Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse. Recognition. Prevention. Treatment

20/20 Parenting. Recognizing and mitigating early vulnerabilities and risk factors.

Anxiety Disorders

(Diagnosis can be confused with TBI – Dr. William Goldie p.2)

Common Pre-existing Conditions for Substance Abuse

Have you ever had a moment or a day whereby you have felt overly anxious, nervous or perhaps even fearful? If you have then you are completely normal!

Some people, however, have moments or episodes of persistent, irrational and excessive apprehension and worry for no apparent reason, which interferes with everyday functioning. These individuals suffer from the most common psychiatric illnesses known as anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders are subcategorized as: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder (PD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) as well as specific phobias.

When we experience anxiety and stress we will normally recover after a short period of time or when the stressful situation or problem has been resolved. For individuals suffering from an anxiety disorder, recovery does not come soon enough and is often exacerbated by even the slightest stressor.

Anxiety affects each of us in different ways, including mentally, behaviorally or physically.

Where some individuals may experience thoughts of ‘gloom and doom’ or that something is wrong, another person may experience dizziness, sweating, heart palpitations, breathlessness or even chest pains. Others may feel restless and can be observed tapping their foot or pacing.

Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders often turn to alcohol or drugs to either help alleviate the symptoms or in an attempt to hide away from the feelings of discomfort and fear. Others may turn to mood-altering substances as a means to find the courage to face their fears or causes of anxiety.

Overcoming the symptoms of anxiety disorder is often not possible by willpower alone. While medications can relieve some of the symptoms, behavioral and cognitive-based therapy are more effective in treating most anxiety disorders.

If you or someone you know has experienced reoccurring episodes of persistent, irrational and excessive apprehension and worry for no apparent reason, consult your physician or local mental health authority and take back control of your anxiety!

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Information compiled for this summary was sourced from the following helpful resources:

Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada

http://www.anxietycanada.ca/

Public Health Agency of Canada

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/miic-mmac/chap_4_e.html

Mood Disorders Society of Canada

http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/report/english/chapter4/index.htm