Mental Illness
Excessive and unrealistic worry about two or more life circumstances for 6 months or more
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
This substance has an additive effect when taken with many of the antianxiety agents and may cause increased anxiety or drowsiness
Alcohol
Examples of this drug class include Alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), chlordiazepoxide (Librium),and diazepam (Valium)
Benzodiazepines
Avoidance of the specific object or activity is a common treatment for this particular anxiety disorder
Phobia
Often described as “Winter Depression," this mental illness typically occurs during the months of October to April; it is treated with daily exposure to full-spectrum light (phototherapy) which lessens the symptoms of sadness and social withdrawal
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Irrational fears of a specific object, activity, or situation.
This term refers to symptoms that include restlessness, worsening of anxiety and insomnia, tremor, muscle tension, increased heart rate, and auditory hypersensitivity when working with patients taking benzodiazepines
Withdrawal
This is the drug class that works by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin at nerve endings, leading to a decrease in the level of anxiety
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)
Benzodiazepines work through the stimulation of this neurotransmiter; it decreases anxiety, improves sleep, and reduces tremor/ muscle tension
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
This mental illness is characterized by persistent emotional disturbances that can be directly traced to the effects of a chemical, such as alcohol
Substance-Induced Mood Disorder
This anxiety disorder refers to an individual experiencing unprovoked anxiety attacks involving intense fear. Symptoms often mimic those of a heart attack (chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and nausea)
Panic Disorder
This term is defined as unwanted thoughts that are time-consuming and senseless
Obession
The medication that acts as a mild tranquilizer for anxiety, tension, agitation; sedation; and relaxation before surgery. It controls itching in allergic reactions also
Hydroxyzine (Miscellaneous Anti-Anxiety Agent)
This drug class is preferred over other antidepressants, for treatment of anxiety disorderss, because their adverse effects are less prominent and they do not have the risk of cardiac dysrhythmias associated with Tricyclic antidepressants.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
This mental illness features major episodes of depression alternating with periods of hypomania. 1 to 2 weeks of severe lethargy, withdrawal, and melancholy are followed by several days of mania
Bipolar II Disorder
This mental illness is considered to be the most disabling anxiety disorder
Obessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
This drug class reaches therapeutic levels within 2-4 weeks; patient's should be educated to report worsening of symptoms or thoughts of suicide
Antidepressants
Patients taking medications from this drug class should be monitored for these adverse effects- Slurred speech, dizziness, dry mucous membranes, blurred vision, sedation, and constipation.
Anticholinergics
This particular treatment focuses on changing unwanted behaviors through learning principles. It's an umbrella term for various techniques that aim to develop positive behaviors and eliminate negative ones.
Behavioral Therapy
This mental illness occurs after childbirth and includes symptoms such as tearfulness, irritability, hypochondria, and sleeplessness
Postpartum Depression
This mental illness is chacterized by episodes of depression alternating with episodes of mania; it is more severe and incapacitating
Bipolar Disorder
Once a patient is no longer expericing symptoms of mania, this particular drug is no longer needed
Lithium
This anti anxiety medication is comparable with benzodiazepines in reducing symptoms of anxiety with fewer sedative or withdrawal adverse effects
Buspirone (BuSpar)
This anxiety disorder is treated with behavioral and psychosocial therapy. Fluvoxamine (Luvox) is a medication commonly prescribed to target symptoms of this particular mental illness.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
This mental illness can occur on several levels; it is most critical when symptoms such as thoughts of self harm, agitation, sadness, hoplessness, and helplessness present for more than 2 weeks
Depression