Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
What normal physiological responses are normal in anxiety?
Increased HR Increased BP Sweating Shaking GI symptoms Muscle tingling Nausea
Anxiety is normal, what makes it pathological? (3)
- -when its inappropriate for your situation
- -when its all the time
- -when it stops you functioning normally
What are some examples of anxiety disorders?
Phobic anxiety (agoraphobia, social) Panic disorder Generalised anxiety disorder OCD Stress reactions and PTSD Somatoform disorders
If anxiety is continuous what diagnosis would you be considering?
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Continuous persistent feelings of anxiety is its defining feature
If feelings of anxiety were intermittent and can happen in any situations what diagnosis should you be thinking?
Panic disorder
What is a panic attack?
Discrete episode of overwhelming anxiety usually accompanies by physical symptoms of:
- Racing heart, tachypnoea, sweating, sense of impending death,
They are usually sudden onset and only last a few minutes (they can last longer)
If anxiety symptoms are intermittent and as a response to a specific situation what diagnosis should you be considering?
Phobic disorder
How long does continuous anxiety have to last before before GAD is considered (in theory) and what are some common themes for anxiety?
GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER
- present for6 months
- Money, health, family and housing
- Pattern of thought usually based around lots of ‘what ifs’ - trains of thought get carried away and people catastrophise
What are the ICD-10 criteria for anxiety?
- Persistent, free-floating anxiety not related to external stimulus
- Accompanying symptoms such as
Psychological (worry, apprehension, fear)
Arousal (hyper vigilance, restlessness, increased startle response)
Motor (muscle tension, trembling, headaches)
Autonomic (CVS, palpitations, difficulty breathing, loose stools, dizziness)
How do we manage anxiety disorders?
CBT - originally designed for anxiety and so is a really important part of treatment
What medications can be used in anxiety?
First line recommendation is SSRI in low dose (SERTALINE)
Anxiolytics can be useful but should be avoided in the long term
BENZODIAZEPINES - should only be considered when anxiety is severe and disabling and use in the short term only (2-4 weeks before review)
HYPNOTICS (help with sleep)
Consider Zopiclone, Clomethiazole, Melatonin or low dose BZDs
What are obsessions?
Recurrent and intrusive thoughts that are unpleasant and distressing
These thoughts enter the mind against conscious resistant and people recognise an obsession as being a thought from their own mind
What is a compulsion?
An act that is done to ease an unpleasant, obsessive thought
They are usually recurrent mental or physical actions that ease obsessions
Patients often recognise them as pointless or symbolic
How long must symptoms have been present for to make a diagnosis of OCD?
2 weeks
What other psychiatric co-morbidity should you consider in OCD?
Depression
Over 2/3 of people with OCD will have depression and around 20% of patients with depression will exhibit obsessive compulsive traits at some point