PVCC Puma Press: October 2004

People 18 to 22 years of age, male and female, are in a high-risk group for anxiety ailments, most of which can be managed by lifestyle decisions.

“Anxiety,” says Dr. Gerald P. Shaw, M.D., a Phoenix psychiatrist, “is many things to different people. According to Shaw, anxiety can manifest either emotionally or physically.”
Emotional symptoms such as sleeplessness, over worrying, defensiveness and irritability are psychic tension.

Physical symptoms can range from muscle aches, chronic gastrointestinal complex, gastritis, bruxism (grinding of the teeth), dizziness, sweating or heart palpitations, says Shaw.

Personality types that are more likely to suffer from anxiety, he says, are those who are perfectionists, have high expectations of self and are overwhelmed about the needs of others.

“Moderating habits, such as getting enough sleep and eating well, can ease the suffering from anxiety,” says Shaw.

Lori Anonsen, a Nutrition faculty member at PVCC, says that diet may not be the sole culprit in anxiety, but it can influence anxiety’s affect on the human body. She adds that caffeine and alcohol are two common factors of nutrition that can instigate anxiety if used in excess.

Anonsen recommends drinking lots of water, diluted juice and eating complex carbohydrates, such as granola cereals instead of foods high in sugars. She adds that exercising 30 minutes a day, from walking your dog or playing outside with a younger sibling, can alleviate anxiety symptoms.

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Effects of anxiety disorders that go untreated can include loss of jobs and relationships.
—Gerald P. Shaw, M.D.
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“Endorphins are released when exercising and create a calming effect, which can help with overall well being…with exercise, you can burn up tension,” says Shaw.
He explains that “70 percent of mental health diagnoses are made by primary care physicians, OBGYN’s and surgeons during the course of an interview.

Overall, 5-6 percent of Americans suffer from debilitating anxiety disorders, he says. Some effects of anxiety disorders that go untreated could be loss of job and/or relationships.
Therapy types used are determined by patients’ needs, says Shaw. Following are a number of approaches to therapeutic treatment of anxiety:

Cognitive/behavior therapy—Heals a person’s perceptual distortion by restructuring a realistic view of life.

Interpersonal psychotherapy—Delves into a patient’s past to search out any inciting incidents, which might be the root of an anxiety.

Guided relaxation—This therapy technique teaches a patient to calm down when experiencing a panic attack.

Medications used for treatment of anxiety, continues Shaw, can take one-to-two weeks to become active in the body. Some side effects are dizziness or nausea, sexual dysfunction, weight gain and possible temporary increase of tension. Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapor, Celxa and Luvox are the most commonly prescribed medications to treat anxiety disorders.

Shaw concludes that the best results of treating anxiety come from a combination of therapies. He adds that in a study of adolescents concerning therapy uses, the combination of medication and cognitive therapy had an 80 percent success rate.