Facts on Mental Health

Anxiety is experienced as an emotion by everybody in our day to day life and it is defined as a state of fearful expectation or apprehension as a result of real external danger or intra psychic conflict such as anxiety in the face or examination and before delivering a lecture.

Anxiety is universal and is a part of human existence. So, this is called normal, physiological, adaptive or realistic anxiety. Contrary to that, anxiety as abnormal state is pathological, maladaptive and unrealistic. Roughly about 5% of the population suffers from anxiety disorder.

Classification of Anxiety Disorders :

Anxiety Disorders are broadly classified into the following categories:

1. Panic Disorder and Phobic Anxiety Disorder

2. Generalised Anxiety Disorder

3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

4. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PANIC DISORDER :

It is an acute anxiety disorder. Central feature is a sudden onset of panic attack which last for half to one hour. Symptoms of panic attack are :

1. Shortness of breath

2. Choking

3. Chest pain

4. Palpitation

5. Sweating

6. Dizziness and feeling of fainting

7. Nausea or abdominal distress

8. Depersonalisation

9. Numbness or tingling sensation

10. Trembling/shaking

GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER :

This is a chronic disorder of minimum 6 months duration. The symptoms are :

1. Worrying thoughts

2. Fearful anticipation

3. Irritability, restlessness

4. Sensitivity to noise

5. Poor concentration

6. Dry mouth and difficulty in swallowing

7. Difficulty in breathing or over breathing

8. Palpitation and chest discomfort

9. Tremors, tinnitus, dizziness, tension headache, inability to relax

10. Tension headache

11. Insomnia and night tremors

12. Other symptoms like depression and obsession

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD) :

OCD usually begins in adolescence age. The main features of OCD are obsessions and compulsions. An obsession is defined as a recurrent and persistent thought , image , impulse which are usually intrusive. The thoughts, images and impulses are not merely worries about real life problems. The person tries to ignore or suppress such thought, image or impulse or to neutralize them with some other thought or action. The person recognises that the thought, images and impulses are product of his own mind.

Compulsion is a motor component of anxiety and are repetitive behaviours such as washing, cleaning, counting, checking and praying etc.

The theme of obsession is mostly :

1. Morality

2. Aggression

3. Cleanliness

4. Health

5. Orderliness

6. Sexuality

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) :

PTSD occurs in person as a result of his psychological reactions involved in stressors like divorce, separation, death of a near and dear one, change of work place, financial difficulties, immigration, physical illness and sexual abuse. There is intense, prolonged and sometimes delayed response to the extreme stressor which the patient may have experienced or witnessed others in that experience.

The symptoms may occur for 1 to 3 months. These symptoms are those of hyperarousal, avoidance and re-experiencing the event. The symptoms are :

1. Persistent Anxiety

2. Irritability and anger outbursts

3. Insomnia

4. Poor concentration, hypervigilance and

5. Exaggerated startle response

The person re-experiences recurrent distressing dreams, intrusive flashbacks and acting or feeling as if the traumetic event is recurring, illusions and hallucinations.