Discussion Response- Generalized Anxiety Disorder Discussion Response

Discussion Response- Generalized Anxiety Disorder Discussion Response

Discussion Response- Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Thank you for your input on the subject matter. I agree that generalized anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that causes a feeling of anxiety, fear, and worry, which is caused by different brain and biological processes. Other external causes such as traumatic events and stressful environments are common risk factors for GAD. Therefore, patients with GAD most times worry about certain things in their daily lives. Other symptoms of GAD may include headaches, fatigue, irritability, and lack of concentration. The condition is a common disorder that affects approximately 21% of the adult population above 30 years (Munir & Takov, 2022).  In the United States, treatment of GAD causes a financial burden to patients, families, and the government. Approximately $42 billion of U.S revenue is spent on anxiety disorders annually Discussion Response- Generalized Anxiety Disorder Discussion Response.

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Different treatment options have been identified in the management of GAD including medication options and psychotherapy approaches. I agree that Antidepressants such as SSRIs and SNRIs are the first line of medication in the management of GAD (Munir & Takov, 2022). When administering antidepressants, it is important to consider some factors that affect the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic process which may include age, gender, and ethnicity among others. Antidepressants have non-severe side effects like headaches, nausea, and insomnia. It is therefore important that the dosage starts at low and increases gradually over time. For the patient in your facility, it was not necessary to increase the dosage as the dosage was reducing and managing the symptoms.

In addition to antidepressants. anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines are effective in the treatment of GAD. The drug might cause severe side effects and a patient must be informed before administration (Garakani et al., 2020). Further assessment after administration should be conducted to ensure the drug’s effectiveness in management and reducing symptoms.

General anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common condition that has both psychological and physiological components. Psychologically, the patient can feel fear, apprehension, and dread for extended periods. Physiological symptoms include the sensation of racing heart, palpitations, trembling, weakness, fatigue, dry mouth, and shortness of breath (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2019). These symptoms can be disabling and make the tasks of daily life very difficult. Fortunately, many medications can help these patients feel better and increase the quality of their daily lives. The major challenge in treating GAD is finding which medication works best for the patient. Four approved drugs increase two neurochemical transmitters in the brain, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These medications, which are first-line treatment options, inhibit the reuptake of these essential neurotransmitters, allowing their respective levels to increase in the brain. Ideally, increasing the appropriate levels will decrease the adverse symptoms. But altering these chemicals is a slow process, and it takes weeks to assess the full effects and benefits of the medications. I recently had a patient suffering from adverse effects of the anxiolytic medication that she was prescribed for GAD. The 57-yr-old female patient was newly diagnosed with GAD and depression after losing her longtime husband. She was prescribed Lexapro, or escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, at 20 mg daily. Her PCP increased the dose from 10 to 20 mg at her last follow-up. She came into urgent care due to agitation and insomnia, both common side effects of the medication (Brown University, 2019). She reported that she had experienced a decrease in symptoms prior to the dose increase and felt a little better. The pharmacodynamics of the increased dose had been too much for the patient. The patient was advised not to stop the medication entirely but to take the lower amount and to schedule an appointment with her PCP for further evaluation.

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The mechanisms of pharmacodynamics are not always clearly understood in psychological treatments. Technological advancements have brought genetic research and the importance of pharmacogenetics into question in mainstream medical therapies. One study found that although not yet a readily available option, genetic testing to direct anxiolytic and antidepression medication therapy reduced healthcare cost burdens compared to the traditional route of treatment (Perlis et al., 2018). Genetic testing has isolated specific gene sequences that have been found to code enzymes known to influence 27 medications commonly used in the psychiatric practice setting (Perlis et al., 2018). In my patient with the intolerance to the increased dose of Lexapro, pharmacogenetic guided medication therapy could be very effective in determining her best potential match for treatment. Although this may be a costly way to obtain medicine in the beginning, the benefit of the precise pharmacodynamic match would save months of trial- and-error therapies in addition to the mental anguish of worry and delayed response. As a person suffering from anxiety and depression, I completely understand the challenge and increased stress of attempting to find the best treatment and always wondering if it is the best treatment available. The use of genetic testing for psychotherapeutic medication administration is an excellent resource for the treatment of GAD and mood disorders. Pharmacogenetic testing takes the lengthy guesswork and added stress out of the hunt for the best pharmaceutical therapy. As opposed to the traditional way of finding suitable anxiolytic treatment, genetic testing would greatly benefit this patient Discussion Response- Generalized Anxiety Disorder Discussion Response.

References

Garakani, A., Murrough, J., Freire, R., Thom, R., Larkin, K., Buono, F., & Iosifescu, D. (2020). Pharmacotherapy of Anxiety Disorders: Current and Emerging Treatment Options. Frontiers In Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.595584

Munir, S., & Takov, V. (2022). Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing Discussion Response- Generalized Anxiety Disorder Discussion Response