Anxiety Disorders Respond to Depression Medication

An anxiety disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by constant and overwhelming fear and apprehension. While everyone feels nervous from time to time in new or challenging situations, the degree of nervousness suffered by someone with an anxiety disorder is overwhelming and often disabling. Panic and anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders. It's estimated that one in four Americans will suffer debilitating anxiety during his or her life. The most common types of anxiety disorders are:

1)    Generalized anxiety disorder – chronic unrealistic fear and worry that are not focused on any specific thing or situation. This is the most common anxiety disorder among adults.

2)    Social anxiety disorder – a fear and avoidance of public embarrassment or disapproval. People with social anxiety are overwhelmingly worried and self conscious in everyday social situations.

3)    Obsessive compulsive disorder – involves recurring obsessions (distressing and intrusive thoughts and/or images) and urges to perform repetitive routines or rituals. A common example is someone who obsesses about germs and repetitively washes his or her hands.

4)    Post-traumatic stress disorder – evolves out of a traumatic incident such as a sexual assault, war, or natural disaster. PTSD symptoms frequently include anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, anger and depression.

5)    Panic disorder – involves brief, unprovoked attacks of terror, accompanied by physical symptoms like shaking, dizziness, heart palpitations, sweating, and trouble breathing.

6)    Separation anxiety – excessive and inappropriate feelings or anxiety when separated from a particular person or place.  Separation anxiety is a normal part of childhood development, but poses a problem if it occurs in late childhood or adulthood.

7)    Specific phobias – An intense and overblown fear and avoidance of a specific thing or situation, such as spiders, bridges, heights, or flying.

While each anxiety disorder has its own unique set of symptoms, they all tend to be characterized by repeated negative thoughts, feelings of fear and uneasiness, nightmares and trouble sleeping, and physical symptoms like nausea, headache, dry mouth, muscle tension, palpitations, cold or sweaty hands and difficulty staying still.

While scientists aren't sure what causes anxiety disorders, they believe it's a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including stress and trauma.  Anxiety disorders tend to run in families, and are suspected to be connected to an imbalance of the brain chemicals which control mood, much like depression. Caffeine and alcohol contribute to anxiety, as can some over the counter and herbal remedies.

Fortunately, anxiety disorders are among the most treatable of mental health conditions, and are commonly addressed with a combination of medication and therapy. Antidepressant drugs are generally the first medication of choice, in particular SSRI antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).  Depression medication works by affecting the concentration and activity of neurotransmitters in the brain, addressing both anxiety and the depression that so often accompanies it. Some patients may be prescribed an anti anxiety medication such as a benzodiazepine along with their anti depression medications. If necessary, beta blockers may also be prescribed to minimize physical anxiety symptoms such as shaking and a rapid heartbeat.

Combining antidepressant medications with therapy offers the most effective and rapid relief for anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is generally considered the most appropriate type of psychotherapy. Relaxation therapy is also beneficial, and many anxiety sufferers report that they benefit from meditation.