Anxiety Disorder: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Many people do not even realize that they suffer from an anxious personality disorder, because this disorder is well “masked” by character traits. Therefore, there is no official data on the spread of pathology. Unofficial statistics show that more often this violation is characteristic of women, and at a fairly young age - from 20 to 29 years. At the same time, the disease is also characteristic of other age groups, many live with it for decades. In this article, we will explain what causes anxiety disorder of personality, how to identify and treat it.

Man is created by a social being. This means that a healthy person needs communication, positive emotions from this communication. A person suffering from anxiety disorder experiences a deep sense of his own inferiority, he does not love himself, he is shy of himself, he painfully perceives even the slightest criticism and tries to avoid social contacts. Therefore, personality disorder is often called persistent avoidance or avoidance disorder.

Such a person believes that his actions cannot be approved by anyone. And he is often afraid to do something just because of the prospect of being ridiculed. He sincerely believes that his isolation comes from the inability to communicate. Most often, he is in an anxious and depressive mood. Such a disorder usually develops in adolescence and persists throughout life.

Previously, it was not considered a separate ailment and was described only as a symptom in some mental disorders.

In the classification of psycho-types created back in the middle of the last century by the German scientist Karl Leonhard, suffering from such a disorder are pathological psychotypes. According to Leonhard, such people are of the anxious type and often suffer from compulsive-anxiety syndrome, psychoasthenia (neurotic state). The doubting psychasthenic quite often not only experiences difficulties in relations with people, but also suffers from real phobic disorders - fears of society, etc.

Psychiatrists, psychotherapists and clinical psychologists are involved in the treatment of personality disorder. In the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), the corresponding number is assigned to pathology - F 60.6.

Why such a disorder develops is difficult to unequivocally answer. Despite all the efforts and efforts of doctors and scientists, it has not yet been possible to establish where this pathology comes from. It is believed that a combination of adverse social and psychological factors can affect the human psyche during adolescence. At the same time, not the last place is given to genetically determined development mechanisms.

Very often, the appearance of the disorder is associated with a person’s temperament, and he is always congenital. Melancholics are more susceptible to illness, which even in childhood show excessive shyness, timidity and isolation in behavior, especially in situations where a child or teenager finds himself in a new environment for himself, which remains to be used to and adapted to.

Not the last place is given to the style of education - if in childhood a child with a melancholy type of temperament often hears criticism from adults, if his actions are rarely approved, if adults and peers sharply criticize him as a person, then a person gradually forms a “cocoon” in which he hides from society and criticism emanating from him. And such a “cocoon” is anxiety disorder.

At the same time, a shy and shy child will not necessarily get sick, moreover, at a certain age, some caution in social contacts is completely normal and natural, this is just a stage in the development of the child's psyche, and manifestations of shyness and uncertainty gradually pass as the teenager becomes an adult.

Those who suffer from anxiety disorder, for the most part, "split" between strong feelings - on the one hand, he needs communication, he feels the need for it, but on the other hand, he is afraid of criticism, and therefore tries to distance himself, stay away from people.

Do not consider people with anxious personality disorder as social phobia. Social anxiety, which is characteristic of such a violation, makes them more closely monitor their inner feelings when it becomes necessary to contact someone, while the social phobia cannot be lured into contact even by an urgent need.

Sociophobes are not interested in people, and people with anxiety disorder, on the contrary, are very attentive to the reaction of others to themselves. At the same time, they are incredibly tense, they are very much afraid to provoke criticism or do something wrong. At the physical level, such tension is accompanied either by inconsistent speech, or by laconicism and taciturnity. The deeper a person at the moment of communication with someone plunges into his own feelings, the harder he is given fluent free speech.

Anxiety disorder is very often combined with other fears. Almost half of people with such a violation are afraid of spiders and are prone to panic, every third has signs of social phobia.

In childhood, with a developing personality disorder, a child is very afraid to go to the board, to speak in front of a group of people. He tries to avoid situations in which he may suddenly become the center of attention of others, and also fears all new situations that were previously unfamiliar. When a child grows, the disorder progresses. So, adolescents with anxiety disorder do not want to participate in competitions, refuse to participate in holidays at school, carefully avoid communication with peers. Often they don’t have any friends at all, they try to spend their free time alone, at a book or listening to music.

If such a person is in a team, then he tries to physically take a position in which he and other people are separated by a solid distance. People with such a violation are characterized by increased suspiciousness - even ordinary words of others that do not contain offensive or critical motives, they often perceive at their own expense, begin "digging" and searching for the reasons for the fictitious discontent of others.

They have a need for communication, and it is quite high. But they can communicate only where they are completely sure that they are loved and accepted. If something in the familiar atmosphere went wrong, they “close” and refuse to communicate. It is difficult for them to find “their own person”, to create a family, and therefore such people very often remain lonely in life. But if you still manage to get married or get married, then all communication for those who suffer from anxiety disorder is concentrated only with his soulmate. Outsiders in this family will be banned. If, over time, the partner leaves or dies, then until the end of his days a person with anxiety disorder is usually left alone. No one can compensate for his loss.

From the side, people with anxiety disorder look absurd, clumsy, they are often not understood and rejected for real. Then the person suffering from the violation begins to curry favor with people, which causes even greater rejection.

It is difficult for them to achieve success in their studies, in their profession, since both training and work are, in one way or another, connected with social contacts. They never become leaders, teachers, politicians, artists, deliberately avoiding professions that involve public speaking. Most often, alarming asthenics remain "performers of the supporting roles", preferring a quiet place, individual work, in which there is no place for the collective fulfillment of any task. It is difficult for them to quit; they are afraid of being left without work at all. If there is a need for a transition to another place, this transition for a person will always be a great personal misfortune, and he will survive it always very hard.

These people can’t relax in communication even with a very close person, because they constantly monitor the reaction - whether they like what they say, whether the interlocutor approves of what they said. Therefore, it is very difficult for psychologists to work with people suffering from anxious personality disorder.

People with anxiety disorder are afraid of rumors, gossip, ridicule, they are very dependent on public opinion, from what others say or can say about them. Unfortunately, there are a lot of alcoholics among adults with such a mental disorder, since alcohol initially helps them relieve emotional stress in communication, and then sooner or later leads to serious dependence.

Diagnostics is carried out by psychiatrists and psychotherapists. It is very important not to confuse anxiety disorder with antisocial personality disorder, also called sociopathy. The sociopath denies society, not only in itself, but also all social norms, principles and moral principles. It is important for the doctor to distinguish the disturbing disorder from the schizoid. Schizoid types, in principle, do not want to communicate with anyone, while anxious people want, but are afraid, and therefore tense.

There is also a dependent personality disorder in which people are painfully afraid of separation, cling to the object of communication or love with all their might.

To understand all these nuances should be a specialist. Self-diagnosis and attempts by relatives to “diagnose” a person in this case are unacceptable. In psychotherapy and psychiatry, there is a system of tests to detect signs of anxiety disorder. It is with them that the diagnosis begins in the specialist’s office. At the same time, the doctor talks, observes, notes changes in the characteristics of the patient's speech skills.

The important diagnostic signs according to the results of the initial examination are constant tension, insecurity in one’s strengths and abilities, in oneself, obsessive depreciation of one’s self in comparison with others (“they yes, they can, but I have to go somewhere ...”), reluctance start communication if guarantees are not received that criticism will not follow, a painful reaction to criticisms, fear of disapproval. If a specialist tests with at least four signs, he can talk about the presence of anxiety disorder.

Most often, such patients are not treated in a hospital, where the situation is new for them, and therefore potentially provoking new attacks, but at home, where everything is familiar and clear. There are special programs that include behavioral psychotherapy in combination with psychoanalysis.

A very effective method is to re-evaluate the experience. Together with a specialist, the patient parses situations from childhood, adolescence, recent events. The doctor’s task is to help the patient form a new look at old events, at parents and former classmates, at colleagues and neighbors, at acquaintances and strangers.

All this is from the realm of psychoanalysis. As for behavioral therapy, it includes techniques for creating new mental attitudes, patterns, as well as teaching free communication in special groups.

It is very important that a person receives not only individual home treatment, but also attends group trainings and classes. It is there that he will be able to test, apply, improve the new attitudes that the psychoanalyst helps to form, it is there that new techniques are established in communications with other people. Those who refuse group classes usually do not get any pronounced effect from the treatment. Based on one psychoanalysis, the pathology is not corrected.

At the final stage of treatment, the person begins to apply the received attitudes and skills in his daily life. Here, the main thing is not to break loose and not to go back to the "cocoon", because certain failures and mistakes happen to everyone. Gradually, from the new settings and patterns, a persistent habit is formed to communicate normally and adequately respond to others.

The prognosis for such a violation is usually very, very favorable, but only on condition that the person still agrees to the therapy. The disorder does not go away on its own. If the disorder is accompanied by other mental disorders, then the treatment is more difficult, long, and it does not always give the desired effect.

Sometimes, in combination with psychotherapeutic programs, the patient is recommended to take medications. Of course, there is no “magic pill” for the disorder, and a separate drug treatment does not give any pronounced effect.But there can be a place for medicines in the treatment program, especially if it is a serious disorder. In this case, it is recommended to take tranquilizers and antidepressants. Medications can help reduce stress, reduce symptoms of a depressed state. Such drugs belong to the prescription group and in pharmacies are sold exclusively by prescription. Of non-prescription drugs, sedatives, sedatives (Novo-Passit, etc.) are recommended.

Since it is difficult to do it yourself, you must definitely decide to contact a specialist. This will be the beginning of the path to changes that will benefit everyone, and especially the person himself. Carrying out the program recommended by the doctor, you need to remember that at any time you may need the support and help of a loved one or a psychologist. Do not be shy to contact if something seems wrong, something does not correspond to ideas about life.

A person who is determined to defeat Anxiety Disorder needs to be mindful of what needs to be done to promote effective healing. First of all, the mode of the day is important, you need to go to bed on time, avoiding insomnia or work at night. A night's rest should be sufficient in time.

It will be useful to learn some techniques of relaxation, meditation, respiratory gymnastics in order to learn how to relax. If visiting a yoga group is still difficult due to the existing problem, it is worth practicing self-study.

A person in the fight against personality disorder needs to learn not to pay too much attention to one thingto get hung up on something is harmful and dangerous in this situation. But an activity in which one can arbitrarily switch attention from one object to another will do good.

No matter how you want to relax with alcohol, you should exclude the use of alcohol, especially in order to become more relaxed in communicating with someone in a natural state.

For more on personality disorder, see the next video.