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Theoretical and therapeutic considerations for the anxiety disorders
1Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032.
The Psychiatric Quarterly
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Anxiety disorders are chronic conditions that require ongoing management. Treatment aims to balance symptom relief with minimizing long-term side effects, as disorders often recur upon discontinuation.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Anxiety is a common human experience with adaptive functions, but can become clinically significant when it impairs daily life.
- Anxiety disorders are chronic illnesses often requiring long-term management.
- Treatment discontinuation frequently leads to symptom recurrence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review theoretical and therapeutic considerations for four specific anxiety disorders: panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- To emphasize the physiological and neuropsychological underpinnings of these disorders.
- To correlate pharmacological treatments with the underlying pathophysiology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of theoretical and therapeutic approaches.
- Emphasis on physiological concomitants and neuropsychological bases.
- Integration of pharmacological treatment with disorder substrata.
Main Results:
- Discussion of theoretical frameworks for anxiety disorders.
- Overview of therapeutic strategies, including pharmacological and behavioral treatments.
- Exploration of the relationship between treatment and the biological basis of anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety disorders are chronic and require careful management balancing symptom control and treatment side effects.
- Understanding the physiological and neuropsychological aspects is crucial for effective treatment.
- Long-term treatment strategies must consider the potential for symptom recurrence.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Anxiety: Overview
Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
01:26Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
01:29Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorder
The development of psychological disorders, which are characterized by deviant, maladaptive, and personally distressing behaviors, has been explored through several theoretical approaches.
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
01:30Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...
01:28Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
01:22Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...