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General Information for Prospective Patients |
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Anxiety
Though everyone experiences occasional anxiety, some persons feel anxious much of the time and may, in fact, suffer from what psychiatrists call Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Approximately two to four percent of the population suffers from GAD; it is therefore one of the more common of the psychiatric disorders.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists criteria for all the currently recognized psychiatric conditions. According to its fourth and current edition (DSM-IV), GAD is characterized by excessive anxiety and worry for more days than not for at least six months. During this period, sufferers find it difficult or impossible to control their worries, and at least three of the following six associated symptoms are present: feelings of restlessness or edginess, being easily tired, poor concentration, irritable mood, muscle tension, and poor sleep.
Some degree of anxiety is normal; some theorize that it even helps to produce positive adaptive behaviors. For instance, many individuals work best under the pressure of deadlines because the resulting anxiety motivates them. However, when feelings of fear: when apprehension, foreboding or hyper-vigilance are interfering with important tasks of daily life, it is time to seek help. There are two particularly effective types of treatment available: Cognitive behavioral therapies and medication.
If your anxiety tends to be situation-specific or is present only at certain times, you may not need medication and should consult a psychologist (Ph.D.) or another non-MD practitioner for behavioral therapy. However, if the anxiety is experienced as debilitating in essential areas of your life; if, for example, you are unable to perform on the job, to even leave your home, or to participate effectively in clinical behavioral therapy, then evaluation by a psychiatrist (MD) and the prescribing of medication is probably indicated. Medication can serve as an important adjunct to behavioral therapy, and can be gradually decreased or tapered off entirely as you learn other means of coping with or eliminating debilitating anxiety.
If you have never previously sought treatment, or have not had a recent check-up, you should be seen for a physical examination and blood tests by an internist, a primary care doctor, or family practitioner, for there are some known, though rare, medical conditions that present acute anxiety among their recognizable symptoms. If, under such circumstances, medication is required for the treatment of anxiety, it is nonetheless preferable that it be prescribed by a psychiatrist rather than by a medical doctor, since the psychiatrist is likely to be better informed about the range and types available.
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