home Endocrinology A state of increased anxiety. Anxiety disorder: diagnosis, symptoms and treatment. Generalized anxiety disorder

A state of increased anxiety. Anxiety disorder: diagnosis, symptoms and treatment. Generalized anxiety disorder

Inexplicable fear, tension, anxiety for no reason periodically arise in many people. The explanation for causeless anxiety may be chronic fatigue, constant stress, previous or progressive diseases. In this case, the person feels that he is in danger, but does not understand what is happening to him.

Why does anxiety appear in the soul for no reason?

Feelings of anxiety and danger are not always pathological mental states. Every adult has at least once experienced nervous excitement and anxiety in a situation where they cannot cope with a problem or in anticipation of a difficult conversation. After solving such issues, the feeling of anxiety goes away. But pathological unreasonable fear appears regardless of external stimuli, it is not caused by real problems, but arises on its own.

An anxious state for no reason overwhelms when a person gives freedom to his own imagination: it, as a rule, draws the most terrible pictures. At these moments, a person feels helpless, emotionally and physically exhausted, in connection with this, health may deteriorate, and the individual will fall ill. Depending on the symptoms (signs), there are several mental pathologies who are characterized by increased anxiety.

Panic attack

A panic attack usually occurs in a crowded place ( public transport, institutional building, large store). Visible reasons for occurrence this state no, because at this moment nothing threatens a person’s life or health. Average age Those suffering from anxiety for no reason are 20-30 years old. Statistics show that women are more often subjected to unreasonable panic.

Possible reason unreasonable anxiety, according to doctors, may be long stay a person in a situation of a psychotraumatic nature, but one-time severe stressful situations are not excluded. Big influence The predisposition to panic attacks is influenced by heredity, a person’s temperament, his personality traits and the balance of hormones. In addition, anxiety and fear for no reason often manifest themselves against the background of diseases of a person’s internal organs. Features of the feeling of panic:

Spontaneous panic. Arises suddenly, without auxiliary circumstances.
Situational panic. Appears against the background of worries due to the onset of a traumatic situation or due to a person’s expectation of some kind of problem.
Conditional situational panic. Manifests itself under the influence of a biological or chemical stimulant (alcohol, hormonal imbalance).

The following are the most common signs of a panic attack:

tachycardia (fast heartbeat);
feeling of anxiety in the chest (bloating, painful sensations inside the sternum);
"lump in the throat";
promotion blood pressure;
development of VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia);
lack of air;
fear of death;
hot/cold flushes;
nausea, vomiting;
dizziness;
derealization;
impaired vision or hearing, coordination;
loss of consciousness;
spontaneous urination.

Anxiety neurosis

This is a mental and nervous system disorder, the main symptom of which is anxiety. When anxiety neurosis develops, it is diagnosed physiological symptoms, which are associated with work failure autonomic system. Periodically, anxiety increases, sometimes accompanied by panic attacks. Anxiety disorder, as a rule, develops as a result of prolonged mental overload or severe stress. The disease has the following symptoms:

feeling of anxiety for no reason (a person is worried about little things);
obsessive thoughts;
fear;
depression;
sleep disorders;
hypochondria;
migraine;
tachycardia;
dizziness;
nausea, digestive problems.

Anxiety syndrome does not always manifest itself in the form independent illness, it often accompanies depression, phobic neurosis, and schizophrenia. This mental illness quickly develops into a chronic form, and the symptoms become permanent. Periodically, a person experiences exacerbations, during which panic attacks, irritability, and tearfulness appear. A constant feeling of anxiety can develop into other forms of disorders - hypochondria, neurosis obsessive states.

Hangover anxiety

When drinking alcohol, the body becomes intoxicated, and all organs begin to fight this condition. Gets down to business first nervous system– at this time, intoxication sets in, which is characterized by mood swings. Afterwards, a hangover syndrome begins, in which all systems of the human body struggle with alcohol. Signs of hangover anxiety include:

Depression

This disease can occur in a person of any age and social group. As a rule, depression develops after some kind of traumatic situation or stress. Mental illness may be triggered by severe experiences of failure. Emotional shocks can lead to depressive disorder: death of a loved one, divorce, serious illness. Sometimes depression appears for no reason. Scientists believe that in such cases the causative agent is neurochemical processes - a failure metabolic process hormones that affect a person’s emotional state.

Manifestations of depression can vary. The disease can be suspected if the following symptoms occur:

frequent feeling anxiety for no apparent reason;
reluctance to do usual work (apathy);
sadness;
chronic fatigue;
decreased self-esteem;
indifference to other people;
difficulty concentrating;
reluctance to communicate;
difficulty in making decisions.

How to get rid of worry and anxiety

Every person periodically experiences feelings of anxiety and fear. If at the same time it becomes difficult for you to overcome these conditions or they differ in duration, which interferes with your work or personal life, you should contact a specialist. Signs that you should not delay going to the doctor:

you sometimes have panic attacks for no reason;
you feel inexplicable fear;
during anxiety, you lose your breath, your blood pressure rises, and you feel dizzy.

Using medications for fear and anxiety

To treat anxiety and get rid of feelings of fear that arise for no reason, a doctor may prescribe a course of drug therapy. However, taking medications is most effective when combined with psychotherapy. Treat anxiety and fear exclusively medicines inappropriate. Compared to people using mixed type therapy, patients who only take pills are more likely to relapse.

Initial stage mental illness is usually treated mild antidepressants. If the doctor notices a positive effect, maintenance therapy is then prescribed for six months to 12 months. Types of drugs, doses and time of administration (in the morning or at night) are prescribed exclusively individually for each patient. In severe cases of the disease, pills for anxiety and fear are not suitable, so the patient is placed in a hospital, where antipsychotics, antidepressants and insulin are injected.

Drugs that have a tranquilizing effect, but are sold in pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription, include:

"Novo-passit". Take 1 tablet three times a day, the duration of the course of treatment for causeless anxiety is prescribed by the doctor.
"Valerian". Take 2 tablets daily. The course lasts 2-3 weeks.
"Grandaxin". Take 1-2 tablets three times a day as prescribed by your doctor. The duration of treatment is determined depending on the patient’s condition and clinical picture.
"Persen." The drug is taken 2-3 times a day, 2-3 tablets. Treatment for causeless anxiety, feelings of panic, restlessness, and fear lasts no more than 6-8 weeks.

Using psychotherapy for anxiety disorders

Effective way treatment of causeless anxiety and panic attacks is cognitive- behavioral psychotherapy. It aims to transform unwanted behavior. As a rule, it is possible to cure a mental disorder in 5-20 sessions with a specialist. The doctor, after conducting diagnostic tests and passing tests on the patient, helps the person remove negative thinking patterns and irrational beliefs that fuel the resulting feeling of anxiety.

Cognitive psychotherapy focuses on the patient's cognition and thinking, not just their behavior. During therapy, a person confronts their fears in a controlled, safe environment. Through repeated immersion in a situation that causes fear in the patient, he gains more and more control over what is happening. A direct look at the problem (fear) does not cause damage; on the contrary, feelings of anxiety and worry are gradually leveled out.

Features of treatment

Anxiety responds well to therapy. The same applies to fear without reason, and to achieve positive results succeeds in short term. Among the most effective techniques that can eliminate anxiety disorders include: hypnosis, consistent desensitization, confrontation, behavioral psychotherapy, physical rehabilitation. The specialist chooses the choice of treatment based on the type and severity of the mental disorder.

Generalized anxiety disorder

If in phobias fear is associated with a specific object, then anxiety in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) covers all aspects of life. It is not as strong as during panic attacks, but it is longer lasting, and therefore more painful and difficult to bear. This mental disorder is treated in several ways:

Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy. This technique is considered the most effective for the treatment of causeless feelings of anxiety in GAD.
Exposure and reaction prevention. The method is based on the principle of living anxiety, that is, a person completely succumbs to fear without trying to overcome it. For example, the patient tends to get nervous when one of his relatives is delayed, imagining the worst that could happen (a loved one had an accident, he was overtaken by heart attack). Instead of worrying, the patient should succumb to panic and experience fear to the fullest. Over time, the symptom will become less intense or disappear altogether.

Panic attacks and anxiety

Treatment of anxiety that occurs without a reason for fear can be carried out by taking medications - tranquilizers. With their help, symptoms are quickly eliminated, including sleep disturbances and mood swings. However, such drugs have an impressive list side effects. There is another group of medications for mental disorders such as feelings of causeless anxiety and panic. These drugs are not potent; they are based on healing herbs: chamomile, motherwort, birch leaves, valerian.

Drug therapy is not advanced, since psychotherapy has been recognized as more effective in combating anxiety. At an appointment with a specialist, the patient finds out exactly what is happening to him, which is why the problems began (causes of fear, anxiety, panic). Afterwards, the doctor selects appropriate methods for treating the mental disorder. As a rule, therapy includes drugs that eliminate the symptoms of panic attacks, anxiety (pills) and a course of psychotherapeutic treatment.

Video: How to Deal with Unexplained Worry and Worry

Anxiety is one of the individual psychological characteristics of a person, manifested by a person’s increased tendency to worry, worry, and fear, which often does not have sufficient grounds. This state can also be characterized as an experience of discomfort, a premonition of some kind of threat. Anxiety disorder is usually classified as neurotic disorders, that is, to psychogenically caused pathological conditions, characterized by a varied clinical picture and the absence of personality disorders.

Anxiety can occur in people of any age, including young children, however, according to statistics, most often young women aged twenty to thirty suffer from anxiety disorder. And although from time to time, in certain situations, everyone can experience anxiety, we will talk about an anxiety disorder when this feeling becomes too strong and uncontrollable, which deprives a person of the ability to lead a normal life and engage in usual activities.

There are a number of disorders that include anxiety as symptoms. This is phobic, post-traumatic stress or panic disorder. About ordinary anxiety, as a rule, we're talking about, with generalized anxiety disorder. Excessively acute feelings of anxiety cause a person to worry almost constantly, as well as experience various psychological and physical symptoms.

Reasons for development

The exact reasons that contribute to the development of increased anxiety are unknown to science. Some people experience anxiety without visible reasons, for others it becomes a consequence of experienced psychological trauma. It is believed that a genetic factor may also play a role here. Thus, in the presence of certain genes in the brain, a certain chemical imbalance occurs, which causes a state of mental tension and anxiety.

If we take into account the psychological theory about the causes of anxiety disorder, then feelings of anxiety, as well as phobias, may initially arise as a conditioned reflex reaction to any irritating stimuli. Further similar reaction begins to arise even in the absence of such a stimulus. Biological theory suggests that anxiety is a consequence of certain biological abnormalities, e.g. elevated level production of neurotransmitters - conductors of nerve impulses in the brain.

Increased anxiety can also be a consequence of insufficient physical activity and poor nutrition. It is known that to maintain physical and mental health necessary correct mode, vitamins and microelements, as well as regular physical activity. Their absence negatively affects the entire human body and can cause an anxiety disorder.

For some people, anxiety may be associated with a new, unfamiliar environment that seems dangerous, their own life experiences in which unpleasant events and psychological trauma took place, as well as character traits.

In addition, a mental state such as anxiety can accompany many somatic diseases. First of all, this includes any endocrine disorders, including hormonal imbalance in women during menopause. Sudden feeling anxiety sometimes becomes a harbinger of a heart attack, and can also indicate a drop in blood sugar levels. Mental illness is also very often accompanied by anxiety. In particular, anxiety is one of the symptoms of schizophrenia, various neuroses, alcoholism, etc.

Kinds

Among existing types anxiety disorder most often in medical practice adaptive and generalized anxiety disorder occurs. In the first case, a person experiences uncontrollable anxiety in combination with other negative emotions when adapting to any stressful situation. In generalized anxiety disorder, the feeling of anxiety persists permanently and can be directed to a variety of objects.

There are several types of anxiety, the most studied and most common of them are:

For some people, anxiety is a character trait when a state of mental tension is always present, regardless of specific circumstances. In other cases, anxiety becomes a kind of means of avoiding conflict situations. At the same time, emotional stress gradually accumulates and can lead to the emergence of phobias.

For other people, anxiety becomes reverse side control. As a rule, a state of anxiety is characteristic of people striving for perfection, with increased emotional excitability, intolerance for mistakes, concerned about their own health.

In addition to the various types of anxiety, we can distinguish its main forms: open and closed. A person experiences open anxiety consciously, and this state can be acute and unregulated or compensated and controlled. Anxiety that is conscious and significant for a specific individual is called “instilled” or “cultivated.” In this case, anxiety acts as a kind of regulator of human activity.

Hidden anxiety disorder is much less common than open anxiety disorder. Such anxiety is unconscious to varying degrees and can manifest itself in a person’s behavior, excessive external calm, etc. In psychology, this state is sometimes called “inadequate calm.”

Clinical picture

Anxiety, like any other mental state, can be expressed in various levels human organization. So, at the physiological level, anxiety can cause the following symptoms:

At the emotional-cognitive level, anxiety manifests itself in constant mental tension, a feeling of helplessness and insecurity, fear and anxiety, decreased concentration, irritability and intolerance, and the inability to concentrate on a specific task. These manifestations often cause people to avoid social interactions, look for reasons not to attend school or work, etc. As a result, the state of anxiety only intensifies, and the patient’s self-esteem also suffers. By concentrating too much on one's own shortcomings, a person may begin to feel self-loathing and avoid any interpersonal relationships and physical contacts. Loneliness and a feeling of “second-classness” inevitably lead to problems in professional activity.

If we consider the manifestations of anxiety at the behavioral level, they may consist of nervous, mindless walking around the room, rocking in a chair, banging with fingers on the table, fiddling with one’s own lock of hair or foreign objects. The habit of biting your nails can also be a sign of increased anxiety.

With anxiety disorders of adaptation, a person may experience signs of panic disorder: sudden attacks of fear with the manifestation somatic symptoms(shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, etc.). With obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive thoughts come to the fore in the clinical picture. anxious thoughts and ideas that force a person to constantly repeat the same actions.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of anxiety should be made by a qualified psychiatrist based on the patient's symptoms, which should be observed over several weeks. As a rule, it is not difficult to identify an anxiety disorder, but difficulties may arise when determining its specific type, since many forms have the same Clinical signs, but differ in time and place of occurrence.

First of all, suspecting an anxiety disorder, the specialist pays attention to several important aspects. Firstly, the presence of signs increased anxiety, which may include sleep disorders, anxiety, phobias, etc. Secondly, the duration of the current clinical picture is taken into account. Thirdly, it is necessary to ensure that any symptoms present do not represent a reaction to stress, and are not related to pathological conditions and damage to internal organs and body systems.

Self diagnostic examination takes place in several stages and, in addition to a detailed interview with the patient, includes an assessment of his mental state, as well as somatic examination. Anxiety disorder must be distinguished from anxiety, which often accompanies alcohol addiction, since in this case a completely different medical intervention is required. Based on the results of the somatic examination, diseases of a somatic nature are also excluded.

As a rule, anxiety is a condition that can be corrected. The treatment method is selected by the doctor depending on the prevailing clinical picture and the suspected cause of the disorder. Today, the most commonly used drug therapy is using drugs that affect biological reasons anxiety and regulating the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, as well as psychotherapy aimed at the behavioral mechanisms of anxiety.

Anxiety syndrome, also called anxiety syndrome, is a separate disease characterized by a unique symptom complex.

Anxiety syndrome is divided into two main clinical categories: forms:

Generalized anxiety disorder;
Adaptive mental disorder with the presence of anxious mood.

In the case of the development of the first form, it is observed constant feeling anxiety, in other words, excessive anxiety, as well as other pathological emotions haunt the patient constantly and are projected onto a wide range of life circumstances. The second form manifests itself when difficulties arise in adapting to a particular stressful situation.

Symptoms

Excessive fear and anxiety, feelings of restlessness and tension that people suffering from this disease experience are often accompanied by certain physical ailments:

"Nervous stomach";
Shortness of breath;
Tachycardia.

Also, a state of anxiety within very often acts as a manifestation of schizoaffective psychosis. Under the influence of these strong influences, patients become deeply disappointed in everything, experience helplessness, despair, disappointment and, in the end, lose hope for a favorable outcome.

Diagnostics

To make a confident diagnosis of anxiety syndrome, the patient must complain of the following symptoms for at least several weeks:

Fear that there may be failures in the future, anxiety, problems with concentration, etc.
Motor tension, expressed in fussiness, headaches, trembling, inability to completely relax.
Autonomic hyperactivity, including cardiopalmus or breathing, hyperhidrosis, epigastric discomfort, dizziness and so on.

Also, the diagnosis is based on various psychological tests that have become widespread. The most frequently noted use is the Hospital Anxiety Scale, Personal Anxiety Scale, the Spielberger-Hanin Test and others. Necessarily The following points should be assessed:

Symptoms, for example, anxiety, fear, problems with autonomic regulation and falling asleep, etc.
Duration pathological manifestations(from several weeks or more).
Confidence that the observed symptoms are not a normal stress reaction;
Confidence that there is no connection between the manifestations of anxiety syndrome and pathologies of internal organs or that they are secondary to other existing mental problems.
Conditions for the manifestation of symptoms.

Reasons for the development of the disease

There are many reasons why anxiety-depressive syndrome can develop:

Cloudy weather, causing worries about the lack of sun.
Tragic events in the patient's life.
Lack of amino acids necessary for life, as well as some of their derivatives, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin.
Genetic predisposition;
Excessive psychological stress as a result of severe stress.
Side effects.

Video: Documentary "The Age of Anxiety"

Treatment

Anxious and anxiously suspicious syndrome should be treated comprehensively, Only this approach will help get rid of feelings of fear, anxiety and worry:

Of great importance psychotherapy, with the help of which negative experiences and anxious thoughts are eliminated and replaced with joyful and optimistic ones.
Has a strong beneficial effect on the patient’s psyche a change of scenery, lifestyle and even changing your daily routine. Mandatory conditions for alleviating the condition of patients with depressive-anxiety syndrome is to ensure their healthy eating , frequent walks around fresh air and moderate. Patients should to refuse from bad habits, learn to relax, and also breathe correctly. All this should be taught to the patient by the medical professionals treating him according to an individually developed program.
If necessary, appoint medications. Antidepressant medications are used to combat anxiety and alleviate depression. The main task is to choose the right drug, which can really help the patient and not harm him. Medications that have a sedative effect will help the patient calm down and reduce anxiety.

However, it should be taken into account that many such drugs can be addictive and should be prescribed only for a treatment course strictly specified in duration. Anxiety syndrome, the treatment of which was complex and lasted long enough to obtain a stable positive effect, can leave the patient forever. In general, as for the outcome of this disease, then in some patients even spontaneous recovery is possible, others relapse many years later, and some people may become couch potatoes for many years.

Feelings of causeless anxiety, irrational fear, tension and anxiety occur at least sometimes in every person. Anxiety is often caused by chronic lack of sleep, overwork and permanent stress, as well as progressive somatic or mental illness. The patient feels that he is in danger, but does not see the reasons for this condition.

Scientists have come to the conclusion that in addition to everyday situations that can provoke the occurrence of unaccountable anxiety, there are main reasons - genetic and biological. It is known that a child is more likely to inherit a tendency to an anxiety disorder if one of the parents had it.

Under the influence of severe stress, certain areas in the cerebral cortex are activated. When the fear passes, all changes disappear and the brain returns to normal functioning. However, in some cases everything is different, and reverse changes do not occur. Under the influence of constant stress, the cerebral cortex forms new neuron fibers, which contain a peptide that has the property of increasing anxiety.

This is proven by the fact that due to its excellent adaptive properties human body, the brain tries to independently fight unaccountable anxiety and. But it is not always possible for a person to get rid of the problem on his own, since fear constantly nests in the head and grows in any stressful situation.

Diseases accompanied by anxiety

The state of anxiety is characteristic of many mental and somatic diseases. For example, sudden anxiety may accompany without reason hormonal imbalance during menopause, pregnancy or hyperfunction thyroid gland. It may also indicate an incipient myocardial infarction or a hypoglycemic crisis in diabetes.

Many mental illnesses are characterized by constant internal alarm, which may occur at one or another stage of the disease. Thus, in schizophrenia, anxiety disorder is often a harbinger of exacerbation or occurs in the prodromal period. The clinical picture of neurosis is also characterized by increased anxiety and restlessness at the very beginning of the disease. Anxiety disorder is often combined with sleep disturbances, depression, nervousness, phobias, delusions or visions.

The list of diseases that can cause anxiety and restlessness is quite extensive:

If a strong feeling of anxiety lasts more than 3 days and is accompanied by general ill health, you should consult a therapist. He will write out directions for laboratory and instrumental examinations, since this is necessary to clarify the diagnosis. If any abnormalities in the state of health are detected, the therapist will refer the patient to additional consultation specialist of the relevant profile.

If no somatic pathologies are identified, then with a high degree of probability the patient will need a consultation with a psychotherapist or psychologist. The specialist will determine the factors that caused the anxiety. A patient who, in addition to anxiety, experiences depression, inappropriate behavior, delusions, or visions should be immediately referred to a psychiatrist.

In a state of depression, the patient does not always understand how to cope with this condition on his own and how to relieve the unbearable feeling of anxiety without the help of a specialist. Often such experiences lead to suicide.

In cases where anxiety and nervousness are accompanied by even a single loss of consciousness, tachycardia, cold sweat, shortness of breath or hand tremors, it is necessary to accompany the patient to medical institution. Similar condition may indicate the onset of a hypoglycemic coma or heart attack. This may also indicate the progression of psychosis, in which the patient poses a danger to himself and the people around him.

Treatment of Anxiety Disorders

In most cases more anxious state person does not require drug therapy. In this case, sessions with a professional psychologist to identify internal reasons that led to the occurrence of this symptom.

A conversation with a psychologist should help the patient overcome anxiety and phobias by rethinking behavior and identifying the factors that caused them. And only in case of severe disease, treatment may include the following:

Antidepressants. If the patient is severely depressed, the specialist may prescribe mood-enhancing medications such as Atarax, Prozac or Anafranil. For severe irritability, the prescription of antipsychotics (Tioxanthene, Sonapax, Haloperidol) is indicated.
Nootropics. In addition to sedatives, patients are recommended to take medications that improve blood supply to the brain and increase performance (Nootropil, Pantogram, Piracetam).
Tranquilizers(Phenazepam, Relanium, Rudotel, Mezapam). These sedatives reduce the patient's anxiety. Some of them have a pronounced hypnotic effect, which makes it possible to use them against insomnia, which often accompanies anxiety. However, taking tranquilizers excludes activities that require concentration and attention (for example, managing vehicles). If the patient’s work involves such activities, you should ask your doctor about the possibility of using daytime tranquilizers (Grandaxin, Rudotel). These tablets do not cause drowsiness, but relieve the patient from anxiety.

As auxiliary treatment can I have a drink folk remedies. Herbal infusions cannot provide a lasting result, but in mild cases they are quite applicable, and they practically do not cause side effects.

Pharmacological treatment can only help in combination with psychotherapy sessions. The specialist will help the patient master breathing and relaxation techniques, which the person can subsequently use independently to overcome emotional agitation.

Psychotherapeutic techniques

In order to completely take control of their emotions, the patient needs to rethink a lot and, possibly, change their lifestyle. A strong personality is able to overcome anxiety on his own, but there are no general recipes. A believing patient in moments of anxiety is helped by prayer, and a person of an esoteric bent can use the technique of repeated affirmations.

There are several main methods that are used for such patients:

Method of confrontation. The principle of this method is to simulate an alarming situation in which the patient feels fear in an environment that does not pose a threat to him. The patient must learn to master his emotions and take control of the situation. Repeated repetition of a situation with a positive outcome increases the patient’s confidence and reduces the level of anxiety.
Anti-anxiety psychotherapy. The essence of the method is to rid the patient of negative mental patterns that enhance a tense emotional state. To reduce anxiety, on average 5-20 such sessions are needed.
Hypnosis. This has been used for a long time and effective method treatment of anxiety disorder. It consists of working with the patient’s subconscious attitudes.

In addition, physical rehabilitation of the patient is important. For this purpose a complex is used special exercises, which help reduce stress, anxiety, relieve fatigue and improve the patient’s well-being. Also important is the daily routine, sufficient sleep, healthy food- source building materials to restore the body.