Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
A phobia is generally defined as the unrelenting fear of a situation,
activity, or thing that causes one to want to avoid it. The definition of
agoraphobia is a fear of being outside or otherwise being in a situation from
which one either cannot escape or from which escaping would be difficult or
humiliating.
Phobias are largely underreported, probably because many phobia sufferers
find ways to avoid the situations to which they are phobic. The fact that
agoraphobia often occurs in combination with panic disorder makes tracking how
often it occurs all the more difficult. Other facts about agoraphobia include
that researchers estimate it occurs in less than 1 percent to almost 7
percent of the population and that it is specifically thought to be grossly
underdiagnosed.
What causes agoraphobia?
There are a number of theories about what can cause agoraphobia. One
hypothesis is that agoraphobia develops in response to repeated exposure to
anxiety-provoking events. Mental-health theory that
focuses on how individuals react to internal emotional conflicts (psychoanalytic
theory) describes agoraphobia as the result of a feeling of emptiness that comes
from an unresolved Oedipal conflict, which is a struggle between the feelings
the person has toward the opposite-sex parent and a sense of competition with
the same-sex parent. Although agoraphobia, like other mental disorders, is
caused by a number of factors, it also tends to run in families and for some
people, may have a clear genetic factor contributing to its development.
What are the symptoms of agoraphobia?
The symptoms of agoraphobia include anxiety that one will have a panic attack
when in a situation from which escape is not possible or is difficult or
embarrassing. The panic attack associated with agoraphobia, like all panic
attacks, may involve intense fear, disorientation, rapid heart beat, dizziness,
or diarrhea. Agoraphobic individuals often begin to avoid the situations that
provoke these reactions. Interestingly, the situations that are often avoided by
people with agoraphobia and the environments which cause people with balance
disorders to feel disoriented are quite similar. This leads some cases of
agoraphobia to be considered as vestibular function agoraphobia.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a repeatedly
elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a systolic pressure above
140 with a diastolic pressure above 90. There are two causes of high blood pressure, primary and secondary. Primary high blood pressure is much more common that secondary and its basic causes or underlying defects are not always known. It is known that a diet high in salt increases the risk for high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Genetic factors are also a primary cause. Secondary high blood pressure is generally caused by another condition such as renal hypertension, tumors, and other conditions. Treatment for high blood pressure is generally lifestyle changes and if necessary, diet.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is having a heart attack or that death is imminent. The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the true situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them. Most people with panic attacks experience several of the following symptoms: racing heartbeat, faintness, dizzyness, numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers, chills, chest pains, difficulty breathing, and a feeling of loss or control. There are several treatments for panic attacks.
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law.
Suicide is the process of intentionally ending one's own life. Approximately 1 million people worldwide commit suicide each year, and 10 million to 20 million attempt suicide annually.
Phobias are unrelenting fears of activities (social phobias), situations (agoraphobia), and specific items (arachnophobia). There is thought to be a hereditary component to phobias, though there may be a cultural influence or they may be triggered by life events. Symptoms and signs of phobias include having a panic attack, shaking, breathing troubles, rapid heart beat, and a strong desire to escape the situation. Treatment of phobias typically involves desensitization, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and beta blockers.
Generalized anxiety disorder (or GAD) is characterized
by excessive, exaggerated
anxiety and worry about everyday life events with no obvious reasons for
worry. People with
symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder tend to always expect disaster and
can't stop worrying about health, money, family, work, or school. In people
with GAD, the worry often is unrealistic or out of proportion for the
situation. Daily life becomes a constant state of worry, fear, and dread.
Eventually, the anxiety so dominates the person's thinking that it interferes
with daily functioning, including work, school, social activities, and
relationships.
What Are the Symptoms of GAD?
GAD affects the way a person thinks, but the anxiety can lead to physical
symptoms, as well. Symptoms of GAD can include:
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