on randomly
- Gives a sense of impending doom, as if about to die; a sense of severe dread or fear
12
Q
Describe the epidemiology of anxiety:
A
- The most common psychiatric disorders tx by HCP’s
- Approx 19 million Canadian’s are affected
- More common in women than men
- Affects all ages, however the typical age of onset for panic disorders is in late adolescence and early adulthood
- High co-morbid rates of anxiety and depression
13
Q
What is generalized anxiety disorder?
A
- People who tend to feel anxious more often than not, resulting in excessive anxiety and worry
- Present for at least 6 months, with the presence of 3 of the following: restlessness, edginess, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, muscle tension and sleep disturbance
- Anxiety and worry that interferes with normal social and occupational functioning
14
Q
What are panic attacks?
A
- A physical symptom of anxiety; it is NOT a psychiatric illness!
- Discrete period of intense fear, discomfort, dread or doom
- Develops abruptly, and peaks within 10 minutes
- Exhibits are least four symptoms: shortness of breath, chest tightness, increased HR, palpitations, feelings of doom, sweating/trembling, dissociation
15
Q
What are the criteria for panic disorder?
A
- Must meet these two criteria:
- Presence of recurrent or unexpected panic attacks
- At least one of the attacks is followed by: persistent concern about having additional attacks; worry about the implications of the attack; or a significant change in behaviors as a result
- Must be present for at least one month
