Mental Health Conditions › Anxiety

+ What is it | + Symptoms | + Causes | + Treatment | + Videos

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of uneasyness - such as worrying or fear - that can take on a mild or severe form. Each person, at some point in their lives, experiences anxiety. Examples of this are feeling worried about sitting an exam, having a medical test or attending a job interview.

Feeling anxious like this is perfectly normal. However, people with GAD find it extremely difficult to control the worrying. The anxious feelings are more constant and can affect day to day living. There are several conditions that have anxiety as the main symptom. These include: Panic disorder, phobias and PTSD

Symptoms of Anxiety

The symptoms of anxiety can be broken down into 2 groups: Psychological and Physical

Psychological

Physical

Causes of Anxiety

There is no one specific cause for anxiety. Research has suggested that anxiety is caused by neurotransmitters and a combination of other factors.

Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring chemicals in the brain. There are two of these chemicals that are thought to cause anxiety if they are imbalanced. They are: serotonin & noradrenaline. The imbalance of these chemicals are thought to significantly affect a persons mood.

Combination of factors

Researchers believe that a combination of factors including: body bioligical processes, genetics, environment & life experience cause anxiety.

Treatment of Anxiety

There are 2 main treatments for anxiety and they are: psychological therapy & medicines

Psychological therapy

Treatment is usually offered in the form of CBT. CBT is a talking therapy and during the treatment, the therapist will help you identify unhelpful, unrealistic beliefs & behavioural patterns. The therapist will then help you by showing you ways that you can replace these beliefs with more realistic, balanced ones. CBT will teach you new skills to help you understand how to react in a more positive manner to situations that cause you anxiety.

Medicines

Various medicines are often prescribed in the treatment of anxiety and they include: Benzodiazepines, Antihistamines, SSRIs, Venlafaxine & Buspirone

Videos talking about Anxiety

NHS Choices video on Anxiety

 

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are a type of sedative that help ease the symptoms of anxiety within 30-90 minutes of taking the medication.

Although benzodiazepines are very effective in treating the symptoms of anxiety, they cannot be used for long periods of time. This is because they have the potential to become addictive if used for longer than four weeks. Benzodiazepines also start to lose their effectiveness after this time.

For these reasons, you will usually only be prescribed benzodiazepines to help you cope during a particularly severe or intense attack of anxiety. Benzodiazepines can cause side effects, including: confusion, loss of balance, memory loss, drowsiness & light-headedness

Buspirone

Buspirone is a medicine that can help ease the psychological symptoms of anxiety. It belongs to a group of medicines known as anxiolytics.

Buspirone works in a similar way to benzodiazepines, but does not become addictive, which means you can take it for longer periods. However, it is still generally used as a relatively short-term form of medication.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines are usually prescribed to treat allergic reactions. However, some are also used to treat anxiety on a short-term basis.

Antihistamines have a calming effect on the brain, helping you to feel less anxious.

As with benzodiazepines, antihistamines are only effective when used for a short period of time and will only be prescribed for a few weeks.

Hydroxyzine is the most commonly prescribed antihistamine for treating anxiety. This antihistamine can make you feel drowsy. Other side effects of hydroxyzine include: dizziness, blurred vision, headache & dry mouth

SSRIs

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a form of antidepressant that increase the level of a chemical in your brain called serotonin. They can be taken on a long-term basis.

As with any antidepressant, an SSRI will usually take several weeks before it starts to work. You will usually be started on a low dose, which is then gradually increased as your body adjusts to the medicine.

Paroxetine is the most commonly prescribed SSRI for the treatment of anxiety.

Common side effects of SSRIs include: nausea, low sex drive, blurred vision, diarrhoea or constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, loss of appetite, sweating, feeling agitated & insomnia (not being able to sleep)

Venlafaxine

If SSRIs do not help ease your anxiety, you may be prescribed a different type of antidepressant known as venlafaxine.

Venlafaxine belongs to a group of medicines known as selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). This type of medicine increases the amount of serotonin and noradrenaline in your brain, helping restore the chemical imbalance that sometimes causes anxiety.

You cannot be prescribed venlafaxine if you: have high blood pressure (hypertension) that is not being treated, have recently had a heart attack or are at risk of having cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).

If you have any of the above conditions, you may be at risk of developing complications if you take venlafaxine.

Common side effects of venlafaxine may include: nausea, headache, drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, indigestion, insomnia, sweating.

If you are prescribed this medicine, your blood pressure will be monitored regularly.