Taking Anxiety Disorders Seriously

It is often older people who are affected by anxiety disorders. Worries and fears about the threat of social decline, in relationships, about health or about not having enough money to live on are common causes. When people are young, they usually have the strength to find ways out of a perceived misery. However, anxiety disorders are not a generational problem, but also affect many young people. The first signs are palpitations, sweating and lying awake all night. If the anxiety and panic attacks continue, most of those affected gradually withdraw from their social environment. Other consequences are exhaustion and tiredness, concentration problems, irritability and nervousness. In the worst case, persistent anxiety and panic attacks end in a Depression.

Fear is not the same as fear

But not only changes in life or excessive worry can trigger anxiety disorders. Sudden phobias or panic attacks, whose trigger Certain situations, such as fear of flying, objects or environments such as confined spaces are the cause of long-term anxiety disorders. Disgust and fear of certain animals, the classic example being spiders, are also among the causes of panic. Finally, there are social anxiety disorders. These occur in people who feel insecure in certain situations, for example during exams, or who feel uncomfortable in company. Social isolation is often the result, which often leads to depression or drug addiction.

For anxiety disorders, Doctor visit

There are ways to successfully treat these anxiety disorders, especially if early Diagnosis As a rule, a regular complete health check If there is a specific reason, an intensive and informative conversation with your family doctor be the first step towards treatment. The first step is to find out the causes, if necessary by completing a detailed questionnaire. It is also necessary to consult a suitable psychologist or psychiatrist. Through discussions and self-reflection, fears can be identified and ways out of fear can be worked out. If the anxiety disorders are too severe, however, there is the option of combating the symptoms with medication in order to then tackle the causes of the problems on a solid basis with accompanying or subsequent psychotherapy.

Medications help treat the symptoms of anxiety disorder

Different medications are available depending on the requirements. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are among the most commonly administered active substances. The success is often delayed, but the dose can be individually varied in consultation with the treating doctor. If the anxiety disorders are more severe, a more limited treatment with benzodiazepines or buspirone is recommended. But be careful, the latter can lead to addiction after a relatively short time. Beta blockers have also shown success. The rule for all medications is that therapy should always be carried out under close supervision by a doctor. In addition, supportive measures such as anti-stress methods are strongly recommended. Attending a self-help group or other contact with people also helps to break down typical patterns of avoidance associated with anxiety disorders.