Anxiety is more common than people realize and in this episode of “Between Two White Coats”, we will discuss important facts and solutions. Have you subscribed to our podcast?
Dr. Plaster and Amber Foster are used to patients coming in for concerns about anxiety symptoms. It was necessary to have an open discussion about anxiety and to include mental health professional, Jane Robinson.
Topics Covered:
Causes of Anxiety
How to address it
How to cope
This Episode’s Special Guest
Jane Robinson is discussing Anxiety with Dr. Plaster and Amber Foster. Jane has 20+ years of experience in clinical therapy and family advocacy. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Social Work.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is considered an emotional response to stress with a deep concern for what has not yet occurred.
GAD affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. GAD often co-occurs with major depression.
Panic Disorder (PD)
PD affects 6 million adults, or 2.7% of the U.S. population.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
Social Anxiety Disorder
SAD affects 15 million adults, or 6.8% of the U.S. population.
SAD is equally common among men and women and typically begins around age 13. According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36% of people with social anxiety disorder report experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.
Specific Phobias
Specific phobias affect 19 million adults, or 8.7% of the U.S. population.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
Symptoms typically begin in childhood; the average age-of-onset is 7 years old.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are closely related to anxiety disorders, which some may experience at the same time, along with depression.
Stress
Everyone experiences stress and anxiety at one time or another. The difference between them is that stress is a response to a threat in a situation. Anxiety is a reaction to the stress. Read APA: Stress in America: A National Mental Health Crisis (Oct 2020)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD affects 2.2 million adults, or 1.0% of the U.S. population.
OCD is equally common among men and women.
The average age of onset is 19, with 25 percent of cases occurring by age 14. One-third of affected adults first experienced symptoms in childhood.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD affects 7.7 million adults, or 3.5% of the U.S. population.
Women are more likely to be affected than men.
Rape is the most likely trigger of PTSD: 65% of men and 45.9% of women who are raped will develop the disorder.
Childhood sexual abuse is a strong predictor of lifetime likelihood for developing PTSD.
Major Depressive Disorder
The leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44.3.
MDD affects more than 16.1 million American adults, or about 6.7%of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.
While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the median age at onset is 32.5 years old.
More prevalent in women than in men.
Persistent depressive disorder or PDD, (formerly called dysthymia) is a form of depression that usually continues for at least two years.
Affects approximately 1.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. (about 3.3 million American adults). Only 61.7% of adults with MDD are receiving treatment. The average age of onset is 31 years old. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
Related Illnesses
Many people with an anxiety disorder also have a co-occurring disorder or physical illness, which can make their symptoms worse and recovery more difficult. It’s essential to be treated for both disorders.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are closely related to anxiety disorders, which some may experience at the same time, along with depression.
Read on to learn more about the co-occurrence of anxiety and these disorders:
Anxiety disorders affect 25.1% of children between 13 and 18 years old. Research shows that untreated children with anxiety disorders are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, miss out on important social experiences, and engage in substance abuse.
Anxiety disorders also often co-occur with other disorders such as depression, eating disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Childhood anxiety disorders
Anxiety and depression
Treatment
Tips for parents and caregivers
Anxiety disorders at school
School refusal
Older Adults
Anxiety is as common among older adults as among the young. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder among older adults, though anxiety disorders in this population are frequently associated with traumatic events such as a fall or acute illness. Read the best way to treat anxiety disorders in older adults.
Is Anxiety a concern for you or someone you love? How do you currently manage it?
“Between Two White Coats”
Dr. Michelle Plaster and Nurse Practitioner Amber Foster, Our Family Health Center’s own medical professionals, have come together to create the “Between Two White Coats” podcast that discusses the most pertinent topics that impact people just like you, family medicine patients.
Between Two White Coats is available on your favorite podcast apps. Copy and paste “Between Two White Coats” into the search bar of your podcast app.
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About Dr. Michelle Plaster
Before becoming licensed in Family Medicine, Dr. Plaster worked as a Professor of Anatomy within medical and nursing schools. With her education and training in counseling, Dr. Plaster worked as a Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Counselor and a Hospice Counselor. Her work as a Professor of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology at massage therapy schools piqued her interest in Complementary Medicine. She learned the benefits of massage, acupuncture, Chiropractic Medicine, and Complementary Medical techniques. She set a goal of having a practice where her patients would have a choice in their health care.
Amber Foster is your Family Nurse Practitioner at our Family Health Center. She received her BSN-RN at Georgia Southern University in 2004 and her MSN-FNP at the University of Alabama in 2009.
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