Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) are among the most common anxiety disorders (Bandelow, Michaelis, & Wedekind, 2017). GAD is characterized by prolonged worrying about a number of things (such as work, family, money, and health, among others). It may result from over-activity of parts of the brain that regulate behavior and emotions, imbalance of serotonin and noradrenaline (responsible for mood regulation), inherited genes, and past traumatic experience or alcohol/drug use.
On the other hand, SAD is indicated by severe fear, shyness and discomfort while in social settings. The disorder can be inherited or learned, through unpleasant social experience. As for the diagnosis of ASD, Meiser-Stedman et al. (2017) indicated the need to identify at least nine of the stipulated symptoms. The symptoms categories consist of bad mood, intrusion, evasion, isolation, and arousal. ASD develops after a person witnesses a situation that is either life-threatening or perceived to be so.
Pharmacological treatment options for anxiety disorders include drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Bandelow et al. (2017) explained that Benzodiazepines can be used, but not for long-term. Alternative medication include buspirone, pregabalin, moclobemide, and tricyclic antidepressants. Once the prescriptions are made, the medication should be taken for six months to one year. One non-pharmacological treatments for ASD, GAD, and SAD is psychological counselling or psychotherapy. Bandelow et al. (2017) argued that cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy which enables anxiety disorder patients to recognize and transform their thoughts. The therapy also encourages development of skills for coping with the situations the patients worry about or fear. Regular physical exercises, self-help courses, and controlling alcohol or caffeine intake may also be useful.
