Anxiety & Homeopathy.
I. - INTRODUCTION
Anxiety,
emotional state in which people feel uneasy, apprehensive, or fearful. People
usually experience anxiety about events they cannot control or predict, or
about events that seem threatening or dangerous. For example, students taking
an important test may feel anxious because they cannot predict the test
questions or feel certain of a good grade. People often use the words fear and
anxiety to describe the same thing. Fear also describes a reaction to immediate
danger characterized by a strong desire to escape the situation.
The
physical symptoms of anxiety reflect a chronic "readiness" to deal
with some future threat. These symptoms may include fidgeting, muscle tension,
sleeping problems, and headaches. Higher levels of anxiety may produce such
symptoms as rapid heartbeat, sweating, increased blood pressure, nausea, and
dizziness.
All
people experience anxiety to some degree. Most people feel anxious when faced
with a new situation, such as a first date, or when trying to do something
well, such as give a public speech. A mild to moderate amount of anxiety in
these situations is normal and even beneficial. Anxiety can motivate people to
prepare for an upcoming event and can help keep them focused on the task at
hand.
However,
too little anxiety or too much anxiety can cause problems. Individuals who feel
no anxiety when faced with an important situation may lack alertness and focus.
On the other hand, individuals who experience an abnormally high amount of
anxiety often feel overwhelmed, immobilized, and unable to accomplish the task
at hand. People with too much anxiety often suffer from one of the anxiety
disorders, a group of mental illnesses. In fact, more people experience anxiety
disorders than any other type of mental illness. A survey of people aged 15 to
54 in the United States found that about 17 percent of this population suffers
from an anxiety disorder during any given year.
II. - ANXIETY DISORDERS
The
fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a
handbook for mental health professionals, describes a variety of anxiety
disorders. These include generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, panic disorder,
obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
A. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
People
with generalized anxiety disorder feel anxious most of the time. They worry
excessively about routine events or circumstances in their lives. Their worries
often relate to finances, family, personal health, and relationships with
others. Although they recognize their anxiety as irrational or out of
proportion to actual events, they feel unable to control their worrying. For
example, they may worry uncontrollably and intensely about money despite
evidence that their financial situation is stable. Children with this disorder
typically worry about their performance at school or about catastrophic events,
such as tornadoes, earthquakes, and nuclear war.
People
with generalized anxiety disorder often find that their worries interfere with
their ability to function at work or concentrate on tasks. Physical symptoms,
such as disturbed sleep, irritability, muscle aches, and tension, may accompany
the anxiety. To receive a diagnosis of this disorder, individuals must have
experienced its symptoms for at least six months.
Generalized
anxiety disorder affects about 3 percent of people in the general population in
any given year. From 55 to 66 percent of people with this disorder are female.
B. Phobias
A
phobia is an excessive, enduring fear of clearly defined objects or situations
that interferes with a person’s normal functioning. Although they know their
fear is irrational, people with phobias always try to avoid the source of their
fear. Common phobias include fear of heights (acrophobia), fear of enclosed
places (claustrophobia), fear of insects, snakes, or other animals, and fear of
air travel. Social phobias involve a fear of performing, of critical
evaluation, or of being embarrassed in front of other people.
C. Panic Disorder
Panic
is an intense, overpowering surge of fear. People with panic disorder
experience panic attacks—periods of quickly escalating, intense fear and
discomfort accompanied by such physical symptoms as rapid heartbeat, trembling,
shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea. Because people with this disorder
cannot predict when these attacks will strike, they develop anxiety about
having additional panic attacks and may limit their activities outside the
home.
D.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
In
obsessive-compulsive disorder, people persistently experience certain intrusive
thoughts or images (obsessions) or feel compelled to perform certain behaviors (compulsions).
Obsessions may include unwanted thoughts about inadvertently poisoning others
or injuring a pedestrian while driving. Common compulsions include repetitive
hand washing or such mental acts as repeated counting. People with this
disorder often perform compulsions to reduce the anxiety produced by their
obsessions. The obsessions and compulsions significantly interfere with their
ability to function and may consume a great deal of time.
E. Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic
stress disorder sometimes occurs after people experience traumatic or
catastrophic events, such as physical or sexual assaults, natural disasters,
accidents, and wars. People with this disorder relive the traumatic event
through recurrent dreams or intrusive memories called flashbacks. They avoid
things or places associated with the trauma and may feel emotionally detached
or estranged from others. Other symptoms may include difficulty sleeping,
irritability, and trouble concentrating.
III. - CAUSES
Most
anxiety disorders do not have an obvious cause. They result from a combination
of biological, psychological, and social factors.
A. Genetics and
Neurobiology
Studies
suggest that anxiety disorders run in families. That is, children and close
relatives of people with disorders are more likely than most to develop anxiety
disorders. Some people may inherit genes that make them particularly vulnerable
to anxiety. These genes do not necessarily cause people to be anxious, but the
genes may increase the risk of anxiety disorders when certain psychological and
social factors are also present.
Anxiety
also appears to be related to certain brain functions. Chemicals in the brain
called neurotransmitters enable neurons, or brain cells, to communicate with
each other. One neurotransmitter, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), appears to
play a role in regulating one’s level of anxiety. Lower levels of GABA are
associated with higher levels of anxiety. Some studies suggest that the
neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin play a role in panic disorder.
B. Psychological
Factors
Psychologists
have proposed a variety of models to explain anxiety. Austrian psychoanalyst
Sigmund Freud suggested that anxiety results from internal, unconscious
conflicts. He believed that a person’s mind represses wishes and fantasies
about which the person feels uncomfortable. This repression, Freud believed,
results in anxiety disorders, which he called neuroses.
More
recently, behavioral researchers have challenged Freud’s model of anxiety. They
believe one’s anxiety level relates to how much a person believes events can be
predicted or controlled. Children who have little control over events, perhaps
because of overprotective parents, may have little confidence in their ability
to handle problems as adults. This lack of confidence can lead to increased
anxiety.
Behavioral
theorists also believe that children may learn anxiety from a role model, such
as a parent. By observing their parent’s anxious response to difficult
situations, the child may learn a similar anxious response. A child may also
learn anxiety as a conditioned response. For example, an infant often startled
by a loud noise while playing with a toy may become anxious just at the sight
of the toy. Some experts suggest that people with a high level of anxiety
misinterpret normal events as threatening. For instance, they may believe their
rapid heartbeat indicates they are experiencing a panic attack when in reality
it may be the result of exercise.
C. Social Factors
While
some people may be biologically and psychologically predisposed to feel
anxious, most anxiety is triggered by social factors. Many people feel anxious
in response to stress, such as a divorce, starting a new job, or moving. Also,
how a person expresses anxiety appears to be shaped by social factors. For
example, many cultures accept the expression of anxiety and emotion in women,
but expect more reserved emotional displays from men.
IV. - TREATMENT
Mental
health professionals use a variety of methods to help people overcome anxiety
disorders. These include psychoactive drugs and psychotherapy, particularly
behavior therapy. Other techniques, such as exercise, hypnosis, meditation, and
biofeedback, may also prove helpful.
A. Medications
Psychiatrists
often prescribe benzodiazepines, a group of tranquilizing drugs, to reduce
anxiety in people with high levels of anxiety. Benzodiazepines help to reduce
anxiety by stimulating the GABA neurotransmitter system. Common benzodiazepines
include alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and diazepam (Valium). Two
classes of antidepressant drugs—tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs)—also have proven effective in treating certain anxiety
disorders.
Benzodiazepines
can work quickly with few unpleasant side effects, but they can also be
addictive. In addition, benzodiazepines can slow down or impair motor behavior
or thinking and must be used with caution, particularly in elderly persons.
SSRIs take longer to work than the benzodiazepines but are not addictive. Some
people experience anxiety symptoms again when they stop taking the medications.
B. Psychotherapy
Therapists
who attribute the cause of anxiety to unconscious, internal conflicts may use
psychoanalysis to help people understand and resolve their conflicts. Other
types of psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, have proven
effective in treating anxiety disorders. In cognitive-behavioral therapy, the
therapist often educates the person about the nature of his or her particular
anxiety disorder. Then, the therapist may help the person challenge irrational
thoughts that lead to anxiety. For example, to treat a person with a snake
phobia, a therapist might gradually expose the person to snakes, beginning with
pictures of snakes and progressing to rubber snakes and real snakes. The
patient can use relaxation techniques acquired in therapy to overcome the fear
of snakes.
Research
has shown psychotherapy to be as effective or more effective than medications
in treating many anxiety disorders. Psychotherapy may also provide more lasting
benefits than medications when patients discontinue treatment.
HOMŒOPATHIC
TREATMENT
Aconitum napellus:
A
panic attack that comes on suddenly with very strong fear (even fear of death)
may indicate this remedy. A state of immense anxiety may be accompanied by
strong palpitations, shortness of breath, and flushing of the face. Sometimes a
shaking experience will be the underlying cause. Strong feelings of anxiety may
also occur when a person is just beginning to come down with a flu or cold.
Argentum nitricum:
This
remedy can be helpful when anxiety develops before a big event: an exam, an
important interview, a public appearance or social engagement. Dizziness and
diarrhea may also be experienced. People who need this remedy are often
enthusiastic and suggestible, with a tendency toward peculiar thoughts and
impulses. They often crave sweets and salt (which usually make their symptoms
worse).
Arsenicum album:
People
who are deeply anxious about their health, and extremely concerned with order
and security, often benefit from this remedy. Obsessive about small details and
very neat, they may feel a desperate need to be in control of everything. Panic
attacks often occur around midnight or the very early hours of the morning. The
person may feel exhausted yet still be restless—fidgeting, pacing, and
anxiously moving from place to place. These people may also have digestive
problems or asthma attacks accompanied by anxiety.
Calcarea carbonica:
This
remedy is usually indicated for dependable, solid people who become overwhelmed
from physical illness or too much work and start to fear a breakdown. Their
thoughts can be muddled and confused when tired, which adds to the anxiety.
Worry and bad news may agitate them, and a nagging dread of disaster (to
themselves or others) may develop. Fear of heights and claustrophobia are also
common. A person who needs this remedy is often chilly and sluggish, has a
craving for sweets, and is easily fatigued.
Gelsemium:
Feelings
of weakness, trembling, and mental dullness (being "paralyzed by
fear") suggest a need for this remedy. It is often helpful when a person
has stage-fright about a public performance or interview, or feels anxious
before a test, a visit to the dentist, or any stressful event. Chills,
perspiration, diarrhea, and headaches will often occur with nervousness. Fear
of crowds, a fear of falling, and even a fear that the heart might stop are
other indications for Gelsemium.
Ignatia amara:
A
sensitive person who is anxious because of grief, loss, disappointment,
criticism, loneliness (or any stressful emotional experience) may benefit from
this remedy. A defensive attitude, frequent sighing, and mood swings are other
indications. The person may burst unexpectedly into either tears or laughter.
Headaches that feel like a nail driven into the side of the head, and cramping
pains in the abdomen or back, are often seen when this remedy is needed.
Kali phosphoricum:
When a
person has been exhausted by overwork or illness and feels a deep anxiety and
inability to cope, this remedy may help. The person is jumpy and oversensitive,
and may be startled by ordinary sounds. Hearing unpleasant news or thinking of
world events can aggravate the problems. Insomnia and an inability to
concentrate may develop, increasing the sense of nervous dread. Eating, warmth,
and rest often bring relief. Headaches, backaches, and nervous digestive upsets
are often seen when this remedy is needed.
Lycopodium:
Individuals
likely to respond to this remedy feel anxiety from mental stress and suffer
from a lack of confidence. They can be self-conscious and feel intimidated by
people they perceive as powerful (yet may also swagger or be domineering toward
those with whom they feel more comfortable). Taking on responsibility can cause
a deep anxiety and fear of failure, although the person usually does well, once
started on a task. Claustrophobia, irritability, digestive upsets with gas and
bloating, and a craving for sweets are often seen when this remedy is needed.
Natrum muriaticum:
Deep
emotions and a self-protective shyness can make these people seem reserved,
aloof, and private. Even when feeling lonely, they tend to stay away from
social situations, not knowing what to say or do. (Inhibitions sometimes leave
completely if they turn to alcohol, which makes them feel embarrassed
afterwards.) Easily hurt and offended, they can brood, bear grudges, dwell on
unhappy feelings, and isolate themselves—refusing consolation even when they
want it. However, they are often sympathetic listeners to other people’s
problems. Claustrophobia, anxiety at night (with fears of robbers or
intruders), migraines, and insomnia are often seen when this remedy is needed.
Phosphorus:
People
who need this remedy are openhearted, imaginative, excitable, easily startled,
and full of intense and vivid fears. Strong anxiety can be triggered by
thinking of almost anything. Nervous and sensitive to others, they can
overextend themselves with sympathy to the point of feeling exhausted and
"spaced out" or even getting ill. They want a lot of company and
reassurance, often feeling better from conversation or a back-rub. Easy
flushing of the face, palpitations, thirst, and a strong desire for cold,
refreshing foods are other indications for Phosphorus.
Pulsatilla:
People
who need this remedy often express anxiety as insecurity and clinginess, with a
need for constant support and comforting. The person may be moody, tearful,
whiny, even emotionally childish. (Pulsatilla is a very useful remedy for
children.) Getting too warm or being in a stuffy room often increases anxiety.
Fresh air and gentle exercise often bring relief. Anxiety around the time of
hormonal changes (puberty, menstrual periods, or menopause) often is helped
with Pulsatilla.
Silicea :
People
who need this remedy are capable and serious, yet are also nervous, shy, and
subject to bouts of temporary loss of confidence. Anxiety can be extreme when
they are faced with a public appearance, interview, examination, or any new job
or task. Worry and overwork can bring on headaches, difficulty concentrating,
and states of exhaustion, oversensitivity, and dread. Responsible and diligent,
they often overreact and devote attention to tiny details—making their worries
(and their work) more difficult. They often have low stamina and come down with
colds, sore throats, or other illnesses after working hard or being under
stress.
