Beyond Worry: Anxiety Disorders

By Edel Jarboe



Ordinarily, anxiety is necessary for our survival. It helps us 

to focus on the task at hand, motivates us to overcome 

procrastination, and to avoid danger. Almost everyone 

experiences some form of anxiety as we go about our daily 

lives. However, when we have severe anxiety, we are incapable 

of reasoning our way out of the panic and find ourselves at its 

mercy. In other words, there is a marked difference between 

feeling occasionally shy or nervous and being literally 

crippled by fear. 



Unlike the normal stress (fight or flight) response that is 

brought about by a real threat or challenge, severe anxiety is 

characterized by excessive feelings of worry and fear that are 

out of proportion to the situation. These feelings are more 

intense and last longer than normal feelings of anxiety. 

Because excessive anxiety can trap the person in patterns of 

avoidance and withdrawal, anxiety disorders get in the way of 

living a normal everyday life and affect a sufferers work, 

family, relationships, and well-being.



Unfortunately, anxiety disorders often coexist with other 

disorders, such as depression, substance abuse, or another 

anxiety disorder. For this reason, people with untreated 

anxiety are at higher risk for suicide, severe depression and 

for self-medication with alcohol or drugs. Anxiety disorder 

sufferers are also at higher risk for job loss and divorce. 



General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

General anxiety disorder affects about 10 million Americans and 

is typified by an almost constant state of worry, tension, or 

anxiety about almost everything in a sufferer's life including 

health, family, work, or money. While it is normal to worry 

about these things, the extent to which a GAD sufferer worries 

is to a much greater extreme. This disorder usually occurs in 

the early 20's although in some cases it can start in childhood 

or later in life.



Someone suffering from generalized anxiety disorder finds it 

difficult to control their worry and has three or more of the 

following symptoms occur over a six-month period:

- feeling on edge or very restless

- difficulty concentrating

- irritability 

- muscle tension 

- easily fatigued 

- sleep disturbances





Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is characterized by recurring attacks of anxiety 

or terror, which usually last for a specific period of time, 

for example for 15 to 30 minutes. According to the National 

Institute of Mental Health, approximately 2.4 million Americans 

ages 18 to 54 suffers from panic disorder in a given year. A 

diagnosis of panic disorder is made when a person experiences 

at least two repeated, unexpected attacks followed by at least 

one month of worrying that another panic attack will strike. A 

panic attack consists of a person feeling extreme fear or 

discomfort along with at least four of the following symptoms:

- rapid heart beat

- sweating 

- shakiness 

- shortness of breath

- choking feeling 

- dizziness 

- nausea 

- feelings of unreality

- numbness

- hot flashes or chills

- chest pain

- fear of dying

- fear of going insane



Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is an extreme fear of public 

embarrassment or being judged by others. This disorder 

typically begins in childhood or early adolescence and rarely 

develops after age 25. According to the National Institute of 

Mental Health, this condition affects as many as approximately 

5.3 million Americans a year.



Extreme shyness and discomfort in social settings characterizes 

social anxiety disorder. Typical symptoms include frequent 

blushing, shortness of breath, trembling, rapid heartbeat, and 

profuse sweating. These symptoms can vary in severity from mild 

and bearable to full-blown panic attacks. Moreover, this fear 

of being publicly scrutinized and humiliated can range from a 

limited or specific social phobia such as eating a meal in a 

restaurant to a generalized social phobia where a person's 

anxiety extends to a variety of social settings.



What Causes Anxiety Disorders?

A combination of biochemical, genetic, psychological, and 

environmental factors appear to contribute to the development 

of anxiety disorders. Researchers believe that most people with 

anxiety disorders seem to have a biological vulnerability to 

stress, which makes them more susceptible to environmental 

stimuli. Moreover, studies have shown that an imbalance of 

chemical messengers in the brain (neurotransmitters) may 

contribute to anxiety disorders. In fact, some experts have 

identified a genetic defect that affects dopamine, an important 

neurotransmitter, which appears to cause a syndrome that 

includes migraine headaches, anxiety, and depression. Studies 

have also shown that about 20-25% of close relatives of people 

with panic disorders experience this disorder. Finally, 

psychological and environmental factors such as low self-

esteem, poor coping skills, and long-term exposure to abuse, 

violence, or poverty can also make a person more susceptible to 

anxiety disorders.



Treating Anxiety Disorders

For anxiety disorders, the most effective treatment seems to be 

a combination of antidepressant drugs and cognitive-behavior 

therapy. Paxil, for example, is the latest antidepressant drug 

to be used to treat social anxiety disorder (often experienced 

as extreme shyness), panic disorder, depression, and obsessive-

compulsive disorder (OCD). Other drugs used in the treatment of 

anxiety disorders include Prozac and Zoloft. However, it should 

be pointed out that it usually takes two to four weeks before 

an antidepressant medication is effective. 



The focus of cognitive therapy is to alter the sufferer's 

catastrophic thinking about what others are thinking about them 

and to address the real consequences of a flawed performance. 

It encourages sufferers to put things in perspective by asking 

themselves "What if I do have a panic? What is the worst thing 

that can happen?" The focus of the second half of cognitive-

behavior therapy, the behavioral part, is to gradually expose 

the sufferer to the circumstances that can trigger their 

anxiety. It teaches them techniques such as deep breathing, 

affirmations, and progressive relaxation in order to get them 

in the habit of focusing on the present moment rather than on 

the dreaded imaginary outcome. Moreover, a healthy lifestyle 

that includes exercise (such as aerobics and yoga), adequate 

sleep, and nutrition has also been shown to help to reduce the 

impact of anxiety attacks.



According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety 

disorders are the most common of emotional disorders affecting 

more than 20 million Americans (approximately one in nine) a 

year. However, only about a quarter of those who experience 

this problem seek help. Many people with anxiety disorders try 

to hide what is happening to them because they feel a sense of 

shame over their perceived lack of control. Their anxiety 

becomes an emotional, physical, and psychological prison. 

Although there is help and hope available, reaching out for 

this help may be especially hard for the anxiety sufferer. If 

you, or someone you know, are suffering from an anxiety 

disorder, please do not be afraid to get help. You don't have 

to suffer in silence.



Copyright © 2001 by Edel Jarboe. All Rights Reserved.

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About the Author: Edel Jarboe is the founder of Self Help for 

Her.com (http://www.selfhelpforher.com), an online self-help 

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