Professionals working in primary healthcare settings are likely to come into contact with older adults suffering with anxiety disorders. These disorders are often difficult to distinguish from the normal worries of older adults, from nervous personalities, physical illnesses with symptoms similar to some that accompany anxiety, and mental and emotional changes related to the development…
Many people experience anxiety at some point in their lives. In fact, anxiety is a very normal response to stressful life events like moving, changing jobs or having financial troubles. However, when symptoms of anxiety become larger than the events that triggered them and begin to interfere with your life, they could be signs of…
We all experience anxiety from time to time, some of which is normal and even productive. However, when anxiety becomes disruptive and disabling to a person’s life, it’s considered to be an unhealthy psychiatric disorder. As many as one quarter of all people experience anxiety to an unhealthy extent, and older people can be at…
Have you ever suffered from excessive nervousness, fear or worrying? Do you sometimes experience chest pains, headaches, sweating, or gastrointestinal problems? You may be experiencing symptoms of anxiety. Excessive anxiety that causes distress or that interferes with daily activities is not a normal part of aging, and can lead to a variety of health problems…
I wasn’t always an anxious person, but after a depression diagnosis six years ago, I was quickly overwhelmed with symptoms that became hard to ignore. As if depression wasn’t enough, my doctor diagnosed me with generalized anxiety disorder. Soon, it seeped into every aspect of my life, making it impossible to function normally. I lived…
Everyone has anxiety from time to time, but chronic anxiety can interfere with your quality of life. While perhaps most recognized for behavioral changes, anxiety can also have serious consequences on your physical health. Read on to learn more about the major effects anxiety has on your body. The effects of anxiety on the body…
Anxiety disorders have historically been thought of as problems of childhood and early adulthood. However, the prevalence of anxiety disorders among older adults ranges from 10% to 20%, making this class of disorders more prevalent than other common late-life psychiatric problems such as dementia or depression. Late Life Onset The onset of generalized anxiety disorder…
As suggested by the name, separation anxiety is the fear of being separated from a loved one. It is normally experienced by infants and toddlers during instances when their parents are not near them. At this age, however, such feelings are completely normal. “Between six months and three years old, some nervousness when you’re apart from loved…
New research could help explain why stress early in life can create vulnerabilities to mood and anxiety disorders later on. The study, led by researchers at The Ohio State University, was presented Nov. 5 in San Diego at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting, and highlights the important role of mast cells. “These are immune…
Are you getting jitters just from thinking about the prospect of having an anxiety disorder? There are differences between experiencing “casual” anxiety, which most people feel on occasion, and symptoms that could lead to an official diagnosis. Anxiety disorders affect some 40 million adults in the United States, which is as high as 18 percent of the…
