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Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders: As per the DSM-5, Anxiety Disorders include signs and symptoms of experiencing intense fear along with anxiety. Fear is an emotional feeling for when there is a real or a potential threat. Anxiety is what we are feeling when we are anticipating a potential threat.

 

1.Generalized Anxiety Disorder: This disorder is described as an individual experiencing extreme anxiety for the past 6 months. This anxiety and worry will interfere with an individuals' everyday functioning, with impairment socially, occupationally, and psychologically.

 

Signs and Symptoms: Restless; shakiness; fatigue; trouble sleeping; trouble concentrating.

 

Populations affected: Females are affected 2x more than men; the disorder increases in middle age, with decreasing in later life; occurs more frequently in developed countries than non-developed countries.

 

2.Separation Anxiety Disorder: An individual has excessive anxiety when separated from their home or from an important/attachment person in their life (such as a parent).This can occur close after a major loss such as a death, divorce; a move; becoming a parent.

 

Signs and Symptoms: Excessive anxiety over losing a significant other; fears to be alone; nightmares over a separation; sleeping difficulties; can cause major distress in all areas of our life: school/work/socially.

 

Population affected: More often in females; this is the most frequent anxiety disorder in children under 12 years old.

 

3.Panic Disorder: Ongoing, sudden panic attacks of intense fear.

 

Signs and Symptoms: Shakiness; increased heart rate; feelings of being short of breath and choking; dizziness; numbness; feelings of detachment and unreality.

 

Populations affected: Females; can occur in children; teenagers; peaks in adults, and rates decrease in individuals over 64 years of age.

 

4.Social Anxiety Disorder: Intense anxiety in a social setting, which causes an individual to avoid social settings as the individual has fears of being judged in a negative manner. This disorder causes impairment in functioning in an individuals' daily life.

 

Signs and Symptoms: Shakiness; poor eye contact with others; blushing; drinking before social event. Older adults may avoid social settings due to a disability, medical condition, memory problems.

 

Populations affected: Females affected the most; seen more in teenagers to young adults.

 

5.Agoraphobia: Intense anxiety when in closed in places ( stores); when in open spaces( bridges); on public transportation; being in a crowd; being away from home, and all alone.

 

Signs and Symptoms: Worries that something awful may happen; vomiting; getting lost; may have a panic attack; falls; and, some individuals may refuse to leave their home.

 

Population affected: Females; older teenagers; early adulthood.

 

6.Specific Phobia: An intense anxiety over a certain situation/object, that causes severe distress in all areas of our functioning: school/work/socially.

 

Examples: Animals; snakes; water; heights; injuries; medical care/blood; planes; elevators

 

Signs and Symptoms: Avoidance of object/situation causing intense fear. Fainting may occur; an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. These signs and symptoms may occur after experiencing a trauma or witnessing a trauma.

 

Populations affected: Females more than males with the exception of medical phobias of injuries/blood, or, injections, then both male and females affected the same. Phobias can begin at any age of our lives, especially after a trauma. If a phobia first begins in adulthood, it will continue on.

 

Risk Factors For Anxiety Disorders:

 

  • Being female

  • Widowed

  • Divorced

  • Close relatives with anxiety disorders

  • Exposed to stress both as a child and as an adult

  • Low economic resources

 

Local Resources:

 

Berks County

 

  • 1.Services, Access & Management of Berks County for Mental Health Services. Call: 610-236-0530

  • 2.Greater Reading Mental Health Alliance (An affiliate of Mental Health America), 1234 Penn Ave.Wyomissing, Pa. Call for Anxiety/Stress Support Groups at 610-775-3000.

  • 3.Haven Behavioral Hospital, Reading, Pa. Inpatient and Partial Hospitalization Services. Call 484-663-5349 

  • 4. Reading Hospital Behavioral Health Services, West Reading, Pa.Inpatient, Outpatient, Partial Hospitalization,Drug and Alcohol Services. Call 484-628-8000.

  • 5. Reading Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Room, West Reading, Pa. Call 484-628-HELP.

 

Greater Lehigh Valley

 

  • 1.Services, Access and Management of Lehigh and Northhampton Counties for Mental Health Services. Call 610-419-9102.

  • 2.National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI).802 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, Pa.Education/support/information for friends and family with mental illness. Call 610-882-2102.

  • 3.Lehigh Valley Health Network, Behavioral Health: Inpatient Care, Call 484-884-2485. For Outpatient Care, call 484-884-5783.For Partial Hospitalization, call 484-884-5690.

  • 4.Lehigh Valley Health Network: "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction" Group. Call 610-402-CARE.

  • 5.St. Luke's Behavioral Health Services: Support groups; Counseling; Crisis Team. Call 484-526-2400.

  • 6. Women's Mood & Anxiety Therapy Group; group meets in Allentown every Wednesday at 4:30 pm. Call 610-400-1092.

 

Web Sites:

 

 

Books:

 

Love Is Letting Go of Fear, by Gerald Jampolsky, M.D.

 

Hotlines:

 

  • 911

  • 1-800-SUICIDE

  • Local ( Berks County):

  • 610-236-0530 ( Select "0" for Crisis)

  • Text ruOK to 484-816-7865

​

References:

 

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association, 2013.

 

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Anxiety disorders.Retreived March 17, 2017 from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

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