Category Archives: Anxiety

Anxiety Gene That Makes Us Comfort Eat, Anxiety Food Addiction

May 12, 2010

Yes that’s right, it looks like there’s a scientific base to comfort eating and it’s not just all in your head after all according to the results of a recent Israeli study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, claim to have found a single “anxiety gene” or “anxiety switch” that causes stress and increases food cravings for sweet things.

Dr Alon Chen, who is a neuro-endocrinologist at the Institute, said “In essence, stress may be turning us fat”.

“Stress is definitely influencing every system in the body,” said Dr Chen. “It’s not just causing anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder but is influencing metabolic syndromes such as obesity.”

Ok so what can we do about it, stress is such a normal part of everyday living for most of us these days we can’t seem to get away from it, which may be partly why there are so many people in the western world getting fatter, which in turn is leading to an increase in the number of people with diabetes.

If we don’t do something, apparently around 360 million people will be suffering from diabetes over the next 20 years.

It was already known that there was a link between stress, anxiety and comfort eating but until now no one has been able to properly explain that link.

“This new research may be the important missing link that can help drug developers create drugs targeting stress that could have multiple side-benefits, like preventing diabetes, promoting heart health and keeping our weight down” said Dr Chen.

“We showed that the actions of a single gene in just one part of the brain can have profound effects on the metabolism of the whole body.”

Dr Chen said that he and his researchers had discovered a gene called Urocortin-3 (Ucn3) which is responsible for causing anxiety and metabolic changes including type II diabetes in animals.

“In the lab, stressed animals eat less. But in humans some eat more or less when stressed. What’s key here is that food preference is changing,” he explains.

“This mechanism, which appears to be a “smoking gun” tying stress levels to metabolic disease, might, in the future, point the way toward the treatment or prevention of a number of stress-related diseases.”

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Worry May Actually Reduce Depression?

April 29, 2010

Many people who are suffering from depression often worry and have symptoms of anxiety too. Now the findings of one recent study suggest that some worry can actually alleviate the symptoms of depression.

The study looked at depression and anxiety; however, there are two different types of anxiety. One type is called anxious arousal which is the panicky and fearful type of anxiety and the other is anxious apprehension, which we understand as normal worrying.

Using functional Magnetic Imaging (fMRI) the researchers looked at what was going on in the brains of people who were depressed and not feeling anxious, those who were anxious but not depressed, and those who had symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Professor Gregory Miller, who is a psychologist at the University of Illinois in the US maintains that although we think of depression and anxiety as separate, they often occur together and in a national study, three quarters of those diagnosed with depression also had another diagnosis like anxiety.

Previous studies have also shown that the two different types of anxiety involve different areas of the brain. The anxious arousal produces activity in the right inferior temporal lobe located just behind the ear, whereas normal worrying produces activity in the left frontal lobe which is also linked to production of speech.

In the most recent study, participants were scanned using fMRI whilst they were performing a task whereby they had to name the colours of words which either had a positive meaning, a neutral meaning or a negative meaning.

What the researchers found was that the part of the brain that was activated in response to the words was different if they were a worried or depressed person compared to those who were panicky and fearful.

Basically, those who were worriers performed better on the word task than those who were panicky and seemed able to ignore the negative connotations of the word and focus on the task in hand.

The study suggests that panic and fear can increase the activity in the part of the brain associated with depression, whereas worry can actually reduce some of the negative effects of depression and fear.

“It could be that having a particular type of anxiety will help processing in one part of the brain while at the same time hurting processing in another part of the brain,” said Miller.

“Sometimes worry is a good thing to do. Maybe it will get you to plan better. Maybe it will help you to focus better. There could be an up-side to these things.”

The study was carried out by the University of Illinois, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Colorado, and was published in the journal Cognitive, Affective & Behavioural Neuroscience.

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Natural Anxiety Cures A Cheap Alternative To Prescription Drugs

January 7, 2009

Everyone worries some of the time, even though they know that there is nothing productive about this behaviour. There are many people out there who would quickly agree with the statement, “I worry too much.” The fact is, life can be worrisome, terrible, and uncertain. Many people don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or if they have enough money to last until the next pay day.

However, what if you worry so much that it interferes with your life? In that case, you will need to take steps to curb your anxieties. One solution for serious anxiety problems is to see a therapist, or, in particular, a psychotherapist, who is qualified to prescribe mood-altering drugs.

Yet, many people do not have the financial resources or the time for regular therapy sessions. They want to stop worrying, but don’t want their problem to become its own institution. They also worry about the high costs and negative side effects of prescription medications for anxiety. For these people, there are a number of natural anxiety remedies on the market. These substances occur in nature; they are not synthesised in labs, and many of them do not require prescriptions. Even with natural anti-anxiety medications, however, it’s important to get a doctor’s diagnosis before going to the apothecary’s.

One naturally-occurring anxiety remedy is a plant known as passionflower (latin name: passiflora incarnata). This grassy herb has been used to cure anxiety for centuries in the regions where it was abundantly grown, a classic example of folk medicine. Modern medicine has studied the efficacy of this herb at helping alleviate anxiety and insomnia. Studies have found its effects on chronic worriers to resemble that of benzodiazepine, a possibly addictive prescription drug. Despite being “natural,” this herb entails its share of possible negative side effects, such as nausea and sleepiness. It isn’t recommended to combine this herb with sedative drugs.

Another common herb that has been used to treat chronic anxiety, as well as insomnia and cases of “the nerves” is valerian (valeriana officinalis). Valerian is typically taken shortly before retiring for the night. The plant doesn’t start showing its effects until it has been taken for approximately three weeks. This drug has not been shown to be as effective against anxiety as passionflower. It is primarily useful against insomnia, or against minor anxiety symptoms.

Kava (piper methysticum) is the newest natural anti-anxiety drug to have achieved prominence in UK and American markets. Kava is a plant native to Polynesia. Anecdotal evidence, as well as several studies, have suggested that this drug is effective at calming people down and relieving the symptoms of anxiety and fruitless worry. It is a more effective ant-anxiety drug than valerian, but beware: the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that kava can sometimes cause serious damage to the liver.

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Is There A Cure For Anxiety?

January 7, 2009

Anxiety: we all have it. Some of us it helps, some of us it annoys. Some of us, however, suffer from it to such an extent that we can’t lead normal lives. The conditioning of worrying so much about trivial matters that it interferes with normal life is called generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) by the medical profession.

People who suffer from this disorder know that they have a problem. They wish that they could stop worrying and get on with actually living their lives, but their irrational impulses are simply too powerful. They wonder if there exists some miracle cure for anxiety–a pill they could take, or a bitter draught, that would magically make their fears vanish. Alas, there is, as yet, no such cure.

People who suffer from crippling anxiety have several options for treatment. The first is self-help: learning techniques to help themselves relax and temporarily alleviate their fears. There are a number ways to do this. Sometimes, visualising a pleasant scene works well. Some people can relax when listening to music they like (although some people find that they prefer the music that agitates and excites, rather than relaxes; for these people, listening to favourite music is not a good option). Some people can relax while viewing a favourite artwork, or practising a favourite hobby. Breathing rhythmically and continuing to do what one is doing are other self-induced methods of dealing with anxiety.

If none of these methods work, a trained therapist can help. Approximately two thirds of GAD sufferers show marked improvement after just a few months of cognitive-behavioural therapy sessions with a trained therapist. Cognitive-behavioural therapy teaches patients to examine their thought processes and isolate unproductive thought patterns that lead to anxiety.

For example, a good therapist can teach a GAD sufferer to recognise when he or she starts automatically imagining negative outcomes of whatever situation he or she is in. Whenever GAD patients embark on any project, they are prone to immediately imagine the worst possible result, and then automatically mistake that imagining for inevitable reality. Cognitive-behavioural therapy can teach chronic worriers to become aware of, and reform, these and other destructive habits of thought.

In addition to therapy, a qualified psychotherapist can provide certain mood-altering medications. These medications do not cure anxiety, but they have proven to be effective at ameliorating many of its symptoms and lessening its incidence. Benzodiazepines and antidepressants (typically selective serotonin reuptake inhibtors, or SSRIs, such as Prozac) have both been effective at relieving symptoms of anxiety, but patients should be wary of their side effects.

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Separation Anxiety Disorder

January 7, 2009

Separation anxiety disorder is a condition that affects somewhere between 4 and 5% of UK children under the age of 12. Less commonly, this condition also affects teenagers, with approximately 1-2% of UK teens between the ages of 13 and 17 suffering from the disorder. Surprisingly enough, separation anxiety can happen in adults as well. Indeed, the UK adult age group (i.e. over 18 years) has the highest percentage of separation anxiety sufferers: just slightly under 7%.

Separation anxiety, in itself, is not a disorder. It is a normal developmental phase for toddlers and young children, who start out life with a shaky grasp of the notion of objects’ independent existence. For many young children, it does not always follow that, if mummy leaves the room, she continues to exit. Thus, it’s understandable for these young tykes to protest, cry, and cling to the proverbial mother’s apron strings when she threatens them with being left alone.

By the time most children reach the age of six or so, however, they usually acquire a firmer grasp of reality. Most of these older children eventually acquire a sense of themselves as independent from their parents, and of their parents’ independence from them. They also acquire a sense of time. They become aware that, even if their parents leave the room, they will return. Separations become calmer.

A child is said to exhibit sings of separation anxiety disorder if his or her separation anxiety persists beyond the age of six, and becomes severe enough to interfere with normal life. Marcel Proust arguably suffered from separation anxiety disorder, when, even as a teenager he feared going to bed, where he would be beyond the reach of his beloved mother. When we read Swann’s Way we are unsure of the narrator’s age. Although his reflections on literature strike us as those of a young teenager, his attitude towards his mother (and, indeed, towards his whole family) strike as as those of a child of five or six.

Meanwhile, the American film Psycho shows a highly dramatised example of separation anxiety disorder in adults. The main killer Norman Bates dotes on the corpse of his mother, unable to separate himself from his beloved caretaker even in her death. Surprisingly, many adults develop separation anxiety disorder after a perfectly normal childhood. As these individuals enter the frightening world of adulthood, they seem to shrink back in fear, and regress to the level of six-year-old children.

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Problems In Psychology: Anxiety Disorders

January 7, 2009

The term “anxiety disorder” refers to one of an number of psychological conditions recognised by the mental health profession. To the layman, the words “fear,” “phobia,” “panic,” and “anxiety” are synonymous. They can describe a range of mental states, from terror to dislike.

However, in the psychological profession, those three words have very precise, distinct meanings. Those three words help to describe the different ways in which the natural human responses to danger can become pathological and interfere with normal life.

Today, psychologists recognise at least four main kinds of anxiety disorder. Ranging from the most to the least commonly occurring (according to recent estimates), these eight disorders are: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD); panic disorder; phobias; and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Generalised anxiety disorder, the most common of the anxiety disorders, is a permanent, debilitating psychological condition. It is characterised by constant, unfocused worry about different everyday matters, big or small. People who suffer from this condition find worrying to be a part of life. Their awareness of their own tendency to worry spurs on their worrying to greater and greater levels of intensity (in the same way, Swann’s awareness of his infatuation with Odette in Proust’s Swanns Way only intensifies his infatuation). Whether for cultural or genetic reasons (probably a combination of both), this disorder affects more women than men.

Panic disorder is a condition characterised by a tendency to experience brief attacks of terror. As with the anxiety of generalised anxiety disorder, the panics of this disorder lack a consistent trigger. Rather, the triggers of panic attacks vary person to person, and even situation by situation. Sometimes, panic attacks seem to beset the sufferers for no apparent reason. At other times, situations such as being in an unfamiliar place, a crowded place, or a place with few exits, can trigger panic attacks. One common manifestation of panic disorder is agoraphobia, the fear of being in a crowded place such as is likely to trigger panic attacks. Many sufferers of panic disorder fear the attacks themselves, rather than anything external to their disorder.

A third common disorder is phobia: a pervasive, irrational fear of a particular thing or situation. Phobias vary in how much impact they can have on a life: someone who spends someone who is phobic of snakes and spends most of his time in a large European city is unlikely to suffer serious consequences as a result of his phobia; on the other hand, someone who lives in a big suburb and has a phobia of driving will have to make significant adjustments to his life.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is another anxiety disorder, one which has received much publicity. As the name implies, it is characterised by irrational, obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. The expression,  to “line up all one’s ducks in a row” suggests the power that these compulsive rituals hold over sufferers of OCD.

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Computer Anxiety Is Modernity’s Newest Phobia

January 7, 2009

During the late 1990′s, American psychologists announced that a new psychological ailment was beginning to make its presence known amidst late 20th century peoples. According to these psychologists, computer anxiety, or “computerphobia” could be added to the other lists of common phobias already recognised by the mental health profession, such as the fear of spiders and heights.

This wasn’t the first time that modern technology has created a new class of fears. Before aeroplanes, we rarely heard about the fear of flying. Skyscrapers gave new meaning to the fear of heights. Advancements in modern engineering have made it necessary for comparatively advanced mathematics to be taught at even the earliest grades of school, giving rise to “maths phobia.” Now, computer anxiety has joined these now-venerable psychological disorders of modernity. Computer anxiety promises to be one of the first truly twenty-first century disorders.

Computer anxiety is more serious than it sounds. Certainly, everyone is a little bit apprehensive about doing unfamiliar things with computers. Most people would be alarmed by the prospect of programming in assembly language, or even turning on a UNIVAC. More than that, there are still many people out there who are unfamiliar with, and thus uncomfortable using, even simple modern-day desktop computers. Many of these people even say, jokingly, “Oh, I am computer-phobic.” However, this is not true, pathological computer anxiety, as some psychologists are starting to define it.

People who suffer from computer anxiety, according to some psychologists, tend to panic and “shut down” completely when faced with the prospect of using a computer. Their perception of themselves as “bad at computers” is so ingrained that their minds instinctively draw a blank whenever they are put in a situation where they need to use computers. Embarrassment and fear of social ostracism compound computer phobics’ perception of their inadequacy.

As a result, when presented with a computer, these individuals experience a deep anxiety, comparable to many other types of pathological anxiety–such as extreme stage fright, or fear of talking to other people. Often, one negative experience with a computer is enough to make someone who is already doubtful about his or her computer competency into a true computer phobic.

Fortunately, there are many ways to get over computer anxiety. There is a way for even the most anxious computer phobics to learn the ever-more indispensable life skill of operating a personal computer. Pedagogues who teach computer classes are starting to take computer anxiety into account. They are starting to use the same techniques teachers have been using for years to teach mathematics to reluctant learners.

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Steps To Take To Get Over Anxiety Disorders

January 7, 2009

If you suspect that either you, or someone you know, suffers from one of the four or five (or eight, depending on how you count) major anxiety disorders recognised by the mental health profession, your first course of action is to see a general practitioner, i.e. your doctor.

By this point, you have probably researched for yourself the symptoms of the various anxiety disorders that are out there. However, keep in mind that there are many physiological conditions that can cause the same outward symptoms as many anxiety disorders. For example, you may have a heart condition that is causing the rapid heartbeats that bring about your panic attacks. There may be a physical source behind those headaches that worsen your all-pervasive sense of anxiety.

A physician should be able to tell you if there is anything wrong with you physically. This, by itself, can alleviate many anxieties. Plus, a physician should be able to refer you to a good therapist (preferably, one who is skilled in cognitive-behavioural therapy) to help with your case.

Then, after you meet your a psychiatrist or psychologist, make sure that the mental health professional you intent to seek treatment from is someone you can speak to honestly about your condition. By definition, being treated for an anxiety disorder can force the patient to delve into uncomfortable parts of himself. Make sure you are not afraid to share with your psychologist or psychiatrist whatever sensitive issues may or may not arise.

During the course of your treatment, it is often a good idea to become part of a self-help or support group for people who suffer from the same anxiety disorder as you do. This can speed up the process of overcoming your anxiety disorder. Anxiety sufferers benefit immensely from open and honest discussion. Little is more fearful than the unknown and the inarticulable; concomitantly, fear decreases immensely when it is talked about.

Make sure to take any medications your therapist prescribes according to your therapist’s instructions. Dosage and regular ingestion are both very important with the mood-altering drugs typically used to treat anxiety. Keep in mind that many anti-anxiety medications can be habit-forming. Make sure, in particular, never to take a higher dosage than you are prescribed. If you feel the need to stop taking an anti-anxiety medication, it is usually a bad idea to do so suddenly.

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Dealing With Travel Anxiety With The Help Of Friends

January 7, 2009

Travel is inherently stressful. The more “established” you are wherever you currently lead your live, the more you “give up” when you travel somewhere far away, the more difficult travel becomes.

Many of us remember how easy travel used to be when we were young. We could quit our jobs whenever the mood struck us. With few possessions, without obligations to work or family, surrounded by a group of similar-minded friends, we could set off at a moment’s notice.

It is often a surprise to find oneself, for the first time, a sufferer of travel anxiety. When an older person sets out to travel for the first time in a long time, that surprise can be very unpleasant. Family men and women, with established jobs, typically find that the free-and-easy lifestyle of the past is no more when they plan their first trip abroad as “adults.” The onset of travel anxiety is typically one of the first signs that one is no longer young and that, in itself, can be alarming. It can even increase the anxiety.

What are typically sources of worry for people about to undertake a long trip? In fact, long trips present many sources of worry. The prospect of planning something that is perceived as complicated is worrisome. So is threat of what will happen to one’s house, children, or pets while one is away. Travelling with children, of course, presents its own set of logistical problems that can seem intimidating if one has never done it before. We worry about not being able to find our hotels, about being cheated and robbed by people who don’t speak our language, about getting sick abroad and having to deal with foreign medical infrastructure, and–paradoxically–about not being able to have a good time during the trip, because of worrying too much.

Fortunately, there is one simple way to reduce travel anxiety and simplify the process of travel: get your friends to help you plan the trip. Often, it is much easier to plan for something if you are not deeply personally invested in the success of the plan. Your friends probably want the trip to go well for you. At the same time, they’re not paralysed by fear the way you probably are. They have a more  realistic view of your trip and its likely outcome. They know that, statistically speaking, you’ll probably have an enjoyable time. A major disaster befalling you during the course of your travel is highly improbable.

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The Benefits of an Anxiety Blog

January 7, 2009

Blogging is quite popular these days.  It seems that everyone is blogging about every topic imaginable.  Blogs are public journals that let you express yourself.  You can actually keep your blog private if you want or by invitation only.  No matter how your blog, though, if you have anxiety then an anxiety blog may just be the therapy you need to help you once and for all.

Blogging as a Treatment

An anxiety blog makes for a wonderful treatment.  It is a way for you to get all your feelings out and written down.  You can look back on it later and see what you were going through that caused your anxiety.  You may even be able to find some triggers that you never recognized before.

Additionally, blogging allows you to share with others what it is like to live with anxiety.  Someone out there may be going through the same thing yet they are undiagnosed and simply left suffering, but through reading your blog they discover what is wrong and get treatment.

You never know what impact your blog may have on others, but you will surely see the way it helps you.

Why Blogging Helps

Blogging works because it lets you be honest and in control.  You can write whatever you want.  You can write a sentence or a whole page.  You also can share it with others or keep it to yourself.  It is a personal thing that allows you to be honest and open about what you feel and what is going on.

Your therapist may even suggest using a blog if you have problems opening up in therapy.  Your therapist may be able to use your blog to help you better.

You will probably release a lot of tense and stress just through writing about what is going on.  Unlike having to explain to another person, you do not have to choose words carefully or fear being misunderstood.  You can just be who you are.  It is a really honest way of working out your anxiety issues.

Starting your Anxiety Blog

Getting started with an anxiety blog is not difficult.  There are many options online for free where you can blog.  You can go to popular sites like Myspace  or Blogger where you can write whatever you want and keep it private or public.  You can also choose one of the many blogging sites that allow you complete control over your own blog.
It is actually fun to set up your blog. You get to create the look and style of the blog.  Everything from colours to the font type is customizable in most blogs.  Just setting up your blog can be a great stress reliever.

Once you have it set up all you do is log in whenever you want to write in it.  You can blog every day, every week, or even multiple times in one day.  It is all up to you.  You are in control and you decide what you blog about and when you blog.

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