Anxiety disorders Flashcards
Anxiety is a normal reaction, normal emotion that people experience. True or false?
True
- but it is important to identify when it becomes pathological
What are the 3 groups of symptoms we assess in anxiety (normal) ?
Biological (physical) symptoms
Cognitive symptoms
Behavioural symptoms
Normal anxiety - physical symptoms
Sweating Cold chills Trembling / shaking Muscle tension / aches Numbness / tingling Feeling dizzy / unsteady / faint Dry mouth Difficulty swallowing Sensation of a lump in throat Difficulty breathing Palpitations Chest pain Nausea Abdominal distress
Normal anxiety - cognitive symptoms
Fear of losing control Feeling on edge / tense Difficulty concentrating Feeling that objects are un-real (derealisation) Feeling that you are distant or "not really here" (depersonalisation) Hyper-vigilance Racing thoughts Meta worry Health anxiety
Normal anxiety - behavioural symptoms
Avoidance of certain situations Exaggerated response to minor surprises Difficulty in getting to sleep Excessive use of alcohol/drugs Restlessnesss Irritability
Acute stress leads to increase in ____ and ____
Cortisol and cateholamines
What is the function of cortisol in the stress response?
Acts as to mediate and shut down the stress response
In acute stress, cortisol levels are INCREASED/DECREASED?
Increased
When does normal anxiety become an anxiety disorder?
When anxiety becomes pathological and impairs day to day function.
Anxiety is more extreme than normal.
Anxiety is present in situations that are not normally anxiety provoking
Amygdala centred circuit is involved with FEAR/WORRY?
Fear
- panic, phobias
Name 4 anxiety disorders
Generalised anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Phobias
OCD
Patient with anxiety that is not restricted to any particular environmental circumstance and is present most of the time. What is the likely diagnosis?
Generalised anxiety disorder
Generalised anxiety disorder - definition
Generalised and persistent anxiety
Not restricted or fixed on one particular thing
Present all/most of the time
Generalised anxiety disorder - cause
Unknown
Not due to substance misuse or any other medical condition
Generalised anxiety disorder - typical age of onset?
between 20-40
Generalised anxiety disorder is more common in which sex?
Females
Generalised anxiety disorder - clinical features
Earlier discussed + Persistent nervousness Fears (e.g. that family member will have a RTA) Sleep disturbance - restless unsatisfied sleep
In GAD, the patient often acknowledges that they don’t need to be anxious about all of these things but they can’t help it. True or false?
True
Generalised anxiety disorder - diagnosis
Must be severe enough to be:
- long lasting (most days for at least 6 months)
- non controllable
- causing significant distress
Generalised anxiety disorder - management
- High intensity CBT OR Drug treatment (SSRI)
- SNRI
- Pregablin
- Combo of CBT + drug