Anxiety Disorders and Treatments
Randi Botnick, Clinical HypnotherapistWell Being Holistic Pharmacy & Healing Center
Two Kinds of Anxiety
• Mild Anxiety May be vague and unsettling
• Severe or Pathological AnxietyCan be extremely debilitating, having a serious impact on daily life
Symptoms of Mild Anxiety
Sweaty Palms Nervousness Jitters
Shallow Breathing
Rapid Heart Rate
Feeling Tingly
Butterflies in Stomach
Mild Anxiety Comprises:
• General Worry• Dread• Worry About Things
Mild Anxiety Comprises:
• GENERAL WORRYWorry has become a mental habit; always focused on worst case scenarios and “what if?”
Mild Anxiety Comprises:
• DREADDistorted thinking which leads to hopelessness and despair
Mild Anxiety Comprises:
• WORRY ABOUT THINGSConsumed with consuming material possessions; needing to control, organize and sort through our “stuff”
Symptoms of Pathological Anxiety
Repetitive Mind
Anxiety Attacks
Inexplicable Fear
Anxiety Attacks
Difficulty Breathing
Chronic Headaches
Insomnia
Pathological Anxiety Comprises:
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)• Panic Disorder• Social Anxiety Disorder• Anticipatory Anxiety• Separation Anxiety
Pathological Anxiety Comprises:
• GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDERChronic and consistent anxiety and worry about what may happen
Pathological Anxiety Comprises:
• POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDEROccurs in the wake of a terrifying ordeal.Events are endlessly replayed; noises, smells or events may trigger traumatic memories; nightmares
Pathological Anxiety Comprises:
• OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDERDisturbing ideas or images flood the person’s mind, then routine, repetitive rituals are created to rid the mind of the images
Pathological Anxiety Comprises:
• PANIC DISORDEROverwhelming feelings of terror and anxiety seize the sufferer suddenly and without warning; a sense of impending doom often accompanies panicky feelings.The heart palpitations and chest pains may cause sufferers to think they are having a heart attack.
Pathological Anxiety Comprises:
• SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDERFear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression in social situations and interactions
Pathological Anxiety Comprises:
• ANTICIPATORY ANXIETYAn acute form of worry; experienced before starting a challenging activity
Pathological Anxiety Comprises:
• SEPARATION ANXIETYOften occurs in children, but can occur in anyone who feels anxious about being away from home or someone they love
The Stress Response
1. When you encounter perceived threats, your hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, located atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.
2. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.
3. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with regions of your brain that control mood, motivation and fear.
Anxiety
Treatments
Mind-Body Approaches
Emotional Therapies
Physical Therapies
Nutritional Therapies
Supplements and Natural Remedies