Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (
GAD) is much more than the normal
anxiety people experience from day to day. It is chronic and fills one's day with exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. Having this disorder means always anticipating disaster and often worrying excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes, however, the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint. Simply the thought of getting through the day provokes anxiety.
Panic Disorder
People with
panic disorder have recurrent, unexpected feelings of extreme fear and dread that strike for no apparent reason. These feelings of fear and dread can cause the heart to race, and can also lead to rapid breathing, sweating, and shakiness. These "attacks" can send people to the hospital believing they are having a
heart attack. A
panic attack may even occur when the person is not in a situation that would normally create stress, anxiety, or fear.
Effexor XR is approved for the treatment of panic disorder in adults. Panic disorder is a form of anxiety, and
antidepressants (such as Effexor XR) are often useful for the treatment of anxiety disorders.
Social Anxiety (Social Phobia)
Social anxiety disorder, also called
social phobia, is a disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. People with social anxiety disorder have a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and of being embarrassed or humiliated by their own actions. Their fear may be so severe that it interferes with:
- Social relationships
- Work or school
- Other ordinary activities.
While many people with social anxiety disorder recognize that their fear of being around people may be excessive or unreasonable, they are unable to overcome it. They often worry for days or weeks in advance of a dreaded situation.
Treatment for social anxiety disorders includes cognitive behavior therapy (a type of short-term therapy) and medications. Effexor XR is one of the medications approved to treat social anxiety disorder.
Previous
