Anxiety and panic disorders affect an estimated 2.4 million Americans. Dr. Patricia Farrell shares information and advice about stress management and anxiety; its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and effective treatments

Stress is a part of life and when it comes to our jobs and how we make a living, it's something that requires our constant care and concern . Now a new study of 1,000 workers in Europe found that stressful jobs accounted for 45 per cent of new cases of depression. The factors which the scientists isolated as being especially important were excessive demands on the job and extreme time pressures. Not only did they find that these workers, with an average age of 32, were experiencing a high percentage of job-related stress-induced depression , but there appeared to be a 40 percent increase in reports from workers of job stress.

A recent Associated Press-AOL poll, which took another look at the debt-stress crunch now affecting the American consumer, found that 44% of the 1,002 people in the survey indicated migraine headaches , 29% had severe anxiety, 23% suffered from severe depression and half of the study participants had some form of muscle tension or back pain . The results, when compared to a previous study completed in 2004, show significant increases in debt-related stress-induced physical problems. It's no secret that chronic stress brings on physical problems and the emotional toll is hefty, as well.

A study which appear in the July issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research has added some interesting new insights into the ways that women and men handle stress. It seems that men seek the stress-reduction method of alcohol consumption while women become depressed.

The brain, to my mind, is the final frontier that is still being explored and with each exploration we learn more of its incredible secrets. The latest finding on social phobia is brought to us through SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) scans which have now verified the biological basis of this problem. We know that two specific neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine) seem to be related to the disorder and a small study in Europe has now confirmed an imbalance in the functioning of these chemicals in the brain. The study was published in the May issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Some 15 million adults in the US suffer from social anxiety disorder.

The increasing difficulty with obtaining insurance reimbursement for mental healthcare may have sparked new interest in an even briefer form of therapy that was discussed in a 1995 book by Michael Hoyt, Ph.D. (Brief Therapy and Managed Care, 1995). It is Hoyt's belief, after noting that up to 40% of psychotherapy clients stop after the first session, that therapy can be effective in only one 60-minute or less session . While therapists may view the patient's failure to continue with therapy after one session, Hoyt sees it as an indication that perhaps only one or two sessions were needed after all. Other psychologists working as a team at the VA have indicated that just one, 60-minute session with even the seriously mentally ill can be effective. They call it a "motivational interview" and it helps to refocus on the primary problem(s) so that the client could zero in on the problem and begin to come up with a plan to resolve them.

Work plays a central role in most people’s lives and it is for that reason that the workplace must be one of the most carefully monitored keys to maintaining our mental health. Corporations understand the need for good healthcare for their employees and have even brought in workout equipment, trainers, nutritionists and relaxation experts to help stem the rising cost of employee healthcare. It’s a win-win situation when both the employer and the employee realize the gains. Besides all the programs, where can you find solutions to stress in your workplace ? How about spending some time with co-workers and each of you offering support and helpful solutions? Anyone who is currently experiencing high levels of stress needs to understand that they’re not alone and they have supportive people around them.

The loss of a parent is a traumatic event, yet the therapeutic interventions for kids have pretty much centered around the traditional belief that grief needs to be the focus of the therapy. Now, researchers at the University of Georgia have looked at how the inclusion of therapy for PTSD might be effective. They used a therapeutic camp environment to utilize both grief counseling , PTSD treatment and the usual camp activities with 100 children who had lost a parent. The camp environment and group sessions aided in helping the kids view their situation in relation to that of other kids, too.

When you go to a psychiatrist or psychologist (or even your primary care physician), the first thing they pull out (whether in your sight or not) is a copy of the DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual), the book that describes every mental disorder with all its symptoms and offers a means of making a diagnosis. It is the Bible of the medical profession and of every insurance company in the world, probably. The question that needs to be asked, by people who'd like to really understand this book: How is this book constructed and who is involved in deciding what goes into it? Good question. It's a committee, the members can be found in the front of the book, that gets together and, based on their clinical experience and judgment, they make additions or deletions and decides what is to go into the book. There is also another medical "coding" book and that's the ICD-9 which is used for procedure codes and billing purposes. If you'd like information on this, go here . For the DSM, go to the publisher's website ( American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. ) and also go to the National Institute of Mental Health for more information.

No one wants to have a medical illness, especially one that requires that you have to either take pills or use an inhaler on a daily basis or inject yourself. For many, it reinforces the fact that you're "sick" or that you are not able to do what others can. For me, that's one side of the coin, but I think it's better for you, in terms of your compliance with treatment and your self-esteem, to look at the other side. So, what's the other side of the coin? How about thinking that each pill or injection is proof that you have both the determination to maintain your health and that rather than reinforcing the fact that you're "sick," it means you're a winner. You won't let this stop you, or get you down because you're going to go on with your life and do the things you want.

The number of casualties from this war is staggering. One piece of information that is particularly of concern is the number of both military and civilian personnel returning to the U.S. with symptoms of PTSD . One of the more difficult of the anxiety disorders to treat and one which has an enormous impact on families , PTSD has now become a focus of intensified research. Both therapy and pharmacologic interventions are being sought to more effectively deal with the trauma that gave birth to the disorder. Just as World War II helped psychologists and neurologists better understand physical brain trauma , this war is pushing the resources in research to look at psychological trauma. The initiative will serve all of us.