Anxiety

Factors, Diagnosis, and Types

A large factor that contributes to anxiety in mothers is economics. Economics affect childcare and health care options for both mother and child. Economics often dictates housing location, living conditions, and education options for children.

Anxiety disorders are diagnosed based on characteristics such as performance of repeated acts or avoidance of particular activities in attempt to avoid feeling anxious. There are symptoms that are common to anxiety disorders, such irrational fear of death and insanity, fatigue, and irritable bowels. Depression often accompanies anxiety disorders. The most common feature of several anxiety disorders is panic attacks. Panic attacks are episodes of intense fear and panic that produce at least four or more of the following symptoms: sweating, shortness of breath, feeling of choking, dizziness, increased heart rate, feelings of confusion or detachment, fear of losing control or dying, chest pain, abdominal irritation, hot flushes, tingling, or chills. The main anxiety disorders, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), are panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, social phobia (also referred to as social anxiety), obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and specific phobias.

Panic disorder is reoccurring episodes of intense fear without a notable stimulus. This condition is [Page 70]diagnosed when four or more panic attacks are experienced in a month or one panic attack that produces prolonged fear of having more attacks. Panic disorder without agoraphobia is where one experiences panic attacks but remains active in day-to-day activities. Panic disorder with agoraphobia occurs when avoidance of certain activities or places happens out of fear of anticipating panic attacks. Agoraphobia is fear and avoidance of any trigger that may produce panic and panic attacks. Examples of some triggers are enclosed, public, and open spaces; and being alone or without a “safe” person, place, or thing. Agoraphobia can become so severe that loss of employment, family, and friends results.

Women who become mothers as teenagers or in their early 20s are more likely to suffer depression during pregnancy.

Individuals with social anxiety have an excessive and irrational fear of social interaction and judgment by others. Social anxiety creates an extreme fear of humiliation and avoidance of situations that require social engagement, such as public speaking, interviewing, office meetings, interacting at social events, dating, and talking on the telephone and online chatting. The levels of anxiety and avoidance can become severe enough to jeopardize employment and social networks.

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