By: Anna Trull & Danielle Gray

1. Generalized Panic and Anxiety Disorder By: Anna Trull & Danielle Gray

2. A General Idea • Anxiety is a common emotion that everyone experiences, but if the normal symptoms of panic and anxiety escalates into anxiety attacks and panic attacks it may be an anxiety disorder, which include: • Generalized anxiety disorder • Social anxiety • Panic disorder

3. Symptoms • Overwhelmingly anxious and self-conscious • Raging heartbeat • Difficulty breathing • Terror • Dizziness, lightheadedness or nausea • Trembling, sweating, shaking • Choking, chest pains, distressful • Fearful and anxious • Hot flashes, or sudden chills • Tingling in fingers or toes

4. Etiology • Typically begins during the teenage years and continues into adulthood. • People may develop the disorder after a childhood history of social inhibition or shyness. • Others experience an abrupt onset after a very stressful or humiliating experience. • Your genes may play a role. If a biological parent or sibling has or has had social anxiety disorder, you're at greater risk for it. • Environmental factors, such as an overprotective or hypercritical parenting style, may also be linked with social anxiety disorder. • Chemical abnormalities and overactive areas in the brain may also be at the root. Serotonin is one brain chemical that has been linked to social anxiety disorder, as well as to the depression that often accompanies it.

5. Diagnosis • Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a person for a Generalized Panic and Anxiety Disorder. • The doctor bases his or her diagnosis on the person's report of symptoms and his or her observation of the person's attitudes and behavior.

6. Treatments • Natural Remedies: Relaxation techniques may work just as well as anti-anxiety medications • A medication called buspirone may also be used. • Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and lorazepam (Ativan) may be used if antidepressants don't help enough with symptoms. • Medications: Antidepressants, anti-anxiety, antipsychotic and stimulant medications are all prescribed for anxiety disorders. • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are usually the first choice in medications. Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are another choice. • Other anti-depressants and some anti-seizure drugs may be used for severe cases.

7. Treatments Continued Learning stress management and relaxation techniques to help when symptoms occur. • Therapy: Work through problems, develop coping skills, and gain greater sense of control over your life • Gaining an understanding of, and control over distorted views of life stressors, such as other people's behavior or life events. • Learning to recognize and replace panic-causing thoughts, decreasing the sense of helplessness. • Learning not to quickly think that minor worries will develop into very bad problems • Hypnosis: This therapy helps people overcome phobias, fears, and anxiety

8. Prognosis • The success of treatment usually depends on the severity of the generalized anxiety and panic disorder. The disorder may continue and be tricky to treat, but most patients see vast improvement with medications or other treatments. Generalized Panic and Anxiety Disorder

9. Statistics • Women are generally more affected than men. • Anxiety and Panic Disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. with 19.1 million (13.3%) of the adult U.S. population (ages 18-54) affected. • People with an anxiety disorder are three-to-five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than people who don’t have this disorder.

10. Famous People affected • Abraham Lincoln • Barbara Bush • Cher • Emily Dickinson • Johnny Depp • Michael Jackson • Opera Winfrey • Sheryl Crow • Sigmund Freud • Sir Isaac Newton

11. in comorbidity • Substance abuse- The excessive use of a substance, especially alcohol or a drug. • Post traumatic stress disorder- A common anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)- A psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions

12. References Anxiety and Panic Disorders Center: Panic Attacks, Phobias, and Treatments for Anxiety Disorders. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/default.htm Berger, F. (2010, February 14). Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000917.htm Chakraburtty, A. (2009, March 09). Diagnosing Mental Illness. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-making-diagnosis Domino, F., Golding J., Baldor, R., Grimes, J. & Taylor, J. (2010, April 20). Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from http://5minuteconsult.com/5mc/72866#72875 Famous People Affected By an Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-famous-people.shtml Korkiakoski , A. & Korkiakoski, R. Symptoms, Signs and Causes of Panic Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.anxietypanic.com/signs.html The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml#Anxiety What Is Social Anxiety Disorder? Retrieved from http://www.effexorxr.com/anxiety-disorders/social-anxiety-disorder-sad.aspx?source=google&HBX_PK=s_drug+for+sad&HBX_OU=50&o=47359615|223598636|0&skwid=43000000292216389