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Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a fear emotion that people experience when faced with a threatening or difficult situation. It generally abates when the body gets used to it, when the situation changes or when one moves away from the situation. It becomes a disorder when it is present in most situations, happens for no obvious reason and affects day-to-day ability.

Facts About Anxiety Disorders in Older Adults

Globally

Anxiety disorders affect 3.8% of the older population in the world.

UK

In the UK, 2 out of 10 people over 65 are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Additional

Anxiety disorders are twice as common a cause of disability than depression.

Symptoms

Feeling restless or worried or overwhelmed
Physical Symptoms: palpitations, breathlessness, chest pain, muscle aches
Inability to cope with day to day life and occupations
Trouble concentrating or sleeping
Dizziness and heart palpitations

Unlike the past belief that anxiety disorders decline with age, we now know that is more likely due to under-reporting by the older population.

Type of Anxiety Disorders:

Specific Phobias, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is one of the most common, affecting up to 5% of the UK population.

Treatments

We offer several options for anxiety treatment online. Despite anxiety being a significantly challenging condition, there are several ways to help alleviate the symptoms including:

Physical treatments:

Antidepressant or Anxiolytic (Anxiety)
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS): TMS treatment has been used successfully in cases where medication has not helped or it can not be tolerated by patient due to side effects. It works by stimulating the brain cells, encourages better blood flow in areas of the brain and even new brain cell formation. Unlike ECT it is painless and has few side effects.

Psychological therapies:

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Counselling
Mindfulness
Virtual Reality Therapy

Other

Talk to somebody and seek help at the earliest. Remember, anxiety is an illness not a sign of weakness.
Be physically active, pursue hobbies and stay connected with family and friends
Eat and drink well
Help yourself get better quality sleep by avoiding alcohol and caffeine, keep a regular sleep-wake schedule, and make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool

Oaktree Assessment Tool

Our Oaktree assessment tool (OAT) can help you decide whether to seek diagnosis and medical treatment from a Psychiatrist online, to seek talking therapy, or if self-help may suffice. It is not a diagnostic test.