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INFOBITS
40 million American adults age 18 years and older in a given year are affected by anxiety disorders.1
6.8 million American adults age 18 years and older are affected by general anxiety disorder (GAD)2 and approximately twice as many women as men.3 Onset is gradual and can start anytime across the life cycle, but risk is highest between childhood and middle.4
6 million American adults age 18 years and older are affected by panic disorder5 and is twice as common in women as men.6
2.2 million American adults age 18 years and older are affected by obsessive compulsive disorder7 and is about equally common in men and women.8 Onset is usually in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.9
15 million American adults age 18 years and older are affected by social anxiety disorder or social phobia.10 and is about equally common in men and women.11 Onset is usually in childhood, or early adolescence.12
7.7 million American adults age 18 years and older are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder13 and women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.14 PTSD can occur at any age. |
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
For post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD to be diagnosed, an individual needs to have experienced a sudden, unexpected, horrific experience wherein one was afraid for the safety of one’s life causing trauma. The individual also felt fear, helplessness and horror. PTSD includes the following symptoms, which last for at least a month:
- Flashbacks or “you can’t stop remembering” and nightmares
- Emotional detachment or numbness, especially to those people they used to be close to
- Irritability
- Jumpiness -- “jumping out of their skin”
- Hypervigilance or always looking around as if scanning the surroundings for danger
- Trouble falling or staying asleep due to this high state of arousal
- Poor concentration
- Avoidance behavior such as avoiding places related to the trauma
In severe cases, the symptoms impair the social, occupational, and personal functioning of the individual.
The number of symptoms experienced and the severity of each will vary with individuals and varies over time.
Sudden traumatic events can happen to people individually, such as in car accidents, sexual assault, domestic violence, death of a loved one, witnessing a life-threatening event, discovery of a serious illness like cancer or having had a heart attack. Or, they can affect people as a group, such as in natural disasters including earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods. In addition, traumatic events can affect people indirectly, such as in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, especially with the media exposure.
The probability of having PTSD is significantly increased when the intensity of the trauma is high and the length of exposure to the trauma is long.
PTSD is often accompanied by other anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse. These serious mental health illnesses must also be included in the treatment plan.
"I was raped when I was 25 years old. For a long time, I spoke about the rape as though it was something that happened to someone else. I was very aware that it had happened to me, but there was just no feeling."
"Then I started having flashbacks. They kind of came over me like a splash of water. I would be terrified. Suddenly I was reliving the rape. Every instant was startling. I wasn't aware of anything around me, I was in a bubble, just kind of floating. And it was scary. Having a flashback can wring you out."
"The rape happened the week before Thanksgiving, and I can't believe the anxiety and fear I feel every year around the anniversary date. It's as though I've seen a werewolf. I can't relax, can't sleep, don't want to be with anyone. I wonder whether I'll ever be free of this terrible problem."
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The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are not alone.
Getting treatment for mental health issues is a team effort. In most cases, anxiety disorders can be successfully treated with medication and certain kinds of psychotherapy. By working with your doctor and / or therapist, you can take control to find the approach that is the most appropriate for your needs. There are many avenues for treatment so if one does not work, you can try other methods. So do not lose hope.
Get help today, for tomorrow enjoy better living and brighter horizons.
Taking Medications
Here are a few things to remember if you are taking medications for your anxiety.
• If you are just starting to take medication, remember that they usually take effect 4 to 8 weeks to become fully effective. So be patient and don’t be discouraged.
• Work with your doctor for the right dosage and medication for your anxiety. If one medication does not work, you can try others. Don’t give up and continue to work with your doctor.
• Ask your doctor what the side effects are of the medication you are taking.
• There are medications that need to be tapered off so do not stop taking your medication abruptly. Ask your doctor how and when you will stop taking your medication.
Medications need to be taken regularly for the anxiety symptoms to be managed.
Although medications will not cure anxiety, they will help you manage the symptoms so you can lead a normal and productive life. Studies have shown that both medications and psychotherapy can successfully treat anxiety disorder. |
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