Different Types of Anxiety Disorders in Older Adult's & Their Treatment Anxiety disorders are the most common mental problems that are faced by the older adults today. It’s quite true that as you grow old, you struggle with a large number of medical conditions which make your life really difficult. Mental illnesses like anxiety disorders make it quite difficult for older adults to lead their day-to-day activities peacefully. The intense feeling of anxiety brings humongous problems in your life and hence, dealing with them at the right time becomes truly important for you.
Here are different types of anxiety disorders that are faced by older adults today. Phobia Phobia is one of the most common problems among older adults which affect their lives negatively. It’s a kind of mental illness wherein a person faces an extreme fear of objects and situations and due to that they often avoid them.
Some of the common phobias that are found among adults include hydrophobia - fear of water, algophobia -fear of pain, amaxophobia - fear of riding in a car, achluophobia - fear of darkness, agoraphobia- fear of crowds, aerophobia - fear of flying, atychiphobi - fear of failure, dystychiphobia - fear of accidents, gamophobia - fear of marriage. In addition to that, acrophobia - fear of height and social phobia - fear of social situations are also very common among adults. Generalised Anxiety Disorder Another common mental problem that is faced by people these days is generalised anxiety disorder wherein they have tremendous fear about events and situations associated with their daily life. It means, if you are worried about things associated with your daily life which may actually pose no threat to you, perhaps you may be suffering from anxiety disorder. Some of the common symptoms of this problem include a headache, trembling, and fatigue. In addition to that, you may also struggle with muscle tension. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Sometimes your excessive concern about certain things and situations lead to a mental problem called obsessive- compulsive disorder. It’s a type of illness wherein your obsession for certain things cause a lot of problems for you. For example, if you fear that your hands have germs, you keep washing them several times in the day when it comes to maintaining high-level of hygiene. In addition to that, some people also have a problem of checking their doors and windows over and over again when they go out of their houses. For example, while going to the office, when you reach your car, you suddenly start thinking about whether you have closed your door or not. Since your fear is so intense, you end up going back to your apartment for checking the door. Such thoughts create huge problems for you and therefore you must try to get rid of them as soon as possible. Panic Disorder If you often start panicking over small things, you perhaps have a problem called panic disorder. It’s type of medical condition wherein you frequently struggle with panic attacks and face issues like abdominal discomfort, chest
pain and breathing problem. In addition to that, sometimes you also face the fear of dying. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder When you face horrific events in your life like the death of a loved one, sexual abuse, a road accident, and natural calamities like earthquake or flood that has taken several lives, it may lead to a mental illness called post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. The common symptoms of this problem illness include flashbacks and nightmare which reminds you of the event. In addition to that, you also struggle with depression and keep getting angry whenever you are reminded of the event. All the above-mentioned anxiety disorders can have extremely damaging impacts on your life and therefore you must treat them immediately. Treatment for Anxiety Disorders Medication Antidepressants like fluoxetine and escitalopram are used by people when it comes to treating anxiety disorders. In addition to that, your doctor may also prescribe buspirone and benzodiazepines like chlordiazepoxide and alprazolam to you. Benzodiazepines are normally prescribed by doctors when it comes to getting relief from acute anxiety. And benzodiazepines are effective only for short term basis, which means these medications can’t be considered as the ultimate treatment for anxiety disorders. Though it’s true that people struggling with mental illnesses like generalised anxiety disorder and phobia get huge relief when they take antidepressants, buspirone and benzodiazepines, but sometimes they also face side effects of these medications. Therefore, it’s important to get a kind of treatment, which can address the underlying causes of your illness. Psychotherapy Psychotherapy is one of the most trusted ways of treating mental disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, phobia, and generalised anxiety disorder etc. When you go for psychotherapy, your illness is treated by a certified
psychotherapist who tries to understand your mental condition by talking about it to you. Psychotherapy, which is also known talk therapy, proves to be very helpful when it comes to minimising the symptoms of anxiety disorder in a short time. One of the most common forms of psychotherapy that is used across the world to treat anxiety disorders is called cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT. When you go for CBT, your psychotherapist will teach you a variety of skills which will help you in dealing with your thoughts and fears. Apart from anxiety disorder if you are also diagnosed with other types of mental illnesses, psychotherapy can actually prove to be very helpful when it comes to minimising their signs and symptoms. So, if you are struggling with an anxiety disorder, make sure that you find a perfect rehab centre in your city wherein you can opt for an inpatient or outpatient treatment program to recover from your illness. Original Source URL:
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