Anxiety
Most people have a view of what they think mental illness is. Most ofus have seen, at one time or another, someone walking on the streetmuttering to him or herself, perhaps gesturing, or picking through trashcans but pulling out peculiar things, or exhibiting other behaviors wethink are "off" in some way. However, most people who meet the criteria ofsome psychiatric diagnosis look just like everyone else. In fact, thecharacteristics for most psychiatric disorders are behaviors we all show atone time or another. They just occur more often and cause problems for theperson (Frey, 1999). For instance, we all worry sometimes or feel anxioussometimes, but we don't meet The diagnostic standards set out in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV) unless the symptoms aresevere enough that they actively interfere with important parts of ourlives, such as work or relationships, in a significant way (Frey, 1999). One of the most common diagnoses from DSM-IV are anxiety disorders.Anxiety disorders are a cluster of diagnoses that all have anxiety as amain symptom (Frey, 1999). It is a good example of the importance in thediagnostic process of symptoms interfering with l
Symptoms can include "increased motortension (fatiguability, trembling, restlessness, muscle tension); autonomichyperactivity (shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, dry mouth, coldhands, and dizziness) but not panic attacks; and increased vigilance andscanning (feeling keyed up, increased startling, impaired concentration)"(Gale, 2000), but they may not occur often in front of other people,preventing others from seeing the level of disruption in their lives. Given the varyingstatistics on the prevalence of the anxiety disorders, up to one-third ofthem may well have some anxiety disorder. Sometimes the person's anxiety is related to a known physical problem,including substance abuse, which is unfortunately common among those withanxiety disorders (Frey, 1999). PREVALENCE Researchers have had some difficulty determining a precise incidencerate for anxiety disorders, because people with anxiety disorders oftenhave other disorders as well, such as depression (Gale, 2000) or substanceabuse problems (Fergusson, 2001). Researchers suspect that multiple factors may contribute to thedevelopment of an anxiety disorder. Some research shows that behavioral patterns in boys as young asthree may predict an anxiety disorder later in life (Plotkin, 2001). They put out greateffort to wear a mask of normality. We will not spot them walking down the street,and until society can end its negative stereotype of such common problems,many people will continue to hide their shame behind a mask of normalcy,and many of those will avoid treatment. In adults, crises such as divorce, loss of a job, death ofa loved one or a significant change in jobs could either trigger thedisorder or make it worse (Dinsmoor, 1999). Fifty years ago, most people with significant mentalillness were institutionalized, leaving a residual stigma (Schott, 1999). Some studies have suggestedthat those with respiratory disorders may be more prone to developing thedisorder owing to experiencing the feeling of suffocation more easily(Plotkin, 2001), and other research has shown that teens who become heavysmokers are more likely to develop agoraphobia (fear of open places), panicdisorder or generalized anxiety disorder as adults (Johnson, et. it can be aninvisible disorder (Plotkin, 2001). " Mostexperts, however, believe that millions of people have one or more anxietydisorders (Staff writers, 2001) DSM-IV divides the anxiety disorders into seven groups: panicdisorders, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), stress disorders(includes PTSD), DSM-IV defines twelve types of anxiety disorders in the adultpopulation. However, when a person has one of the anxiety disorders, theanxiety response is not appropriate to the situation. Employers in particular do not always understand how psychiatricdisorders that do not involve breaks with reality an affect work (Schott,1999).
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IV DSM-IV,
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staff writers,
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