Stress and anxiety disorder

05 June, 2009 02:52:00 Sanu Pal

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Stress and anxiety disorder

Stress is a very popular term and probably synonymous with anxiety. It refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional and physical threats to the organism. The threats may be actual or imagined. The response of the organism is autonomic in nature due to environmental stimulus. It is associated with a state of alarm, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It also refers to the inability of a human or animal body to respond.Symptoms of stressThe symptoms include both physical and psychologicalPhysical symptoms are increased muscular tension, headache and body aches, sweating, palpitation or increased heart rate. Also it may be associated with respiratory problem such as shortness of breath, urinary symptoms such as increased frequency or tendency to use toilet, diarrhoea or loose motion, indigestion and belching of wind. There are also problem with sleep, usually delayed in onset. Also there may be complaints of fatigue and weakness.Psychological symptoms are tense feeling, irritability and unable to relax. Some may complaint of poor memory and unable to concentrate, feeling afraid of certain things or situation, feeling tense due to unknown and imagined catastrophe. A case study40 year old Anil has been worrying about everything and spends most of his day in tense situation. He is married and he has 18 year old son and his wife said he has been never relaxed. He feels that he would do some mistake at work, and when travelling he is worried that there might be some accident. He is worried when his wife or son is out of the house. He would call them many times in their mobile to check if they are a little late. He is also afraid of riding a bus, where he feels suffocated, unable to breathe and dizzy and fainting feeling. The anxiety disorder is common and found in every culture, but symptoms may vary. About twenty percent of people suffer from stress or anxiety disorder affecting their life. Anil has problem with most of the situations and is known as generalized anxiety disorder and he also has claustrophobia (fear of closed spaces).There are also other common anxiety problems as follows:Phobia: Most of us are scared of something or in some situations. But persons with phobias have a severe or intense fear affecting their life. When they are exposed to those situations they would have severe anxiety, tension, palpitation, sweating and tremor, feeling faint. If they are removed from the situation the anxiety reduces immediately or in a short period of time. As for example: fear of heights: they can’t work or live in high places or even they can’t use the lifts in tall buildings.Fear of open places (agoraphobia): they may have intense fear in open places when they come out of their house.Fear of closed space (claustrophobia) they have severe anxiety or panic attack in movie halls, or in lift or travelling by bus etc.Social phobias: People with social phobias feels intense fear when they are asked to do things in public such as speaking, writing etc. They feel that they would do some mistakes and other people would think they are worthless. They avoid any kind of social or community activities such as attending a marriage ceremony or family gathering. At times they find it difficult to do a job or have relationship. Agoraphobia: Agoraphobic people experience fear in open places such in markets, crowded places, they try to confine themselves at home. When they go out they usually accompany somebody. They are afraid of places where they will not be able to get any help. At times when a house wife has this problem they become totally housebound.Panic disorder: Panic disorder is an acute anxiety attack when people feel palpitation, nausea, intense fear, fear of losing control or even they feel that they will die. The people with panic attacks avoid all anxiety provoking situation, and their life may become restricted to home.Obsession and compulsion: People with obsession find it difficult to keep a job due to not being to finish on time. Or people having obsession of dirt (hand washing and cleaning), or obsessive doubts (checking the locks again and again or if switched off the oven) and they find difficult to do chores at home. They will take much more time and family members become annoyed due to difficulty in adjusting.Persons with obsession are anxious, and at times they are depressed also. They have understanding of their problems but unable to manage. Sometimes people with anxiety they try to manage their situation by self medicating such as drinking alcohol, or using illicit drugs. Also people with long standing anxiety they become depressed due to their not having adequate social life. What to do if somebody has anxiety disorder:Anxiety or stress is common in day to day life. Some people are anxious due to small reasons and may worry whole day but they can also carry on with their life. When they become very much stressed with symptoms such as unable to concentrate, not able to sleep getting tired or fatigued easily then they may seek help. Sometimes they would avoid any kind of stressful situation and may complaint of low mood. Those who have moderate or severe anxiety, it becomes easily evident from outside with their behavior such as restlessness, irritable, and tense. They may have palpitation, feeling of fainting or dizzy. They may seek assurance and help from others. At times they may attend emergency department for feeling of faintness or palpitation and they may complaint that they might die of heart attack. Persons with little or mild obsession and not affecting their day to day social life, may not require any help or treatment. But people with moderate or severe obsession with compulsion affecting their social life, and their work may need help.At times persons having obsession and compulsion may hide their symptoms for many years until when they start working. At work place they become slow due to obsession and even they may lose the job. They may see a general physician to get referred to a specialist. At times they may go directly to see a specialist (Psychiatrist) or at times psychologist also may help by providing understanding of the problem and teaching some skills to manage obsessive thoughts. Most of the city hospitals have psychiatry departments. After the assessment they can refer the person to a psychologist for further psychological treatment or therapy. Medications at times help to reduce the symptoms of obsession and compulsion, it is not usual that symptoms will disappear totally. At times even with treatment the symptoms may become worse. This happens due to stress or due to unknown reason. Anxiety disorders and drug abuse:Some patients with anxiety disorders may start drinking alcohol or take drugs to self medicate. Drinking alcohol gives temporary relaxation and when the effects of alcohol pass off the anxiety symptoms also return with full force. Besides that with continued use of alcohol the tolerance with alcohol increases leading to addiction and dependence on alcohol. The same result happens with most of the drugs abused such as heroin. At times doctors prescribe medications such as Diazepam, Lorazepam, or Alprazolam also cause addiction. So it must be taken as per advice of the doctors, otherwise it can give to addiction.The above subject will be discussed again in the “Drug Abuse Problem” section. March 3, 2009

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