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Anxiety

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Anxiety Disorder
Dawn Murray
Bryant & Stratton College
PSYC101
Ms. Sara Bevilacqua
10/1/2014

Abstract
Anxiety is a state of intense worrying. This disorder affects 6.8 million people in the United States each year. People who suffer from this disorder may face psychological and physical symptoms. Fortunately, there are many different treatment options available. Anxiety can happen for a specific reason or for no reason at all. There are many psychological and social situations that many cause a person to have anxiety. This paper will discuss the causes, symptoms, treatments and implications of anxiety disorders.

Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety is a state of intense worrying usually accompanied with physical and psychological symptoms. Anxiety can happen after a distressing situation or for no reason at all. 6.8 million people in the U.S. population are affected by anxiety in any given year. Women are twice as likely to be effected (General Anxiety Disorder, 2010). This paper reviews what anxiety is, it’s causes, the associated symptoms, current treatments, and workplace implications. We all experience anxiety but what causes it? The two main causes are psychological and social situations. Strong evidence supports the theory that genetic components are involved (Ghinassi, 2010). Anxiety is known to run in families. Studies show that certain anxiety disorders are inherited; a growing body of evidence suggests that there is genetic vulnerability to developing anxiety disorders in general (Ghinassi, 2010). Early life experiences, stressful situations, and parental modeling can create general psychological indications for anxiety. Social issues such as poor body image, physical disabilities, and negative relationships can create anxiety. A person could go 29 years without any signs of anxiety but due to a manager who feels the need to constantly make personal jabs at the person they can end up having severe anxiety. There are many physical and psychological symptoms that people with anxiety suffer from. Both the physical and psychological symptoms may cause some serious health issues. The most obvious symptoms would be the physical ones. The common physical symptoms would be muscle tension, fatigue, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, edginess, flushing, sweating, trembling, nausea, high blood pressure, stomachaches, lightheadedness, rapid breathing, and fainting (General Anxiety Disorder Symptoms, 2010; Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms, 2010). The common psychological symptoms would be substance abuse, chronic illness, post traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts, thought of harming yourself or others, substance abuse, and other mental disorders. People suffering from anxiety should see their primary care physician, as there are many treatment options for controlling the symptoms. The main treatment options are medications; there are four main categories of medications used. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors also known as SSRIs (sertraline, escitalopram, and citalopram) are used to block the reabsorption of serotonin by certain nerve cells in the brain. This leaves more serotonin available, which improves mood (Treatment: Medications, 2010). Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors also known as SNRIs (venlafaxine and duloxetine) work by increasing the levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine by inhibiting their reabsorption into the brain (Treatment: Medications, 2010). Benzodiazepines (clonazepam, lorazepam, and diazepam) are highly effective in promoting relaxation and reducing muscular tension and other physical symptoms of anxiety (Treatment: Medications, 2010). The issue with benzodiazepines is that they are highly addictive, so they need to be used with extreme care and close monitoring by the prescribing doctor. Tricycle Antidepressants (amitriptyline) are sometimes used instead of benzodiazepines since they are less addictive. There are many psychological treatment options available. Cognitive-behavior therapy, relaxation techniques, meditation, exposure therapy, hypnosis, counseling, breathing techniques, and seeing a physiologist are just some of the options. Strong empirical evidence has proven that a combination of psychotherapeutic medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment for most anxiety disorders (Ghinassi, 2010). People suffering from anxiety also face many workplace implications; both the individual and the company suffer. Anxiety in the workplace can have negative influence on work participation; this is to be seen in either sick leave, or lost productivity or reduced safety at work (Muschalla, 2009). The company has to deal with lost productivity, being down an employee, the risk of safety violations and poor performance.
This paper reviewed what anxiety is, it’s causes, the associated symptoms, current treatments, and workplace implications. Anxiety is an intense worrying. It is a physical and psychological disorder that affects millions of Americans every year. There are many treatment options available to people who suffer from this disorder. We are bound by our style of scientific inquiry, philosophy, spiritual frame of reference, cultural biases and technology. These factors have determined how we have defined anxiety disorders through time (Ghinassi, 2010). Technology has lead to great advances in the understanding and treatment of anxiety. Technology changes rapidly, and it is staggering to imagine the discoveries ahead of us. Advances in science hold great promise for our ability to make even greater strides (Ghinassi, 2010). The more we discover about anxiety the more the treatment options will change and become more effective.

References

General Anxiety Disorder, (2010, January 1). Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad General Anxiety Disorder Symptoms. (2010, January 1). Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder- gad/symptoms Ghinassi, C. (2010). Anxiety. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood/ABC-CLIO.
Muschalla, B. (2009). Workplace phobia - A first explorative study on its relation to established anxiety disorders, sick leave, and work-directed treatment. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 14(5), 591-605.
Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms. (2010, January 1). Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms
Treatment: Medications, (2010, January 1). Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.adaa.org/finding-help/treatment/medication

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