Anxiety Disorders Overview Quiz

Anxiety Disorder Overview

• Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions worldwide. They often involve excessive and persistent worry and fear, impacting daily activities.
• It is a necessary human experience for survival. Anxiety is different from stress; a stressor is external pressure, while anxiety is the emotional response to that stressor.
• Anxiety is distinct from fear; anxiety is an emotional process, while fear is a cognitive one
• Anxiety was once primarily viewed in relation to its physiological symptoms, focusing mostly on the cardiovascular system.
• Later, Freud linked anxiety to neurotic behaviors.

Epidemiological Statistics

• Anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women than men (at least 2-to-1 ratio).
• Children from minority groups and low socioeconomic backgrounds may be at increased risk for emotional illnesses.
• There is a familial predisposition to developing anxiety disorders.

Defining "Too Much" Anxiety

• Anxiety is considered excessive when it is disproportionate to the situation causing it.
• It becomes a problem when it interferes with social, occupational, or other usual life activities.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Panic Disorder
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Specific Phobias

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• GAD is characterized by persistent, unrealistic, and excessive anxiety and worry that occurs more days than not for at least six months.
• It's not attributable to specific organic factors (such as caffeine or hyperthyroidism).
• GAD symptoms significantly impact social, occupational, and other important areas of a person's life.

Panic Disorder

• Panic disorder involves sudden and intense feelings of anxiety and fear, often triggered by panic attacks.
• Panic attacks typically involve intense physical sensations and can be unexpected.
• Panic attacks reach a peak and generally last for several minutes.

Social Anxiety Disorder

• Social anxiety disorder is characterized by intense fear and anxiety in social situations.
• People with social anxiety disorder often worry about being judged or scrutinized by others.
• This can lead to avoiding social situations or experiencing extreme discomfort during them.

Specific Phobias

• People with specific phobias experience intense anxiety when confronted with a specific object or situation (e.g., spiders, snakes, heights, enclosed spaces).
• This fear is often overwhelming and irrational, even if the feared object or situation poses little danger.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• PTSD arises from experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.
• Individuals with PTSD frequently experience flashbacks, nightmares, or uncontrollable thoughts related to the event.
• These thoughts often lead to significant anxiety and heightened feelings of danger.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• OCD involves obsessive, intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
• Obsessive thoughts create significant distress, compelling individuals to perform compulsive actions to ease anxiety.
• Compulsive behaviors (e.g., excessive hand washing) may be used to manage obsessive thoughts and distress

Separation Anxiety Disorder

• Separation anxiety disorder is a childhood disorder related to the anxiety of separation from parental figures or key caregiver figures. The anxiety is excessive compared to the individual's developmental level.
• This can manifest in clinginess, extreme crying, refusal to attend school or other social settings, or physical illnesses related to the anxiety.

Signs of Anxiety Disorders

• Frequent worries that impair daily life
• Social withdrawal
• Fixation on fear of future panic attacks
• Irrational fears and avoidance of harmless objects, places, or situations
• Unexpected panic attacks
• Recurring nightmares or flashbacks
• Feelings of numbing or detachment from past trauma

Nursing Diagnosis for Anxiety Disorders

• Specific diagnoses focus on the patient's experiences of threats to their biological integrity or self-image.
• Other diagnoses center on powerlessness, social isolation related to fear of specific places or situations and the inability to escape or avoid, and avoidance behaviors. These often include the accompanying physical symptoms.

Nursing Interventions

• Interventions involve providing safety, reassurance, calm communication, and reducing environmental stimuli.
• Administering medication, teaching coping mechanisms, and encouraging facing irrational fears.
• Encouraging the patient's self-care, goal setting, and decision-making.

Outcomes for Nursing Interventions

• Clients can recognize signs of escalating anxiety and use coping mechanisms (e.g., relaxation techniques) to prevent reaching panic levels.
• Clients develop the ability to remain calm and function even with a feared object or situation.
• The client actively participating in social situations and activities.

Summary

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition involving excessive worry.
• Anxiety disorders include GAD, panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.
• Signs and symptoms involve physical and psychological distress, and associated behavioral responses.
• Nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and interventions focus on reducing anxiety, promoting coping mechanisms, and enhancing quality of life.

Reference

• Townsend M. (2021). Essential of psychiatric mental health nursing: conept of care in evidence-based practice (8th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company