Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
Definition of an anxiety disorder
An unpleasant emotional state with excessive fear accompanied with autonomic arousal.
Thought to be due to an excess of NA and low 5HT and GABA
Symptoms of GAD?
Constantly feeling worried, tired, can’t sleep
Feel motor symptoms - restless, fidgety, can’t eat
Definition of GAD?
Constant high levels of anxiety with no known trigger.
Worse with stressful life events
Can last months
Definition of Panic Disorder?
Attacks of high levels of anxiety with an unknown cause, with the feeling like you’re going to die
Can last minutes to days
Conditions associated with Panic Disorder?
COPD (due to feeling breathless)
Agoraphobia
Risk Factors for Anxiety Disorders
Female Young Genetics Active Fear Circuit Negative Life Experience Substance Abuse
How common are anxiety disorders?
6% of the population have them
Autonomic Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders?
High HR Sweating Palpitations High Resp Rate Tingling Fingers Stomach Cramps Headache Dizziness
How to treat GAD
CBT, self help, reassure
SSRI
Benzo (for acute attacks)
Treating Panic Disorders?
CBT and self help
Family Therapy
SSRI or TCA
Definition of a phobia?
Anxiety which is linked to an irrational fear of something which is not currently life threatening
Types of Phobia?
Specific e.g. spiders, the dark
Agoraphobia - fear of wide open spaces, where it would be difficult to escape
Social Phobia - fear of social situations
Risk factors for agoraphobia?
Female
FHx
Risks for social phobia?
M=F
Mid teens
Treating phobias?
Graded Exposure with CBT
Social Skills Training
SSRI
Psychodynamic Therapy
What is OCD?
Condition where there is a time-consuming negative thought (obsession) which is egodystonic which requires a specific compulsion to relieve the anxiety/distress
Most common compulsions in OCD?
Contamination
Pathological Doubt and checking things
Treating OCD?
CBT and Exposure therapy
SSRI
Family and supportive therapy
Risk Factors for OCD?
FHx Personality - rigid, perfectionist Genetics Social - protective family PANDAs
What are some stress reactions?
Describe
Acute Stress reaction (instant reaction to life event, should go within a week, feel numb, depersonalisation, derealisation, anxious)
Grief Reaction
Adjustment reaction - abnormal reaction to life event/change should go within 6 months
PTSD - appears about 6 months after trauma, you get re-experiencing and negative symptoms. 10% trauma get
How do you treat PTSD?
EMDR
CBT - re-live the trauma and change thoughts around it
SSRI
Treating other stress responses?
Reassure and support
