Article: Anxiety disorder

Anxiety disorder is a blanket cover term covering several different forms of abnormal, pathological anxiety, fear, phobia and nervous condition, that may come on suddenly, or gradually over a period of several years, and may impair or prevent the pursuing of normal daily routines.

Types

The various anxiety disorders listed by DSM-III-R are as follows:

• Panic disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Social Anxiety Disorder, also known as social phobia
• Specific phobia, or simple phobia
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Treatment

Anxiety disorders are often debilitating chronic conditions, which can be present from an early age or begin suddenly after a triggering event. They are prone to flare up at times of high stress.

A number of drugs are used to treat these disorders. These include benzodiazepines and antidepressants of all main classes (SSRIs, TCAs, MAOis), and Quetiapine.

Many of these disorders can also be treated (with or without adjuctive pharmaceutical therapy) with the aid of a good counselor and behavioral therapies such as cognitive therapy.