Anxiety

Everyone feels anxious from time to time. Stressful situations such as meeting tight deadlines or important social obligations often make us nervous or fearful. Experiencing mild anxiety may help a person become more alert and focused on facing challenging or threatening circumstances.

But individuals who experience extreme fear and worry that does not subside may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. The frequency and intensity of anxiety can be overwhelming and interfere with daily functioning. Fortunately, the majority of people with an anxiety disorder improve considerably by getting effective psychological treatment.

Anxiety disorder can feel like a terrifying condition that compromises a person's quality of life. You may have sudden episodes or long-term anxiety that infringes on your stability and peace of mind. Whatever the frequency of your symptoms, this condition can have physical as well as psychological consequences.

High levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body can wreak havoc on the endocrine system and, in the long term, may even contribute to heart disease. You may feel permanently lethargic but unable to get a good night's sleep. Your skin, hair and nails might feel increasingly dry and brittle. Your mind might be plagued with repetitive thoughts and /or irrational fears.However, there is no need to suffer in silence.

Dr Satyajeet Singh, MD, AIIMS Patna Neuropsychiatrist (ex) offers a range of highly - effective treatments which can help get you back on track as swiftly as possible.

We offer you the best possible care in a totally non-judgmental environment. We employ a comprehensive treatment programmed for anxiety disorder and get patients feeling stable and confident as soon as possible.

TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS :

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - Excessive and unrelenting anxiety and worry

2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - These are generally characterized by uncontrollable thoughts and repetitive, ritualized behaviours such as repeatedly washing hands or checking mirrors

3. Panic Disorder - When a person has frequent panic attacks which are not triggered by specific situations

4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - While historically associated with servicemen who've been in battle, PTSD can affect anyone who has been significantly stressed by a person or situation

5. Phobias - These are often the source of anxiety or panic attacks. They're typically triggered by specific thoughts or situations. Examples include Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder (fear of mixing with people), Agoraphobia (fear of leaving your home / open spaces), Arachnophobia (fear of spiders, snakes) etc.

SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY DISORDERS :

Anxiety disorder often triggers physical symptoms such as:

1). Frequently needing to pass water or diarrhoea

2). Feeling tense and jumpy

3). Frequent feeling of apprehension

4). Trouble concentration

5. Headache

6. Fatigue

7. Insomnia

8. Sweating, Upset stomach, Dizziness

9. Shortness of breath

11. Irritability, Restlessness, Nervousness

12. Watching the sound of danger

13. Feeling as mind has gone blank or frozen

14. Pounding heart & general muscle tension.

TREATMENTS OF ANXIETY DISORDERS :

Anxiety disorder may feel like a crippling condition but there is no need to let it ruin your life. The team at Dr Satyajeet Singh, MD, AIIMS Patna Neuropsychiatrist (ex) can help you make a solid and swift recovery.

Our psychiatrists and therapists have the skills and experience to help you get better in a relaxing, therapeutic space.

They may prescribe a mixture of medication (either temporarily or long term), along with specialized and very supportive counselling. The goal is to help patients rebuild their lives and manage the symptoms of anxiety to their best ability.

If you'd like to find out how we can help you, please get in touch and we'll be happy to talk you through the different treatment options available.

We feel it's important to treat anxiety disorder quickly as symptoms can intensify. Most patients report a significant improvement in symptoms as soon as they begin treatment.

ARE THERE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS AVAILABLE FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS :

Absolutely. Most cases of anxiety disorder can be treated successfully by appropriately trained mental health professionals such as licensed psychologists. Psychotropics drugs such as SSRIs & benzodiazapines are only short term answer to universal phenomenon of anxiety & depressogenic automatic thoughts.

Research has demonstrated that a form of psychotherapy known as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be highly effective in treating anxiety disorders. Psychologists use CBT to help people identify and learn to manage the factors that contribute to their anxiety.

We should know that our mind is somewhat biased to suffer from bad Automatic Thoughts. What only is needed is recognition & replacement of theses negative cognitive errors with positive thinking styles.

Behavioural therapy involves using techniques to reduce or stop the undesired behaviors associated with these disorders. For example, one approach involves training patients in relaxation & deep breathing techniques to counteract the agitation and rapid, shallow breathing that accompany certain anxiety disorders.

Through cognitive therapy, patients learn to understand how their thoughts contribute to the symptoms of anxiety disorders, and how to change those thought patterns to reduce the likelihood of occurrence and the intensity of reaction. The patient's increased cognitive awareness is often combined with behavioral techniques to help the individual gradually confront and tolerate fearful situations in a controlled, safe environment.

Along with psychotherapy, appropriate medications may have a role in treatment. In cases where medications are used, the patient's care may be managed collaboratively by more than one provider of treatment. It is important for patients to realize that there are side effects to any drugs, which must be monitored closely by the provider who prescribed the medication.