Transcript for:
Notes on Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Specific Anxiety Disorders

Hi, I'm Cathy with Level Up RN. In this video, we  will be discussing generalized anxiety disorder,   as well as a few key specific anxiety disorders.  And at the end of the video, I'm going to give   you guys a little quiz to test your knowledge  of some of the key points I'll be covering,   so definitely stay tuned for that. And if you  have our Level Up RN Psychiatric Mental Health   Nursing Flashcards, I am just starting  in the disorder section of this deck.  Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time and  that is a normal thing. However, with generalized   anxiety disorder, or GAD, an individual will have  persistent and excessive worrying that will cause   significant physical and/or psychological  symptoms. Females are more likely than males   to experience generalized anxiety disorder, and  symptoms include excessive anxiety and worrying   that lasts for more than six months, as well  as symptoms such as fatigue, restlessness,   irritability, muscle tension, as well as insomnia.  In terms of diagnosis, it's important to rule out   any underlying disorders, such as hyperthyroidism.  Treatment can include talk therapy, as well as   cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. I covered  CBT in a previous video in this playlist,   so if you need a review of that therapy then  definitely check that out. Medications used   in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder  include SSRIs, SSNRIs, as well as benzodiazepines   and atypical anxiolytics such as buspirone. In terms of nursing care, we want to teach   our patient how to recognize the  signs of escalating anxiety and   teach them interventions to help decrease their  anxiety, such as deep breathing and exercise.   It should be noted, however, that if a patient is  experiencing severe or panic-level anxiety, then   problem-solving is not going to be possible and  our nursing care should really be focused on the   patient's safety as well as their physical needs. Moving on to specific   anxiety disorders now. Two specific anxiety  disorders that I would be familiar with include   social anxiety disorder and agoraphobia. With  social anxiety disorder, an individual will   experience anxiety related to social situations  due to fear of humiliation or rejection.   Agoraphobia translates to fear of the marketplace,  and an individual with agoraphobia will experience   anxiety related to public transportation,  crowds of people, and being outside the home.   Some patients have anxiety that is produced by  a specific object or situation. For example,   arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and  claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces.   Treatment of specific anxiety disorders can  include behavioral therapy, such as systematic   desensitization and anti-anxiety medications,  which we covered earlier in this video.  All right, it's quiz time. Are you guys  ready? Question number one. Is generalized   anxiety disorder more common in females or  males? The answer is females. Question number   two. Name one or more drug classes that are  used to treat generalized anxiety disorder.   All right, if you said SSRIs, SSNRIs,  benzodiazepines, or atypical anxiolytics,   such as buspirone, then you are right.  Question number three. What do you   call anxiety that is produced by fear of  public crowds and being outside the home?   The answer is agoraphobia. All right, that is it for   this video. I hope you found it helpful.  Take care and good luck with studying.   Two specific anxiety disorders  that I would be familiar.