1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder & Panic Anxiety
Lam#27, Linh#28 Per.6
Generalized Anxiety Disorder & Panic Anxiety

2. Case Study
Homer, who is eating a snack calmly, gets an unexpected wave of panic, out of nowhere. His heart raced, and became sweaty, worrying he may die. To make matters worse, he finds himself with nowhere to escape very easily

3. Definitions
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-psychological problem characterized by persistent feelings of anxiety without external cause.
Symptoms:
-constant worry over nothing
-no relaxation
-jumpy
-nausea
Panic Disorder: sudden urge of overwhelming anxiety and fear; unlike GAD victim is usually free of anxiety between panic attacks.
-uncontrollable breathing and heart rate

4. Theories of These Disorders
Biological Perspective:
-There’s imbalance of seretonin (mood), norepinephrine (sleep), and GABA (relaxing)
Psychodynamic Perspective:
-This includes the unconscious mental life and defense mechanisms until alertness
Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective:
-Theorists viewed panic attacks as conditioned response to learned physical
sensations
Humanistic Perspective:
-People with panic disorders or GAD may not be meeting their safety need of their
goals

5. Treatments of GAD For GAD: -Use the method of this acronym: AWARE
Acceptance (welcome it, don’t fight it)
Watch (look at your anxiety w/o judgments; separate yourself from it)
Act with it (breathe slowly and normally; allow anxiety to leave your mind)
Repeat (continue the three steps)
Expect the best (know your potential anxiety for your future)

6. The Drug Route
Benzodiazephines
Barbituates
Valium

7. Facts
Victims of panic disorder have addition symptoms of agoraphobia (open space)
Agoraphobia affects 35%-37% of population a year with GAD
You can get accustomed to anxiety that you won’t even feel it anymore but your body still shows signs of anxiety
Animals also have anxiety

8. Sources That darn psych book…..
Helpguide.org/mental/generalized_anxiety_disorder.htm
Webmd.com/facts_of_panic_disorder.htm
wikipedia.org/disorders.htm