Anxiety Disorder Syndromes

Anxiety is a state of fear and apprehension that affects the psychobiological functioning of a person. It is part of our everyday life. In moderate degree, it is an adaptive response. While driving a car, it is anxiety that compels one to slow down while approaching a slope. When sick, it is anxiety that will make one seek medical attention and during exams, it anxiety that will stimulate the student to burn the mid night candle in preparation for the exams. Nevertheless, extreme anxiety leads to maladaptive behavior. Some people experience anxiety most of the time and may result in perpetual distress, limitation to social freedom and flexibility. Extreme anxiety may distort the normal adaptive response of a person. In general, for anybody to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, the fear or anxiety must be out of proportion to the situation or age inappropriate and hinders the person’s ability to function normally.

 Symptoms of anxiety disorder syndromes include changes in sleep or appetite, difficulty or lack of concentration, use of alcohol or drugs as a coping strategy, development of behavior rituals or compulsions to manage worry, panic attacks or flashbacks of past trauma, avoidance of social situations, restlessness, fatigue, irritability, or muscle tension on a regular basis. 

The psychological effects of anxiety is also accompanied by physical symptoms, such as an elevated heart rate, more rapid, shallow breathing, muscle tension, disrupted sleep, and gastrointestinal distress. Chronic anxiety can create a vicious cycle in which case the person is always on edge leading to more worries. Excessive worry and feeling of physical exhaustion obviously decreases the ability to cope effectively with stress.

 The disorder can be categorized into three, generalized disorder, Panic disorder, and Phobia.