Anxiety disorder normal worrying? There are ways to tell the difference.

By Leslie Cardé | Contributing Writer

If you worry about finances, your health, or family matters, that’s a normal part of life. But if your anxiety is more generalized, never goes away and is getting worse, it’s time to take stock.

“Clinical anxiety is more excessive and more persistent” than normal worry, explained Nathan Brown, PsyD, LSU Clinical Psychologist at UMC. “It can last for six months or more and begins interfering with your social life, your personal and work life, and even with your ability to experience pleasure. It can also have a negative impact on your productivity.” part psychological, and even has cultural causes,” Brown said. are inherited, so we have the genetic component. But, if you’re being raised by someone with an anxiety disorder, you might also model your behavior after that person. And, since neuroticism is a personality type, where people are anxious about having future anxiety, stressful experiences in the past may lead to a present fear and anxiety.”

The symptoms of clinical anxiety disorders are far-reaching. They include feeling restless or on edge, which can lead to being easily fatigued.

It can become difficult to concentrate, and it’s easy to become irritable. Symptoms can include headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches, unexplained pains, and sleep problems.

So, why do some people suffer general anxiety disorders, while others don’t?

Anxiety disorders come in all shapes and sizes, and can be very specific to one particular fear.

Phobias produce fears of everything from heights (acrophobia) to spiders (arachnophobia), and the allencompassing agoraphobia which brings on fear of places and situations that may cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment.

Many people with this disorder are afraid to leave their homes, so the anxiety produced can be paralyzing, especially when something as basic as standing in a line or being in a crowd can incite terror.

Separation anxiety disorder is often thought of as something that affects children and pets, but adults are equally vulnerable. In its severe disorders result in unrealistic fears about being negatively evaluated by others. This worry causes many with the disorder to avoid social settings altogether.

Panic disorders produce panic attacks that are sudden and intense. There’s a sense of losing control even when there’s no imminent danger.

A person may experience a pounding or racing heart, trembling, sweating, nausea, rapid breathing, or chest pain. Panic attacks can occur as frequently as daily or as rarely as several times a year, but the fear of the next attack can itself provoke anxiety.

Although the risk factors for each type of disorder may vary, researchers have found that some general risk factors include shyness or nervousness with new situations during childhood, exposure to stressful life events, or a history of mental disorders in biological relatives.

If you think you have an anxiety disorder, a health care provider can make a diagnosis and ultimately help you find the proper treatment.

Treatment

Anxiety disorders are treated with psychotherapy, medication or both. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is considered the gold standard.

“People’s thoughts affect their mood and behavior, so if we can teach people to think more positively about situations then the task at hand doesn’t seem so overwhelming,” Brown said.

“So, with CBT, we target negative and dysfunctional thinking in order to conquer problems.”

A newer therapy known as ACT, or acceptance and commitment therapy, takes a different approach, stressing mindfulness and goal-setting to reduce anxiety. It’s about living in the moment and making a commitment to changing behavior.

While proponents of talk therapy say it’s helpful to develop a different perspective on your thoughts, there’s no denying that some people, depending upon the severity of their situation, may need medication to get them through the rough patches.

Most drugs used to treat anxiety are anxiolytics like Valium or Xanax, just to name a couple of familiar ones.

These sorts of drugs, known as benzodiazepines, work like mild sedatives and can be habit-forming. Therefore, they are recommended only for short-term use. Antidepressants are also used to treat anxiety. They come in different classifications, including SSRIs and SNRIs, and have brand names like Prozac and Paxil, or Cymbalta –but the antidepressant list is a long one.

These medications work on brain chemistry and can cause withdrawal when stopped abruptly, but can be very useful in alleviating the devastating symptoms of anxiety. Deciding what medicine to take, or if meds are needed, should be in conjunction with a specialty healthcare provider. Psychiatrists say it may take several tries to find the right medication for each person.

For more information, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America has a helpful website, adaa.org.

Since severe anxiety can produce suicidal thoughts, if you feel you’re in danger of selfharm, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 24/7, 365 days a year. Simply dial 9-8-8

University Medical Center in New Orleans has a Behavioral Health Clinic where calls are screened to determine what an individual may need. Interpreters are provided free of charge. (504) 962-7020.

--- Leslie Cardé