Anxiety, dementia linked to psychosis

The rising levels of anxiety are because of the change in lifestyle where stressful conditions increased pressure both at work and at home alcohol or substance abuse and genetic conditions can cause anxiety attacks. The disorder ranges from three per cent to 15 per cent in the population.

Dr G. Prasad Rao, consultant neuro-psychiatrist with Asha Hospital said, “The levels of anxiety differ. While some may require clinical help, others may merely require counseling sessions to ride over their fears.

This number has seen an increase because of changes in lifestyle, nuclear families and also one’s work life. These environmental conditions, along with the gene type, lead to aggravation of disorders.”

A case to point is of a family that was against their teenage son riding a bike. Such was the fear psychosis of the father that he doubted his son, followed him and sometimes even embarrassed him. It reached a point where the son and father fought on a daily basis.

A friend intervened and sought help for the father who was actually suffering from fear psychosis as he had come to believe that he would lose his son in an accident if he rode a bike.

While fear psychosis forms a part of the anxiety disorder, Obsessive Comp-ulsive Disorder (OCD) is suffered by only two to three per cent of the population. The other increasing problem is of dementia where neurological as well as psychiatric help is very important.

Dr Vidhyadhar Watve, vice-president of the Indian Psychiatric Society said, “Dementia is on the rise because lifespan has increased. Dementia is a neuro disorder but it also leads to depression, panic attacks, psycho behaviour and also rising guilt because many a times the patient is not aware of what he/she has done.

This requires medical as well as counseling sessions in patients as well as the caregiver. In dementia patients, the caregiver also goes through depression because dealing with these patients is a difficult job.”