Question

An 18-year-old student is brought by the mother complaining her child is becoming restless and becoming more anxious. These symptoms are increasing towards the exam time.
What are the common anxiety disorders seen in general practice and what are their salient features?

Hint:

In patients with anxiety, it's essential to explore the underlying causes and symptoms, as treatment strategies vary depending on the specific anxiety disorder.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive worry, fear, and nervousness that can significantly interfere with daily activities. They are among the most common psychiatric disorders in general practice.

Step 2: Explanation of the common anxiety disorders.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Excessive, uncontrollable worry about various aspects of life, such as work, health, or social interactions. Symptoms include restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances.
- Panic Disorder: Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, which include intense fear, rapid heartbeat, sweating, chills, chest pain, and a sense of losing control.
- Social Anxiety Disorder: Intense fear of social situations and being judged by others, which may cause avoidance of social gatherings. Symptoms include blushing, sweating, trembling, and difficulty speaking.
- Specific Phobias: Intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation (e.g., heights, spiders, or flying). The person goes to great lengths to avoid the feared object or situation.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Anxiety following exposure to a traumatic event, characterized by flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance.

Step 3: Conclusion.
Anxiety disorders are common in general practice, and they present with a wide range of symptoms depending on the type of disorder. It is important to identify and differentiate between these disorders to provide effective treatment.