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4 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, September 27, 2023
MENTAL HEALTH
Anxiety disorder:
debilitating, but treatable
Getting beyond the shame
and truly understanding
the condition
By Gregory J. Alexander, Contributing Writer
T
wo years ago, when my beautiful, healthy, loving brother Tom died suddenly disorders, sudden episodes of paralyzing fear with physical symptoms like
of a heart attack at age 53, I was, and still am, devastated. As I tried picking shortness of breath, fainting, sweating,
up the pieces after losing my last remaining sibling – my oldest brother also trembling, and more; social phobia,
extreme fear and avoidance of meeting
passed away suddenly more than 20 years prior – I learned that my family has a new people; and post-traumatic stress
history of heart disease. So, I went to my primary care physician and a cardiologist disorder, which may develop after expoand had every conceivable heart-related test, and thankfully, there was no incidence
sure to extremely dangerous or stressful
situations.
of heart disease. However, this did not completely eliminate my fears. The thoughts Understanding Anxiety Disorders
So, what is the difference between
kept racing in my head: Tom was the healthy one, so how can I be OK?
The fears kept coming, and I started
experiencing odd physical sensations:
feeling restless all the time, shortness
of breath, paranoia, rapid heart rate and
an unwillingness to engage in social
situations. I felt like I was going crazy.
According to Louis J. Marino, Jr.,
M.D., chief of medical staff and medical director of geriatric services at
Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore, the largest
private, nonprofit mental health system
in the nation, the physical sensations
I experienced, and the shame associated with it, are quite common.
“About 20% of the U.S. population – and that number could be much
higher due to those who ‘suffer in
silence’ – experience anxiety disorders.
It’s common to feel like you are crazy
and misunderstood by others, which
causes people to be afraid to reach out
for help out of shame and feelings of
inferiority,” Dr. Marino says. He adds
that there are several types of anxiety
disorders with the most common being
generalized anxiety disorder, chronic
worry and feelings of fear or dread that
are present more often than not; panic
anxiety and general nervousness?
“First of all, it’s important to understand that anxiety is a normal part of
human existence; anxiety is important
in order for us to address threats and
warn us of danger,” Marino says. “It
becomes a disorder when our response
is out of proportion – the perceived
threat is greater than the actual threat.
When there is no real threat present
and yet some of the symptoms of anxiety – chest pain, headaches, shaking,
sweating and increased heart rate – are
still present, and it begins to affect your
daily life, work, relationships and the
general pursuit of happiness, it may be
an anxiety disorder.” Marino explains
that a panic attack typically lasts about
20 minutes and is a state of acute terror
– pounding heart rate, feeling dizzy or
faint, sweating, feeling nauseated.
Reaching Out for Help
When I began experiencing anxiety,
I was fortunate to have an amazing
support system – my husband, parents
and close friends – but not everyone is
so lucky.
“It can be a very alienating experience. Your friends and family may
not always be supportive, and, even if
they are, it may be difficult for them to
understand what you are going through.
Also, some people experiencing anxiety
blame themselves by asking, ‘What
did I do wrong to feel this way?’ It’s
important to reach out to a friend who is
familiar with anxiety,” Marino says.
As anxiety disorders affect more
and more people each year, Marino
says that the upside is that most primary care physicians are equipped to