Anxiety disorder as a pathology: causes and clinical manifestations

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Treatment of anxiety personality disorder in Moscow, as in any large city, is relevant. This deviation is characterized by a person’s reluctance to communicate, a feeling of being an inferior person and high sensitivity to criticism directed at him. Social withdrawal in this case is caused by the fear of being ridiculed or humiliated. The disease takes various forms and manifests itself between the ages of 18 and 24 years. At the same time, concomitant disorders appear. Diagnosis is carried out using testing. Psychotherapy and medications are used to provide assistance.

What is increased anxiety?

Increased anxiety is a person’s high sensitivity to anxiety and stressful life situations. The condition is more often registered in children of preschool and high school age, as well as in women with psycho-emotional instability, concomitant neurological diseases, and mental childhood trauma.

A slight increase in a person’s stress level is considered as an individual personality trait, as a feature. If stress becomes intrusive and worsens the quality of life of the patient or others, then they speak of mental pathology. The prevalence of the disease among other affective disorders is 33%, 25% occurs in childhood.

Diagnosis of Anxious Personality Disorder

Treatment of anxiety personality disorder in Moscow at Dr. Isaev’s clinic is carried out only after an accurate diagnosis has been established. To do this, the doctor conducts a conversation with the patient and then evaluates the results of psychological testing. The following identified signs are considered diagnostic criteria in this case:

• constant pressure;
• confidence in one's low value to society;
• constant worry about the opinions of others;
• rejection of criticism;
• reluctance to enter into a relationship when there is no confidence in the person’s sympathy;
• the presence of restrictions in professional and social work.

Identification of an anxiety disorder is carried out after receiving all the examination data and making a differential diagnosis with other mental disorders. Similar symptoms are observed in the following diseases:

• social phobia;
• dependent disorder;
• psychopathy of schizoid type;
• histrionic or borderline personality disorder.

Treatment of social phobia is carried out when a person is not afraid of communicating with another person, but simply cannot tolerate certain social situations. Treatment of psychopathy is carried out under the condition of fear of approaching strangers due to fear of loss of identity. Dependent disorder is characterized by the presence of a phobia of separation, rather than the contact and criticism itself. If a person's behavior is marked by attempts at manipulation and a violent reaction to a negative attitude, then this phenomenon is not considered anxiety, and treatment for hysteria or borderline disorder is carried out.

Causes and risk factors

Anxiety disorder in a person is a tendency to excessive feelings of fear, anxiety, a sense of danger, accompanied by an obsessive anticipation of a threat, up to the development of panic attacks. If the anxiety is justified, the person will always tell its cause, but with pathology, the root cause is never determined. The most common causes of anxiety are:

• features and disorders of the nervous system of any origin, form;
• characteristics of the environment, family;
• increased psycho-emotional stress, stress factor;
• previously suffered stress and shock associated with a threat to life (the person could have witnessed the tragedy, he became aware of the incident);
• severe diseases of internal organs associated with persistent disturbance of water and electrolyte balance, brain hypoxia;
• somatic diseases;
• hormonal disbalance;
• alcoholism;
• melancholic personality type;
• very severe brain injuries, meningeal infections.

The main role occurs in early childhood. Anxiety may develop much later, decades later. The condition develops in an unfavorable environment for the child’s development and unstable relationships with parents. Some medications for the treatment of diabetes, certain thyroid diseases, and mental disorders (as a side effect) can trigger the pathological process.

How to overcome anxiety on your own: advice from a Moscow psychologist

All people worry about something: it’s normal to worry about a crisis, coronavirus, a change of job or place of residence. But when our anxiety accumulates and turns into a restless snowball, interfering with normal life, then it is worth stopping and understanding what is happening. Family psychologist Lyudmila Tkachenko talks about what anxiety is, how to cope with it and who to turn to for help.

Anxiety in character

“Anxiety is a psychological feature of a person, which is caused by worry or a premonition of something bad,” says Lyudmila Tkachenko .

As a rule, psychologists distinguish two types of anxiety states:

• Temporary, situational anxiety. Anxiety comes and goes without leaving its mark on a person’s daily life.
• Anxiety as a character trait. In this case, the person is constantly in a tense state and reacts sharply to everything that happens in his life. The feeling of anxiety gradually develops into a disorder that interferes with life: a person may be afraid to leave the house or stop doing what he likes.

Where does anxiety come from?

The causes of situational anxiety usually lie in specific events that cause anxiety. For example, dismissal from work, change of place of residence, family problems.

The causes of constant anxiety can be physical: hormonal changes, stress, depression, and other mental disorders.

Sometimes anxiety “comes from childhood”: if the child has witnessed parents’ anxiety with or without reason. For example, adults could be very worried about little things, escalate, make a mountain out of a mountain - and the child recorded this pattern of behavior.

“An unfavorable environment in the family, among friends and peers can also trigger the development of anxiety. Children become excessively whiny, have problems sleeping, find it difficult to establish new social connections, and begin to study worse,” notes the psychologist .

Anxiety manifests itself in different ways:

• the feeling of anxiety is mixed with irritation, concentration decreases, heart rate increases, a “lump” appears in the throat;
• Some people experience increased sweating, nausea or itchy skin;
• At first there is a feeling of slight discomfort, which soon develops into real panic.

FOUR SIMPLE STEPS TO VICTORY

If you feel your anxiety getting worse, try a few simple steps.

Focus on your breathing . Take a deep breath and exhale. Then inhale through your nose, counting to 4, and hold your breath, continuing to count to 7. On the count of 8, exhale slowly. Repeat the exercise several times.

Play soothing music. The music can be anything: classical, for meditation, sounds of nature - the main thing is to make you feel calmer.

Start doing something with your hands. Clear your desk, draw, start knitting a scarf, wash the dishes... Focus on any active activity, don't sit.

Take a break from what's bothering you. If you start to feel anxious from watching the news, turn off the TV, turn on a nice movie or video, and read. You need to occupy your head with something else.

“These steps will help you quickly calm down in a specific situation, but you should understand that they will not get rid of the problem completely - you need to reconsider your lifestyle,” emphasizes Lyudmila . - “Give up coffee, energy drinks, adjust your sleep schedule, “filter” your environment, movies, music, watching the news, start playing sports.”

How to recognize an anxiety disorder

“When the state of anxiety lasts more than 6 months and is accompanied by physical symptoms, then we can talk about an anxiety disorder that will not go away on its own. In this case, the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist is required,” the specialist notes.

There are several types of anxiety disorder, and each has a different set of typical manifestations:

• Social phobia. A person avoids contact with other people and reacts sharply to how others treat him.
• Generalized anxiety disorder. This is a constant and acute feeling of anxiety and worry about minor reasons - for example, if a loved one is late at work. As a rule, anxiety is accompanied by physical symptoms: heart pain, “cold sweat,” trembling.
• Anxiety related to health status. This disorder can occur in people with chronic diseases. For example, asthma sufferers often fear choking or losing their inhaler.
• Various phobias. This may include the fear of flying, the fear of closed spaces that limit a person’s movement.
• Panic attacks. They are most often accompanied by rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and dizziness.

“All these symptoms require contacting a specialist, and under no circumstances should this be postponed until later,” says Lyudmila . “Anxiety can lead to sleep disturbances, loss of social connections, digestive disorders and heart disease.”

On a note

If anxiety does not go away, it is best to make an appointment with a psychologist or psychotherapist. They will help you understand the causes of your anxiety and get out of the crisis.

To get free psychological help, use the “Social Navigator” - a map of all city institutions that provide social services to Muscovites. Go to the “Psychological Assistance” section, select a suitable organization and make an appointment with a specialist.

If you need psychological help right now, then call 24-hour number 051 - emergency psychological assistance specialists will listen, give a free consultation and tell you what to do. For calls from a mobile phone, dial +7 (495) 051.

Source

Press service of the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Moscow

Classification

The classification allows you to determine the nature of the disease, phobia, and patient management tactics. If childhood anxiety is more influenced by age-related chronologies, then in adults it is important to take into account the sphere of occurrence, the degree of impact on the psyche, severity, forms:

1. By impact . Clinicians distinguish between mobilizing and relaxing anxiety. In the first case, the human body becomes excited and prepares for danger; in the second, the will is paralyzed and the person is unable to adequately assess the degree of danger.
2. Sphere of emergence . Increased anxiety occurs depending on the environment. There are educational, social, interpersonal anxiety, and the problem of choice. Pathology often becomes the cause of low self-esteem and inadequate demands on others. The usual problem of choice in any place of stay can cause stress; there is no ability to control emotions.
3. By expression . There is reduced anxiety (a person underestimates even a real potential threat), optimal (a person’s anxiety is accompanied by the mobilization of the body’s resources to resist danger), increased (excitability and fear arise for no reason, provoke panic, and in the event of a real danger, hysterics develop, paralyzing fear).

The condition requires special attention, since both conditions pose a threat not only to a person’s psycho-emotional health, but also to his life, if the danger to life is real.

What diseases can be hidden behind?

Diagnosis of the condition in children and adults is the field of activity of psychoneurologists, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists. The final diagnosis is made on the basis of a physical examination, interview, tests, assessment of the anxiety scale, study of life and clinical history.

An increase in the level of stress and anxiety should be differentiated from depressive states, maladjustment reactions, the initial stages of schizophrenia, as well as from other psychiatric diseases caused by the development of phobias, obsessive thoughts and conditions.

How and why do signs of anxiety appear?

Anxiety is a normal state that triggers a self-preservation mechanism. Clinicians highlight not only psychological disturbances during stress, but also real physical sensations. Psychological symptoms of increased anxiety:

• frequent worries, premonitions, insecurity;
• sleep disturbance, decreased activity;
• unreasonable fear for loved ones, feelings of fear, mental heaviness;
• fear of a new environment;
• difficulty communicating with others;
• decreased performance, impaired concentration of thoughts - the entire field of thoughts is occupied by anxiety (patients constantly experience stress, are afraid to do unnecessary actions);
• inadequate self-criticism, tearfulness.

Other changes occur before arousal occurs. Physically, the disease is manifested by sweating, redness of the face and neck, increased breathing, pulse, heartbeat, a lump in the throat, bloating and loose stools. Outwardly, the person looks tense, nervous, clenches his fists, fiddles with buttons, clothes, his own fingers, and bites his nails.

Types of emotional state

Personal anxiety is an individual predisposition to strong emotional stress in situations in which other people also experience anxiety, but much less pronounced or internal, completely invisible, easily controlled. The term itself comes from personality characteristics, subjective qualities. Such a reaction to the world prevents a person from communicating normally, adapting to society, and soberly assessing himself.

Anxiety can arise in a specific situation, which for an individual turns out to be a serious stress. And throughout life, this person feels normal, only observing symptoms of increased anxiety in stressful situations.

What happens if you don't get treatment...

An increased level of anxiety without adequate treatment leads to serious mental disorders in the future, especially in patients at special risk. In children, over a long period of time, obsessive-compulsive neurosis, numerous phobias, and psychasthenic accentuation of character are formed.

Adolescents change behavioral responses. The disorder in adults disrupts the normal rhythm of life, obsessive states make adequate socialization difficult, and suicidal thoughts may appear. In the absence of treatment, patients lock themselves at home, deprive themselves of communication, plunge into deep depression, and sometimes become alcoholics.

The results of treatment, if medical recommendations are followed, are stable and last a long time. It is dangerous to leave symptoms unattended to avoid serious complications. The site contains many comments and answers to requests from patients with similar symptoms, and reviews of treatment. Articles will help you obtain information about the condition, but consultation with a specialist is also required. If the patient can cope with negative emotions and begins to control thoughts, then the degree of arousal will decrease significantly.

Anxiety disorder is a serious psychiatric illness that requires mandatory correction. Prevention consists of timely diagnosis, accurate diagnosis, adequate medication or psychotherapy, and early consultation with a doctor. Complications of a pathological condition always complicate treatment and are often irreversible.

Literature

1. Karavaeva T.A. Principles and algorithms of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders of a neurotic level // St. Petersburg Research Psychoneurological Institute named after. V.M. Bekhterev", 2021.
2. Generalized anxiety disorder: clinical recommendations // Developer of clinical recommendations: Russian Society of Psychiatrists, 2015.
3. Zabylina N. A. Issues in the diagnosis of mixed anxiety and depressive disorder // Journal of Siberian Medical Sciences, 2008.
4. Shitov E. A. Neurotic and somatoform disorders: guidelines for students in the discipline “Psychiatry” // State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education Ryaz State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Russia. – Ryazan: RIO Ryaz State Medical University, 2013.