Anxiety disorders:
causes, symptoms, treatment

Everyone knows the feeling of fear. It is part of life and protects us from reckless actions. But what if normal fear becomes a day-to-day problem, going beyond normal dangerous situations, and your feelings become uncontrollable?
This is referred to as an anxiety disorder. Around 15% to 20% of Swiss people are affected by anxiety over the course of their lives.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAS) is the most common anxiety disorder. In this condition, fears are diffuse and cannot be precisely determined – threats are multifaceted and lurk in every situation. Most of the concerns relate to one’s own health, the health of relatives, finances or work.

Persistent worries and anxieties ultimately cause physical discomfort, which can lead to secondary illnesses, such as sleep problems.

Anxiety disorder usually occurs in combination with other psychological illnesses and then quickly becomes chronic. For example, those affected may suffer from social phobia (social anxiety disorder), another specific phobia, depression or somatoform disorders. The latter are physical symptoms that do not have an underlying organic cause.

The following physical symptoms may indicate anxiety disorder:

• Constant, persistent worries
• Nervousness, restlessness
• Sleep problems
• Trembling
• Palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Increased muscle tension
• Sweating
• Dizziness, circulatory problems
• Urgent need to urinate
• Feely woozy
• Abdominal symptoms
• Nausea

Differences between generalised anxiety disorder and depression:

Depression and generalised anxiety disorder overlap in many ways: negative thought patterns predominate in both cases. The difference is that in generalised anxiety disorder, worries and fears are primarily focused on the future. Depressed people, on the other hand, focus on problems that are rooted in the past. Generalised anxiety disorder may also occur as a result of depression, and it may also be triggered by panic disorder or addiction.

Without treatment, most anxiety disorders become chronic. Although affected people cannot expect to recover quickly, there are different ways of learning how to cope with anxiety better in everyday life.

People who suspect that they have an anxiety disorder usually go to a general practitioner first. Often, however, they do not go because of the anxiety disorder itself, but because of accompanying physical symptoms such as sleeping problems or stomach pain. As a result, anxiety disorders often remain undetected.
However, if patients are significantly affected by negative thoughts, this should also be discussed with their general practitioner during the initial consultation (medical history). The general practitioner can then arrange a therapist or put the patient in contact with a psychosomatic clinic.
A physical examination with a blood count should also be carried out in order to exclude any underlying organic causes of the symptoms.

Anxiety disorders penetrate all areas of life, affecting not only the patient but also their relatives. If left untreated, anxiety is extremely unlikely to go away by itself. However, therapies help to prevent the disease from becoming chronic.
Relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or mindfulness exercises, embedded into a course of cognitive behavioural therapy, for example, bring back a better quality of life. Exercise can also have a positive effect, especially if it is done with others, thus preventing social isolation.
The Swiss Society for Anxiety and Depression offers help to both those affected and their relatives.