What is Anxiety Disorder?

Kava Kava (kava root) is renowned for its anti-anxiety properties. But what is anxiety disorder? What causes it? What are its symptoms?

We have presented a comprehensive overview of research on the anti-anxiety phenomenon of Kava Kava in a separate document – HERE. You can read excerpts from studies, abstracts, conclusions, each with the appropriate link to a specific source.

Definition: What is Anxiety Disorder?

As indicated by the World Health Organization:

“anxiety disorders are characterised by excessive fear and worry and related behavioural disturbances. Symptoms are severe enough to result in significant distress or significant impairment in functioning.

There are several different kinds of anxiety disorders, such as:

generalised anxiety disorder (characterised by excessive worry),
panic disorder (characterised by panic attacks),
social anxiety disorder (characterised by excessive fear and worry in social situations),
separation anxiety disorder (characterised by excessive fear or anxiety about separation from those individuals to whom the person has a deep emotional bond),

and others. Effective psychological treatment exists, and depending on the age and severity, medication may also be considered.”

It is worth emphasizing that anxiety is a fundamental symptom of neurotic disorders but can also occur in somatic (physical) conditions.

Primary and secondary anxiety

Anxieties can be primarily divided into two categories:

Primary anxiety – anxiety that is not conditioned by other mental or somatic disorders.

Secondary anxiety – occurring as part of the course of other mental and somatic disorders of various kinds. Examples include disorders related to alcohol intoxication or depression.

Concomitant diseases usually correlate with more severe symptoms, greater clinical burden, and consequently greater difficulties in effective treatment.

Is every fear an anxiety disorder?

NO! Fear and unease are natural, evolutionary responses of the body in threatening situations.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is characterized by a sense of uncontrollable threat with potentially devastating consequences. This sense of threat can arise without any direct cause.

How to determine the “rationality” or “appropriateness” of fear? If it’s challenging to assess, focus on the symptoms.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

Three dimensions of symptoms of anxious states can be distinguished. It’s essential to note that symptoms can overlap and even mask each other!

PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS:

Emotional sphere: feeling of threat, terror, unease, irritability, but also strong fears.
Cognitive sphere: concentration problems, memory disorders, depersonalization.

BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS:

Behavioral symptoms can be characterized by hyperactivity, for example, hysteria (hysterical escape), motor restlessness, heightened reactions. Or, conversely, a state of blockade, examples being mutism (speech disorder) or stupor.

AUTONOMIC-SOMATIC SYMPTOMS:

Examples of autonomic-somatic symptoms include:

dilated pupils, dry mouth, palpitations and chest pain, tachycardia, heart rhythm disturbances, stomach upset and diarrhea, frequent urination, profuse sweating, cool and sticky skin, redness or pallor of the skin, hyperventilation, feeling of breathlessness, lump in the throat; heightened reflexes, paresthesias, tremors, muscle pain; headache and dizziness, feeling of squeezing or lightness in the head, sleep disturbances.

Symptoms of main Anxiety Disorders

SOURCE: Anxiety disorders – Brenda W J H Penninx, Daniel S Pine, Emily A Holmes and Andreas Reif

GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER

Core emotions or cognitions:

Marked, uncontrollable, and anxious worry and fears about everyday events and problems

Physical symptoms:

Restlessness, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, sleep disturbance, or autonomic arousal

Behaviour:

Disturbance impairs social, school, work, or other functioning

Required symptom duration:

>6 months

PANIC DISORDER

Core emotions or cognitions:

Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks with sustained mental (eg, fear, fear of losing control, or feeling of alienation) manifestations

Physical symptoms:

Multiple symptoms (eg, palpitations, dyspnoea, diaphoresis, chest pain, dizziness, paraesthesia, or nausea)

Behaviour:

Changed behaviour in maladaptive ways related to the attacks; disturbance impairs social, school, work or other functioning

Required symptom duration:

>1 month

SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

Core emotions or cognitions:

Marked, excessive, and unreasonable fear or anxiety of scrutiny or negative judgement by other people

Physical symptoms:

Blushing, fear of vomiting, urgency or fear of micturition or defaecation

Behaviour:

Avoidance of social interactions and situations; disturbance impairs social, school, work, or other functioning

Required symptom duration:

>6 months

FIND MORE HERE

If you observe the specified symptoms in yourself during certain periods, don’t wait! Consult with a specialist!

Also, remember that Kava Kava can be a natural support for anxiety, but it is not a medication and does not replace therapy. It should not be mixed with antidepressants. Bula!