Anxiety Is a Psychological Condition That Presents

Anxiety is a psychological condition that presents physiological and psychiatric symptoms and has profound social impacts on the lives of those who have anxiety disorders. There are several psychological conditions that are considered anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive, panic, and post-traumatic stress disorders. These disorders can be continuous or episodic, depending upon the manifestation of a person's symptom.

Anxiety is a term used by the general public to describe non-pathological, 'normal' responses to stressors, but the psychological disorders under the umbrella of anxiety involves experiences which interfere with an individual's ability to function and may cause extreme distress. An individual experiencing either continuous or episodic a nxiety might feel physiological symptoms, including muscular tension and hyperventilation, physical symptoms, including nausea and insomnia, and well as mental apprehension and panic (Healy 2009).

Panic disorder, which may affect up to six million Americans, is often characterized by the physical symptoms accompanying "sudden attacks of terror," including sweating, pounding heart, and dizziness, which can sometimes make the sufferer feel like they are having a heart attack. Obsessive compulsive disorder entails the repeated disturbing thoughts and ritualistic behaviors which interfere with an individual's ability to function and have a high quality of life.

Post traumatic stress disorder develops following an experience involving bodily harm of the threat of harm and was first characterized in veterans of war; persons with PTSD are prone to being startled, experiencing severe and sudden anger, feeling emotional disconnected from loved ones, and anhedonia. Social anxiety disorder is associated with a fear of being watched or judged, self-conciousness, and dread leading up to a perceive stressful event and physical symptoms of anxiety while the event is occurring. Finally, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a disorder in which people feel a pronounced and persistent anxiety throughout the course of their day and feel the threat of an impending disaster even when there is no logical reason to anticipate such an occurrence (NIMH 2010).

Children and Teens

The treatment of anxiety disorders in children is an important and delicate issue. A study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that children with anxiety disorders are "liked less" than children who do not have anxiety disorders and suffer from a lower perceived peer status (Strauss 1987) Another study in 2004 demonstrated that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was an effective treatment for children over the age of six with anxiety disorders that did not include phobia, PTSD or OCD. CBT is a type of psychotherapy that uses discussion, "talk therapy" to engender a self-analysis of the motivations and impulses behind behaviors and reactions. Behavioral modifications can impact the way individuals, including children, process and respond to anxiety triggers. The study showed that cognitive behavior therapy has a remission rate of 56.5% (S Cartwright-Hatton 2004).

The clinical manifestations of anxiety disorders in teens and young adults seem to be similar to those found in adults. A primary difference is in the ability for self-directed care management is clearly not present in minors; teens have fewer options at their disposal to seek out treatment and medication for themselves. A medical information clearinghouse website, seeking to explain the experiences of teens with general anxiety disorders stated:

"When a teen with social anxiety disorder is faced with uncomfortable situations, they often experience sweating, racing heart, stomach discomfort, dizziness, and the uncontrollable urge to cry. Because their discomfort leads them to isolate and avoid certain situations, social anxiety disorder disrupts their ability to lead a normal life (Health Center 2007)."

Social Impact

A study was conducted in 1999 to determine the costs associated with anxiety disorder of the social anxiety type. By talking to patients by mail and phone, the researchers were able to examine the direct and indirect financial impact of social anxiety disorder as well as the toll social anxiety took on participants' lives. There are many interrelated sociological variables to consider in the assessment of the qualitative and quantitative effects of anxiety on a population and in individual lives. The cost of medical care is not the only financial impact attributed to anxiety; wages lost from inability to work and subsequent loss of housing, education, childcare and the accrual of debt are potential long-term financial effects of severe anxiety. These contribute to a diminished quality of life in persons affected by anxiety; this study found that 21% of respondent had attempted suicide in relation to their social anxiety disorder (Katzelnick 2002).

Persons with generalized anxiety disorder also face stigma from the general population as well as from their physicians. A survey of 558 primary care physicians showed that only 56.9% of doctors in viewed anxiety as a real medical disorder entailing a necessity for clinical management and significant patient distress. This is study found that patients with clinical diagnoses for generalized anxiety disorder, in comparison to patients presenting to the same doctors with massive depressive episodes, were far less likely to receive psychotropic drug treatment or referrals to specialized care (Wittchen 2002).