Psychology

The increase in population in the modern world has its benefits as well as disadvantages. One of the disadvantages associated with it is the increase in adverse medical conditions. This paper looks at anxiety disorder as a menace to the human beings which adversely affects the way they live and interact with each other.

Abnormal Psychology - Anxiety Disorder
The National Institute of Mental Health (2009), clearly states that anxiety disorder is a condition characterized by extreme and abnormal worry about life, yet there is no concrete reason for worry. People suffering from this condition always expect some disaster to happen in their life. Their worry as asserted by Tuma  Maser (1985) is unrealistic and beyond proportion for a particular situation. This disorder can also be referred to as pathological worry which differs from non-pathological worry depending on the frequency, extent and intensity of worry an individuals capability to control the worry and whether the worry interferes with the functioning of a person to a significant extent.

Anxiety disorder affects over forty million people aged above 18 years in the United States (Stinson, 2006). According to Bakker, et al., (2009) the disorder affects both children and adults though manifestation of the symptoms may be different. Belmonte, (2009), states that those suffering from this condition are full of fear and uncertainties. Anxiety disorders last for a very long period of time and can get worse if left untreated. They mostly occur in conjunction with other physical and mental disorders. Nutt, et al. (2001), argues that other disorders may mask the symptoms of the disorder or aggravate them. Some diseases require to be treated if a patient is to recuperate effectively from anxiety disorder. Though the exact cause of the disease is not known it is believed to be a result of a number of factors including genetics, imbalance of chemicals in the brain, and environmental stress (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). Members of a family that has a history of the disorder are at a high risk of developing the disorder. Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain are also associated with the development of the disorder. Environmental stress, such as death of a close family member, may also culminate to anxiety disorder. Adverse medical conditions such as hypoglycemia have also been associated with development of the disorder (Melledo and Baker, 2002). The following are some of the symptoms that people suffering from anxiety disorder experience excessive continuous worry and tension, impractical view of problems, aggressiveness, headaches, muscle tension, excessive sweating, nausea, loss of concentration, fatigue, trembling and being easily startled (Nutt, 2002). Increased heart beat, sleep disturbance, shortness of breath and gastrointestinal disorders are other symptoms of anxiety disorder. There are various types of anxiety disorder which include panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias.

The National Institute of Mental Health (2009) agrees that anxiety disorder can be prevented by controlling worries, regular exercise, plenty of sleep, cutting down on caffeine, confronting things that made a person anxious in the past, and talking about the disorder with a physician. Betterhealth (2008) notes that anxiety disorder is treatable. Medications and psychotherapy are the treatments employed for this disorder. Thorough diagnosis is carried out by a psychiatrist before treatment options are prescribed. Cautious evaluation of an anxious person helps in characterizing the cause of the disorder as either psychological or organic. Behavioral therapy is one of the treatment methods that exist. It mainly focuses on controlling unwanted behaviors. Patients are taught to cope with difficult and unpredictable situations. Through relaxation techniques, patients are taught to alter their response to particular situations. The other treatment method is cognitive therapy, which focuses on modifying uncreative thought patterns. Patients are taught how to identify and modify thought pattern as well as behaviors that may develop worrying feelings (Craske, 1999). Cognitive behavioral therapy is the other treatment method employed for anxiety disorder. Patients are taught recovery skills that help them throughout their life. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been effective for treatment of anxiety disorder for a long time (Nutt, 2001). Medications are also used in combination with psychotherapies. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs are used to treat anxiety disorder. Clonazepam, alprazolam, and diazepam are the most prescribed anti anxiety drugs (Blier  Abbott, 2001). Medications however may take a long time before they achieve their intended effect and therefore doctors need to keep an eye on patients progress in order to make a decision to change dosage or try another drug (Hamilton, Sacks  Hamilton, 1994).

In an interview conducted by Rodriguez, Charles Goodstein said that anxiety is present in some form in all people at some time (Rodriguez, 2010). The fact that each and every person has at one time or another experienced anxiety, though it may not have been severe to cause an alarm, increases the urge to learn everything about anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a very significant feature of the signaling system in our bodies. It acts as an alert or a danger signal. The physiological excitement people experience is directly linked to fear of injury as Root (2000) states. When individuals are faced with a risk to their physical well being that can lead to serious bodily harm, they react physically as well as psychologically. This reaction, also known as fight or flight response is therefore crucial in our lives as it activates an individual to either defend himself or run away to avoid being harmed. This response is therefore important as it helps people save their lives in life threatening situations.

Understanding anxiety disorder would therefore aid in learning more about the defects of the normal signaling system in the body (Foa  Andrews, 2006). Proper understanding of different types of the disorder is the first step in adequately tackling anxiety conditions as indicated by Rodriguez, (2010).
Though in the modern world people are not faced by physical threatening situations, every day they are faced by situations that complicate their lives, for example loss of job, marriage break up, and academic failure. These threats have deteriorating impacts on the psychological well being of a person. Development of severe anxiety due to these threats leads to anxiety disorder. There was a time a good friend of mine suffered from this disorder after he was divorced by his wife. The symptoms were so severe that most of the time he was socially withdrawn. This became one of the driving factors for understanding the disorder. This study is focused at discovering more concerning anxiety disorder so as to acquire knowledge that might be beneficial in the process of managing the disorder. Learning everything about anxiety disorder is essential for recovery (Deacon  Abramowitz, 2004).

Education concerning anxiety disorder incorporates examination of the psychology of the fright-flight response which is the bodys way of detecting and dealing with looming danger. Education would therefore be an important way of promoting control over the adverse symptoms that might be associated with the disorder. Understanding the disorder would greatly assist in learning various ways of releasing tension, which is an important technique for anxiety treatment (Viswesvaran, Silverman, and Pina, 2008). I believe that learning more on anxiety disorder would help in understanding the mystery of why symptoms appear and their association with the events that have just happened or are just about to happen. I am also interested in unearthing more about anxiety disorder as it greatly impairs social functioning of an individual. Interpersonal relationships as well as ability to function best in academics are also affected by anxiety disorders and therefore learning how to manage the symptoms according to Root (2000), would greatly improve academic performance. As stated by Deacon  Abramowitz (2004), understanding how anxiety disorders affect social relationship would greatly help in managing the disorder and improving on social interactions. I hope to learn about various anxiety disorders and how they affect the psychological well being of a person and how its effects can be managed. I hope to increase my knowledge on the disorder as it is vital in preventing development of other disorders.

Conclusion
Due to the fact that every person undergoes an anxious moment at some time during life, it is important to understand conditions that might adversely affect peoples life in relation to anxiety for example anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorder, which includes excessive worry for no obvious reason, are so severe that they leave a person so depressed. This disorder can be prevented if a person avoids factors that may have aggravated anxiety in the past. Medications as well as psychotherapies are available for treatment of anxiety disorder. Research on anxiety disorder is very important as it will help people understand the disorder and therefore effectively manage it.