Severe anxiety for no reason. Treatment of pathological anxiety

Anxiety is an emotion that all people experience when they are nervous or afraid of something. Constantly being “on edge” is unpleasant, but what can you do if life is like this: there will always be a reason for anxiety and fear, you need to learn to keep your emotions under control, and everything will be fine. In most cases this is exactly the case.

It's normal to worry. Sometimes this can even be beneficial: when we worry about something, we pay more attention to it, work harder, and generally achieve better results.

But sometimes anxiety goes beyond reasonable limits and interferes with life. And this is an anxiety disorder - a condition that can ruin everything and which requires special treatment.

Why does anxiety disorder occur?

As in the case of most mental disorders, no one can say exactly why anxiety clings to us: too little is known about the brain to talk about the reasons with confidence. Several factors are likely to blame, from ever-present genetics to traumatic experiences.

For some, anxiety appears due to the stimulation of certain parts of the brain, for some, hormones - and norepinephrine - are acting up, and for others, the disorder occurs as a result of other diseases, and not necessarily mental ones.

What is an anxiety disorder?

To anxiety disorders Studying Anxiety Disorders. include several groups of diseases.

• Generalized anxiety disorder. This is the case when anxiety does not appear because of exams or the upcoming meeting with the parents of a loved one. Anxiety comes on its own, it does not need a reason, and the feelings are so strong that they prevent a person from performing even simple everyday activities.
• Social anxiety disorder. Fear that prevents you from being among people. Some are afraid of other people's assessments, others are afraid of other people's actions. Be that as it may, it interferes with studying, working, even going to the store and saying hello to neighbors.
• Panic disorder. People with this disease experience panic attacks: they become so scared that they sometimes cannot take a step. The heart is beating at a breakneck speed, the vision is getting dark, there is not enough air. These attacks can come at the most unexpected moment, and sometimes because of them a person is afraid to leave the house.
• Phobias. When a person is afraid of something specific.

In addition, anxiety disorder often occurs in combination with other problems: bipolar or obsessive-compulsive disorder or.

How to understand that this is a disorder

The main symptom is a constant feeling of anxiety, which lasts for at least six months, provided that there are no reasons to be nervous or they are insignificant, and emotional reactions are disproportionately strong. This means that anxiety changes your life: you give up work, projects, walks, meetings or acquaintances, some activities just because you are too worried.

Other symptoms Generalized anxiety disorder in adults - Symptoms., which hint that something is wrong:

• constant fatigue;
• insomnia;
• constant fear;
• inability to concentrate;
• inability to relax;
• trembling in hands;
• irritability;
• dizziness;
• frequent heartbeat, although there are no cardiac pathologies;
• increased sweating;
• pain in the head, stomach, muscles - despite the fact that doctors do not find any violations.

There is no exact test or analysis that can be used to identify an anxiety disorder, because anxiety cannot be measured or touched. The decision on the diagnosis is made by a specialist who looks at all the symptoms and complaints.

Because of this, there is a temptation to go to extremes: either diagnosing yourself with a disorder when life has just begun, or not paying attention to your condition and scolding your weak-willed character, when, due to fear, an attempt to go out into the street turns into a feat.

Don’t get carried away and confuse constant stress and constant anxiety.

Stress is a response to a stimulus. For example, a call from a dissatisfied client. When the situation changes, the stress goes away. But anxiety may remain - this is a reaction of the body that occurs even if there is no direct impact. For example, when an incoming call comes from a regular customer who is happy with everything, but it’s still scary to pick up the phone. If the anxiety is so strong that any phone call is torture, then this is already a disorder.

There is no need to bury your head in the sand and pretend that everything is fine when constant stress interferes with your life.

It is not customary to consult a doctor with such problems, and anxiety is often confused with suspiciousness and even cowardice, and being a coward in society is shameful.

If a person shares his fears, he is more likely to receive advice to pull himself together and not become limp than an offer to find a good doctor. The trouble is that you won’t be able to overcome a disorder with a powerful willpower, just as you won’t be able to cure it with meditation.

How to treat anxiety

Persistent anxiety is treated like other mental disorders. This is why there are psychotherapists who, contrary to popular belief, do not just talk to patients about difficult childhoods, but help them find methods and techniques that truly improve their condition.

Some people will feel better after a few conversations, others will benefit from pharmacology. The doctor will help you reconsider your lifestyle, find the reasons why you are nervous a lot, assess how severe your symptoms are and whether you need to take medications.

If you don't think you need a therapist yet, try taming your anxiety on your own.

1. Find the reason

Analyze what makes you worry the most and most often, and try to eliminate this factor from your life. Anxiety is a natural mechanism that is needed for our own safety. We are afraid of something dangerous that can harm us.

Maybe if you are constantly shaking with fear of your boss, it’s better to change jobs and relax? If you succeed, it means that your anxiety is not caused by a disorder, there is no need to treat anything - live and enjoy life. But if you can’t identify the cause of your anxiety, then it’s better to seek help.

2. Exercise regularly

There are many blind spots in the treatment of mental disorders, but researchers agree on one thing: regular physical activity really helps keep your mind in order.

3. Let your brain rest

The best thing is to sleep. Only in sleep does the brain overloaded with fears relax, and you get a break.

4. Learn to slow down your imagination with work.

Anxiety is a reaction to something that hasn't happened. It's the fear of what might happen. Essentially, anxiety exists only in our heads and is completely irrational. Why is it important? Because counteracting anxiety is not calm, but reality.

While all sorts of horrors are happening in the anxious imagination, in reality everything goes on as usual, and one of the best ways to turn off the constantly itching fear is to return to the present, to current tasks.

For example, keep your head and hands busy with work or sports.

5. Stop smoking and drinking

When the body is already a mess, it is at least illogical to shake the fragile balance with substances that affect the brain.

6. Learn relaxation techniques

The rule “the more the better” applies here. Learn breathing exercises, find relaxing yoga poses, try music or even drink chamomile tea or use lavender essential oil in your room. Everything in a row until you find several options that will help you.

Every person since childhood has at least once experienced panic and fear for no reason. The strong excitement that comes out of nowhere, the feeling of overwhelming panic, cannot be forgotten; it accompanies a person everywhere. People suffering from phobias and bouts of unreasonable fear are well aware of the unpleasant sensations of a faint state, trembling of the limbs, the appearance of deafness and “goosebumps” before the eyes, rapid pulse, sudden headache, weakness throughout the body, and onset of nausea.

The reason for this state is easily explained - an unfamiliar environment, new people, anxiety before a performance, exams or an unpleasant serious conversation, fear in the doctor’s or boss’s office, anxiety and worries about your life and the lives of loved ones. Causal anxieties and fears are treatable and are facilitated by withdrawing from the situation or ending the action that causes discomfort.

Much more difficult is the situation when an anxious feeling of panic and fear arises for no reason. Anxiety is a constant, restless, growing feeling of inexplicable fear that occurs in the absence of danger and threat to a person’s life. Psychologists distinguish 6 types of anxiety disorders:

1. Alarm attacks. They appear when a person has to experience the same exciting episode or unpleasant event that has already happened in his life and its outcome is unknown.
2. Generalized disorder. A person with this disorder constantly feels like something is going to happen or something is going to happen.
3. Phobias. This is the fear of non-existent objects (monsters, ghosts), the experience of a situation or action (heights-flying, water-swimming) that do not actually pose a danger.
4. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. These are obsessive thoughts that an action forgotten by a person can harm someone, endless rechecking of these actions (faucet not closed, iron not turned off), actions repeated many times (washing hands, cleaning).
5. Social disorder. It manifests itself as very strong shyness (stage fright, fear of crowds).
6. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Constant fear that events that resulted in injury or life-threatening events will happen again.

Interesting! A person cannot name a single reason for his anxious state, but he can explain how he is overcome by a feeling of panic - the imagination produces a variety of terrible pictures from everything that a person has seen, knows or read.

A person feels the attacks of a panic attack physically. A sudden attack of deep anxiety is accompanied by a decrease in blood pressure, constriction of blood vessels, numbness of the arms and legs, a feeling of the unreality of what is happening, confused thoughts, and a desire to run away and hide.

There are three distinct types of panic:

• Spontaneous - occurs unexpectedly, without reasons or circumstances.
• Situational - appears when a person expects an unpleasant situation or some difficult problem.
• Conditional-situational - manifests itself as a result of the use of a chemical substance (alcohol, tobacco, drugs).

It happens that there are no apparent reasons. Seizures occur on their own. Anxiety and fear haunt a person, but at these moments in his life nothing threatens him, there are no difficult physical and psychological situations. Attacks of anxiety and fear increase, preventing a person from living, working, communicating and dreaming normally.

Main symptoms of attacks

The constant fear that an anxiety attack will begin at the most unexpected moment and in any crowded place (on a bus, in a cafe, in a park, in a workplace) only strengthens a person’s consciousness, which is already destroyed by anxiety.

Physiological changes during a panic attack that warn of an imminent attack:

• cardiopalmus;
• feeling of anxiety in the thoracic region (bursting in the chest, incomprehensible pain, “lump in the throat”);
• changes and surges in blood pressure;
• development ;
• lack of air;
• fear of imminent death;
• feeling of heat or cold, nausea, vomiting, dizziness;
• temporary lack of sharp vision or hearing, loss of coordination;
• loss of consciousness;
• uncontrolled urination.

All this can cause irreparable harm to human health.

Important! Physical disorders such as spontaneous vomiting, debilitating migraines, anorexia or bulimia can become chronic. A person with a damaged psyche will not be able to live a full life.

Hangover anxiety

A hangover is a headache, unbearable dizziness, no way to remember yesterday's events, nausea and vomiting, disgust for what was drunk and eaten yesterday. A person has already become accustomed to this condition, and it does not cause any concern, but as it develops gradually, the problem can develop into serious psychosis. When a person drinks alcohol in large quantities, a malfunction occurs in the circulatory system and the brain does not receive enough blood and oxygen; a similar disorder occurs in the spinal cord. This is how vegetative-vascular dystonia appears.

Symptoms of an anxiety hangover are:

• disorientation;
• memory lapses - a person cannot remember where he is and what year he lives in;
• hallucinations - not understanding whether it is a dream or reality;
• rapid pulse, dizziness;
• sense of anxiety.

In severely drunk people, in addition to the main symptoms, aggression and persecution mania appear - all this gradually begins to take on a more complex form: delirium tremens and manic-depressive psychosis begin. The chemicals have a destructive effect on the nervous system and brain, the pain is so unpleasant that a person thinks about suicide. Depending on the severity of the anxiety hangover, drug treatment is indicated.

Anxiety neurosis

Physical and psychological fatigue, mild or acute stressful situations are the causes of anxiety neurosis in a person. This disorder often develops into a more complex form of depression or even a phobia. Therefore, you need to start treating anxiety neurosis as early as possible.

More women suffer from this disorder, since their hormonal levels are more vulnerable. Symptoms of neurosis:

• sense of anxiety;
• heartbeat;
• dizziness;
• pain in different organs.

Important! Young people with an unstable psyche, with problems in the endocrine system, women during menopause and hormonal imbalance, as well as people whose relatives suffered from neuroses or depression are susceptible to anxiety neurosis.

During the acute period of neurosis, a person experiences a feeling of fear, which turns into a panic attack, which can last up to 20 minutes. There is shortness of breath, lack of air, trembling, disorientation, dizziness, and fainting. Treatment of anxiety neurosis involves taking hormonal medications.

Depression

A mental disorder in which a person cannot enjoy life, enjoy communicating with loved ones, does not want to live, is called depression and can last up to 8 months. Many people are at risk of developing this disorder if they have:

• unpleasant events - loss of loved ones, divorce, problems at work, absence of friends and family, financial problems, poor health or stress;
• psychological trauma;
• relatives suffering from depression;
• traumas received in childhood;
• self-prescribed medications taken;
• drug use (alcohol and amphetamines);
• previous head injury;
• various episodes of depression;
• chronic conditions (diabetes, chronic lung disease and cardiovascular disease).

Important! If a person has symptoms such as lack of mood, depression, apathy independent of circumstances, lack of interest in any type of activity, a pronounced lack of strength and desire, and fatigue, then the diagnosis is obvious.

A person suffering from a depressive disorder is pessimistic, aggressive, anxious, experiences constant feelings of guilt, is unable to concentrate, has poor appetite, insomnia, and has thoughts of suicide.

Prolonged undiagnosed depression can lead a person to use alcohol or other types of substances, which will significantly affect his health, life and the lives of his loved ones.

Such different phobias

A person suffering from anxiety disorders, who also experiences anxiety, is on the verge of transitioning to a more serious neurotic and mental illness. If fear is the fear of something real (animals, events, people, circumstances, objects), then phobia is a disease of a sick imagination, when fear and its consequences are invented. A person suffering from a phobia constantly sees objects or waits for situations that are unpleasant and frightening to him, which explains attacks of causeless fear. Having thought up and built up danger and threat in his mind, a person begins to experience a feeling of severe anxiety, panic begins, attacks of suffocation begin, hands sweat, legs become weak, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness.

The types of phobias are very different and are classified according to the expression of fear:

• social phobia - fear of being the center of attention;
• agoraphobia - fear of being helpless.

Phobias associated with objects, objects or actions:

• animals or insects - fear of dogs, spiders, flies;
• situations - fear of being alone with yourself, with foreigners;
• natural forces - fear of water, light, mountains, fire;
• health - fear of doctors, blood, microorganisms;
• states and actions - fear of speaking, walking, flying;
• objects - fear of computers, glass, wood.

Attacks of restlessness and anxiety in a person can be caused by seeing an example situation in a movie or theater, from which he once in reality received mental trauma. Attacks of unreasonable fear often occur due to the running wild of the imagination, which produced terrible pictures of a person’s fears and phobias, causing a panic attack.

Watch this video with a useful exercise “How to get rid of fear and anxiety”:

Diagnosis established

A person lives in a constant restless state, which is aggravated by causeless fear, and anxiety attacks become frequent and long-lasting, he is diagnosed with "". This diagnosis is indicated by the presence of at least four recurring symptoms:

• rapid pulse;
• hot rapid breathing;
• attacks of suffocation;
• stomach ache;
• feeling of “not your body”;
• fear of death;
• fear of going crazy;
• chills or sweating;
• chest pain;
• fainting.

Independent and medical assistance

Specialists in the field of psychology (for example, psychologist Nikita Valerievich Baturin) will help you timely find out the causes of anxiety, which is why panic attacks occur, and will also find out how to treat a particular phobia and get rid of attacks of unreasonable fear.

Different types of therapy may be prescribed and carried out by a specialist:

• body-oriented psychotherapy;
• psychoanalysis;
• neurolinguistic programming;
• systemic family psychotherapy;

In addition to medication, you can try to prevent or alleviate anxiety on your own. It could be:

• - breathe with your stomach or inflate a balloon;
• taking a contrast shower;
• distracting counting of objects in the room or outside the window;
• taking herbal tinctures;
• playing sports or doing something you love;
• walks in the open air.

Relatives, family and friends of a person suffering from disorders can be of great help in identifying the problem. By talking to a person, you can learn much faster and more about his illness; he himself may never talk about his fears and anxieties.

Supporting family and friends with kind words and deeds, following simple rules during periods of panic attacks and anxiety, regular visits to specialists and systematic implementation of their recommendations - all this contributes to the speedy relief of existing disorders and complete relief from them.

Every person is periodically in a state of worries And anxiety . If anxiety manifests itself in connection with a clearly defined reason, then this is a normal, everyday occurrence. But if such a condition occurs, at first glance, for no reason, then it may signal health problems.

How does anxiety manifest itself?

Excitement , anxiety , anxiety manifested by an obsessive feeling of anticipation of certain troubles. In this case, the person is in a depressed mood, internal anxiety forces a partial or complete loss of interest in the activity that previously seemed pleasant to him. Anxiety is often accompanied by headaches, problems with sleep and appetite. Sometimes the heart rhythm is disturbed, and attacks of rapid heartbeat occur periodically.

As a rule, a person experiences constant anxiety in his soul against the background of alarming and uncertain life situations. These could be worries about personal problems, illnesses of loved ones, dissatisfaction with professional success. Fear and anxiety often accompany the process of waiting for important events or any results that are of paramount importance to a person. He tries to find the answer to the question of how to overcome the feeling of anxiety, but in most cases he cannot get rid of this condition.

A constant feeling of anxiety is accompanied by internal tension, which may manifest itself in some external symptoms - trembling , muscle tension . Feelings of anxiety and restlessness bring the body into a state of constant " combat readiness" Fear and anxiety prevent a person from sleeping normally and concentrating on important matters. As a result, so-called social anxiety appears, associated with the need to interact in society.

The constant feeling of inner restlessness may worsen later. Added to this are some specific fears. Sometimes motor restlessness manifests itself - constant involuntary movements.

It is quite clear that such a condition significantly worsens the quality of life, so a person begins to look for an answer to the question of how to get rid of feelings of anxiety. But before taking any sedatives, you should definitely establish the exact causes of anxiety. This is possible subject to a comprehensive examination and consultation with a doctor who will tell you how to get rid of anxiety. If the patient bad dream, and anxiety constantly haunts him, it is important to determine the original cause of this condition. Prolonged stay in this state is fraught with serious depression. By the way, a mother’s anxiety can be transmitted to her baby. Therefore, the child’s anxiety during feeding is often associated with the mother’s anxiety.

The extent to which anxiety and fear are inherent in a person depends to a certain extent on a number of personal qualities of the person. It is important who he is - a pessimist or an optimist, how stable he is psychologically, how high a person’s self-esteem is, etc.

Why does anxiety occur?

Worry and anxiety can be a symptom of serious mental illness. Those people who are constantly in a state of anxiety, in most cases have certain psychological problems and are prone to.

Most mental illnesses are accompanied by a state of anxiety. Anxiety is characteristic of different periods, for the initial stage of neuroses. Severe anxiety is observed in a person dependent on alcohol when withdrawal syndrome . Quite often there is a combination of anxiety with a number of phobias, irritability, etc. In some diseases, anxiety is accompanied by delirium and.

However, in some somatic diseases, anxiety also appears as one of the symptoms. At hypertension People often have a high degree of anxiety.

Anxiety may also accompany hyperfunction of the thyroid gland , hormonal disorders during the period in women. Sometimes sharp anxiety fails as a harbinger of a sharp drop in blood sugar levels in patients.

How to get rid of anxiety?

Before pondering the question of how to relieve an anxious state, it is necessary to determine whether the anxiety is natural, or whether the anxiety is so serious that it requires consultation with a specialist.

There are a number of signs that indicate that a person will not be able to cope with anxiety without visiting a doctor. You should definitely consult a specialist if symptoms of anxiety appear constantly, which affects daily life, work, and leisure. At the same time, excitement and anxiety haunt a person for weeks.

Anxious neurotic conditions that recur consistently in the form of attacks should be considered a serious symptom. A person constantly worries that something in his life will go wrong, while his muscles tense, he becomes fussy.

You should definitely consult a doctor if anxiety conditions in children and adults are accompanied by dizziness, heavy sweating, and work disturbances. Gastrointestinal tract, dry mouth. Often, an anxiety-depressive state worsens over time and leads to.

There are a number of medications that are used in the comprehensive treatment of anxiety and anxiety conditions. However, before determining how to get rid of an anxiety state, the doctor needs to establish an accurate diagnosis, determining which disease and why could have provoked this symptom. Conduct an examination and determine how to treat the patient, must psychotherapist . During the examination, laboratory tests of blood and urine are required, and ECG. Sometimes the patient needs consultation with other specialists - an endocrinologist, a neurologist.

Most often, tranquilizers and antidepressants are used in the treatment of diseases that provoke anxiety and restlessness. The attending physician may also prescribe a course of tranquilizers during therapy. However, treatment of anxiety with psychotropic drugs is symptomatic. Consequently, such drugs do not relieve the causes of anxiety. Therefore, relapses of this condition are possible later, and anxiety may appear in an altered form. Sometimes anxiety begins to bother a woman when pregnancy . How to remove this symptom in this case, only a doctor should decide, since taking any medications by the expectant mother can be very dangerous.

Some specialists prefer to use exclusively psychotherapy methods in the treatment of anxiety. Sometimes psychotherapeutic techniques are accompanied by taking medications. Some additional treatment methods are also practiced, for example, auto-training and breathing exercises.

In folk medicine, there are many recipes that are used to overcome anxiety. A good effect can be obtained by regularly taking herbal teas , which include herbs with sedative effects. This mint, Melissa, valerian, motherwort etc. However, you can feel the effect of using herbal teas only after constantly taking such a remedy for a long time. In addition, folk remedies should be used only as an auxiliary method, since without timely consultation with a doctor, you can miss the onset of very serious diseases.

Another important factor in overcoming anxiety is the right way of life . A person should not sacrifice rest for the sake of labor feats. It is important to get enough sleep every day and eat right. Caffeine abuse and smoking can aggravate anxiety.

A relaxing effect can be achieved with a professional massage. Deep massage effectively relieves anxiety. We should not forget how much exercise improves your mood. Daily physical activity will always keep you in good shape and prevent your anxiety from getting worse. Sometimes a brisk walk for an hour in the fresh air is enough to improve your mood.

To control his emotions, a person must carefully analyze everything that happens to him. Clearly identifying the cause that caused anxiety helps you focus and switch to positive thinking.

Panic attack (PA) is a factor in an inexplicable and quite alarming and painful panic attack for the patient, which may be accompanied by fear and somatic symptoms.

For a long period of time, domestic doctors used the term “vegetative-vascular dystonia” (“VSD”), “sympathoadrenal crisis”, “cardioneurosis”, “vegetative crisis” for it, distorting all ideas about disorders of the nervous system, depending on the main symptom. As you know, the meanings of the terms “panic attack” and “panic disorder” were introduced into the classification of diseases and recognized throughout the world.

Panic disorder- one of the aspects of anxiety, the main symptoms of which are panic attacks and psycho-vegetative paroxysms, as well as anxiety. Biological mechanisms play a significant role in the development of these disorders.

Panic attacks are very common and happen frequently. They can reach several million people at any given time. This disease usually begins to develop between the ages of 27 and 33, and occurs evenly in both men and women. But according to some scientists, women may be more susceptible to this disease, and this may be due to as yet unstudied biological factors.

Causes of panic attacks

If you find yourself in one of the following situations, you may experience certain symptoms of panic. But these symptoms can also occur spontaneously.

• Strong emotions or stressful situations
• Conflicts with other people
• Loud sound, bright light
• Large crowd of people
• Taking hormonal drugs (birth control pills)
• Pregnancy
• Abortion
• Prolonged exposure to the sun
• Drinking alcohol, smoking
• Tiring physical work

Such attacks can occur from one to several times a week, or it may even happen that the body does not succumb to such manifestations. Often, after a panic attack, a person feels relieved and drowsy.

It is important to remember that panic attacks are very stressful for a person and cause a feeling of fear, but they do not pose a threat to life. Although in general this can sharply reduce the patient’s social adaptation.

It has been noticed that all patients who experience panic attacks most often turn to cardiologists, as they suspect they have heart disease. If you still show signs of panic, then you should consult a neurologist.

Symptoms of panic attacks

A panic attack is characterized by the presence of fear and anxiety in the human body, combined with four or more symptoms from the list below:

1. Heart palpitations, rapid pulse
2. Sweating
3. Chills, tremors, feeling of internal trembling
4. Feeling short of breath, shortness of breath
5. Choking or difficulty breathing
6. Pain or discomfort in the left side of the chest
7. Nausea or abdominal discomfort
8. Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or lightheaded
9. Feeling of derealization, depersonalization
10. Fear of going crazy or doing something uncontrollable
11. Fear of death
12. Numbness or tingling sensation (paresthesia) in the extremities
13. Insomnia
14. Confusion of thoughts (decreased voluntary thinking)

We can include these same symptoms: abdominal pain, frequent urination, stool upset, feeling of a lump in the throat, gait disturbance, cramps in the arms, motor function disorder, visual or hearing impairment, cramps in the legs.

All these symptoms are presented as a source of stress, and they also bring with them subsequent waves of panic attacks. When adrenaline is released, it quickly reacts and at the same time the adrenal glands’ ability to produce adrenaline decreases, after which the panic attack subsides.

Diagnosis criteria for panic attacks

Panic attacks are considered and considered a separate disease, but at the same time they are diagnosed as part of other anxiety disorders:

• During an attack, at least four of the above symptoms are observed;
• The attack occurs unexpectedly and is not provoked by increased attention to the patient from others;
• Four attacks within a month;
• At least one attack, within a month after which there is a fear of a new attack.

For a reliable diagnosis it is necessary that

• several severe attacks of autonomic anxiety occurred over a period of about 1 month under circumstances not related to an objective threat;
• attacks should not be limited to known or predictable situations;
• between attacks the state should be relatively free of anxiety symptoms (although anticipatory anxiety is common).

Clinical picture

The intensity of the main criterion for a panic attack (anxiety attacks) can vary widely: from a pronounced state of panic to a feeling of internal tension. In the latter case, when the vegetative (somatic) component comes to the fore, they talk about “non-insurance” PA or “panic without panic”. Attacks devoid of emotional manifestations are more common in therapeutic and neurological practice. Also, as the disease progresses, the level of fear in attacks decreases.

Panic attacks can last from a few minutes to a couple of hours, and can occur as often as a couple of times a day or once every few weeks. Many patients talk about the spontaneous manifestation of such an attack, unprovoked. But if you look deeper, you can determine that everything has its own reasons and grounds, and every attack has its own influencing factor. One of the situations may be an unpleasant atmosphere in public transport, noise in a confined space, lack of concentration among a large mass of people, etc.

A person encountering this condition for the first time becomes very frightened and begins to think about some serious disease of the heart, endocrine or nervous systems, or gastrointestinal tract, and may call an ambulance. He begins visiting doctors, trying to find the causes of the “attacks.” The patient’s interpretation of a panic attack as a manifestation of some physical disease leads to frequent visits to the doctor, multiple consultations with specialists in various fields (cardiologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, therapists), unjustified diagnostic studies, and creates in the patient the impression of complexity and uniqueness. his illness. The patient's misconceptions about the essence of the disease lead to the appearance of hypochondriacal symptoms, which contribute to the worsening of the disease.

Internists, as a rule, do not find anything serious. At best, they recommend visiting a psychotherapist, and at worst, they treat non-existent diseases or shrug their shoulders and give “banal” recommendations: rest more, play sports, don’t be nervous, take vitamins, valerian or novopassit. But, unfortunately, the matter is not limited to attacks alone... The first attacks leave an indelible mark on the patient’s memory. This leads to the appearance of the anxiety syndrome of “waiting” for an attack, which, in turn, perpetuates the repetition of attacks. Repeating attacks in similar situations (transport, being in a crowd, etc.) contributes to the formation of restrictive behavior, that is, avoidance of potentially dangerous ones, for development PA, places and situations. Anxiety about the possible development of an attack in a certain place (situation) and avoidance of a given place (situation) is defined by the term “agoraphobia”, since today in medical practice this concept includes not only the fear of open spaces, but also the fear of similar situations. The increase in agoraphobic symptoms leads to social maladjustment of the patient. Because of fear, patients may be unable to leave home or remain alone, doom themselves to house arrest, and become a burden to loved ones. The presence of agoraphobia in panic disorder indicates a more severe illness, entails a worse prognosis and requires special treatment tactics. Reactive depression can also join in, which also “aggravates” the course of the disease, especially if the patient cannot understand for a long time what exactly is happening to him, does not find help, support, and does not receive relief.

Treatment of panic attacks (panic disorders).

Most often, panic attacks occur in the age group of 20–40 years. These are young and active people who are forced to limit themselves in many ways due to illness. Repeated panic attacks impose new restrictions, as a person begins to strive to avoid situations and places where he was caught in an attack. In advanced cases, this can lead to social maladjustment. That is why treatment of panic disorders must begin in the early stages of the disease.

Modern pharmacology offers a fairly large number of drugs to treat panic attacks. With the right dosages, these drugs can reduce the frequency of attacks, but any medications have side effects, and therefore their role in the treatment of panic attacks cannot be overestimated.

Treatment of panic attacks should be carried out individually. In our clinic, treatment of patients with panic disorders is carried out comprehensively, taking into account individual characteristics. Treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis, which allows the patient not to disturb the usual rhythm of life. It is important to remember that treating panic attacks requires some effort not only on the part of the doctor, but also the patient. With this approach, it is possible to completely get rid of these problems caused by panic disorders.

Typical patient complaints during panic attacks

• I often feel dizzy when walking down the street and lack air, as a result, I panic and think that I’m going to fall. Even being at home alone, suddenly panic began;
• panic, unfounded. Fear of something. Sometimes it’s even scary to turn my head, it seems that as soon as I do this, I’ll just fall. At these moments, even just to get up from a chair or walk, you have to make an incredible effort of will, keep yourself in tension;
• There were attacks at the beginning of a coma in the throat, then palpitations, and when an ambulance arrived, everyone said well that they gave sedatives! About two weeks ago I had an attack on the subway - sudden dizziness and palpitations;
• constant feeling of fear. Even because of little things. It appeared after frequent stress. I try to stay calm, relax, but it only helps for a while;
• During attacks, there is tightness in the temples, tightness of the cheekbones and chin, nausea, fear, a feeling of heat, and weak legs. Which ultimately ends in a splash (tears).

Thank you

Anxiety disorders and panic: causes of their occurrence, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and therapy

Under anxiety disorders imply conditions accompanied by excessive excitability of the nervous system, as well as a strong unreasonable feeling of anxiety and signs observed in the presence of certain pathologies of internal organs. This type of disorder can occur against the background of chronic fatigue, stress, or a serious illness. Such conditions are often called panic attacks.
Obvious signs of this condition include dizziness and an unreasonable feeling of anxiety, as well as pain in the abdomen and chest, fear of death or imminent disaster, difficulty breathing, and a feeling of a “lump in the throat.”
Both the diagnosis and treatment of this condition are carried out by a neurologist.
Treatment for anxiety disorders involves the use of anti-anxiety medications, psychotherapy, and numerous stress-relieving and relaxation techniques.

Anxiety disorders - what are they?

Anxiety disorders refer to a number of pathologies of the central nervous system, which are characterized by a constant feeling of anxiety that occurs for unknown or insignificant reasons. With the development of this condition, the patient may also complain of signs of some other ailments of the internal organs. So, for example, he may experience difficulty breathing, pain in the abdomen or chest, cough, feeling of a lump in the throat, and so on.

What are the causes of anxiety disorders?

Unfortunately, scientists have not yet been able to establish the true cause of the development of anxiety disorders, but the search for it is still ongoing. Some scientists argue that this disease is a consequence of a malfunction of certain parts of the brain. Psychologists have come to the conclusion that this type of disorder makes itself felt due to psychological trauma, against the background of excessive fatigue or severe stress. It is psychologists who are confident that this condition can also arise if a person has a very erroneous idea about certain things, which causes him a constant feeling of anxiety.

If we take into account the fact that the modern population is simply forced to lead an active lifestyle, it turns out that this condition can develop in each of us. Factors that can provoke the development of this type of disorder also include psychological trauma resulting from a serious illness.

How can we distinguish “normal” anxiety, which gives us the opportunity to survive in a dangerous situation, from pathological anxiety, which is a consequence of an anxiety disorder?

1. First of all, it is worth noting that senseless anxiety has nothing to do with a specific dangerous situation. It is always fictitious, since the patient simply imagines in his mind a situation that does not actually exist. The feeling of anxiety in this case exhausts the patient, both physically and emotionally. The person begins to experience a feeling of helplessness, as well as excessive fatigue.

2. “Normal” anxiety is always related to a real situation. It does not tend to disrupt a person’s performance. As soon as the threat disappears, the person’s anxiety immediately goes away.

Anxiety disorders – what are their signs and symptoms?

In addition to a constant feeling of anxiety, which is considered to be the main sign of this type of disorder, a person may also experience:

• Fear of situations that do not actually exist, but the person himself believes that this can happen to him
• Frequent mood swings, irritability, tearfulness
• Fussiness, timidity
• Wet palms, hot flashes, sweating
• Excessive fatigue
• Impatience
• Feeling low on oxygen, unable to take deep breaths, or suddenly needing to take deep breaths
• Insomnia, sleep disturbances, nightmares
• Memory impairment, impaired concentration, decreased mental abilities
• Feeling of a “lump in the throat”, difficulty swallowing
• Feeling of constant tension that makes it impossible to relax
• Dizziness, blurred vision, rapid heartbeat
• Pain in the back, lower back and neck, feeling of muscle tension
• Pain in the chest, around the navel, in the epigastric region, nausea, diarrhea

It is important to note the fact that all the symptoms that were presented to the attention of readers just above very often resemble signs of other pathologies. As a result, patients turn to a huge number of specialists for help, but not to a neurologist.

Quite often, such patients also have phobias - fear of certain objects or situations. The most common phobias are considered to be:

1. Nosophobia– fear of a specific illness or fear of getting sick in general ( for example, cancerophobia - fear of getting cancer).

2. Agoraphobia– fear of finding yourself in a crowd of people or in an excessively large open space, fear of not being able to get out of this space or crowd.

3. Social phobia– fear of eating in public places, fear of being in the company of strangers, fear of speaking in public, and so on.

4. Claustrophobia– fear of being in confined spaces. In this case, a person may be afraid to remain in a locked room, in transport, in an elevator, and so on.

5. Fear in front of insects, heights, snakes and the like.

It is worth noting that normal fear differs from pathological fear, first of all, in its paralyzing effect. It occurs for no reason, while completely changing a person’s behavior.
Another sign of an anxiety disorder is considered to be obsessive-compulsive syndrome, which is constantly emerging ideas and thoughts that provoke a person to some of the same actions. So, for example, people who constantly think about germs are forced to thoroughly wash their hands with soap almost every five minutes.
Mental disorder is one of the anxiety disorders, which is accompanied by sudden, recurring panic attacks that occur without any reason. During such an attack, a person experiences rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and fear of death.

Features of anxiety disorders in children

The feeling of panic and anxiety in a child in most cases is explained by his phobias. As a rule, all children who have this condition try not to communicate with their peers. For communication, they choose grandmothers or parents, since among them they feel out of danger. Quite often, such children have low self-esteem: the child considers himself worse than everyone else, and is also afraid that his parents will stop loving him.

Diagnosis of anxiety disorders and panic attacks

A little higher, we already said that in the presence of anxiety disorders, the patient experiences numerous symptoms similar to signs of diseases of the nervous system, digestive tract, goiter, asthma, and so on. As a rule, the diagnosis of this pathology can be established only after all pathologies accompanied by the same symptoms have been excluded. Both diagnosis and therapy of this disease are within the competence of a neurologist.

Anxiety Therapy

Therapy for this type of condition involves psychotherapy, as well as taking medications that tend to reduce anxiety. These medications are anxiolytics.
As for psychotherapy, this method of treatment is based on numerous techniques that enable the patient to really look at everything that is happening, and also help his body relax during an attack of anxiety. Psychotherapeutic techniques include breathing exercises, breathing into a bag, auto-training, as well as developing a calm attitude towards obsessive thoughts in the case of obsessive-compulsive syndrome.
This method of therapy can be used individually or to treat a small number of people at the same time. Patients are taught how to behave in certain life situations. Such training makes it possible to gain self-confidence, and, consequently, to overcome all threatening situations.
Therapy of this pathology through medications involves the use of medications that help restore normal metabolism in the brain. As a rule, in such cases, patients are prescribed anxiolytics, that is, sedatives. There are several groups of such medications, namely:

• Neuroleptics (Tiapride, Sonapax and others) is very often prescribed to patients in order to relieve them of excessive feelings of anxiety. When using these medications, side effects such as obesity, decreased blood pressure, and lack of sexual desire may become apparent.
• Benzodiazepine drugs (Clonazepam, Diazepam, Alprazolam ) make it possible to forget about the feeling of anxiety in a fairly short period of time. With all this, they can also cause the development of some side effects such as loss of coordination, decreased attention, addiction, and drowsiness. The course of therapy with these medications should not exceed four weeks.