What Is Unspecified Anxiety Disorder?

Imagine that you wake up in the morning clouded with fear and worries, a tightened chest, difficulty breathing, and a trembling sensation. These experiences are a hard reality for those grappling with anxiety disorders. 

Types of Anxiety Disorders

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5 TR) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), anxiety disorder is a mental health condition characterized by excessive and persistent fears and worries and related behavioral disturbances that significantly affect the individual’s day-to-day functioning.

These feelings can be overwhelming and out of proportion to the actual threat. 

While anxiety disorders include a wide range of specific diagnoses, such as separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder (or social phobia), panic disorder, agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder, they differ from one another based on the specific types of objects or situations that induce fear, worries, associated negative thoughts, avoidance behaviors, and physiological reactions. 

The diagnosis of any anxiety disorder is a challenging task because it requires a comprehensive clinical evaluation. What makes it even more complex is when the individual presents a set of symptoms of anxiety disorder that do not meet the criteria for a specific anxiety disorder.

In the world of psychology and psychiatry, clinicians use a common language and call it an unspecified anxiety disorder.

But what exactly is an unspecified anxiety disorder? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is an Unspecified Anxiety Disorder?

Unspecified Anxiety Disorder is a clinical diagnosis assigned to an individual who manifests symptoms of an anxiety disorder and causes significant clinical disturbance in different areas of day-to-day functioning (e.g., social, occupational, etc.).

However, these symptoms do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for a specific anxiety disorder in its diagnostic class and do not fit the threshold for diagnosing adjustment disorder with anxiety or adjustment disorder with mixed depressed mood and anxiety.

The creation of this ‘unspecified’ clinical diagnosis recognizes the complexity of anxiety.

Symptoms of Unspecified Anxiety Disorder 

The symptoms of unspecified anxiety disorder can vary widely but usually share similar manifestations with other anxiety disorders. Generally, these include:

• Cognitive: These symptoms primarily involved thought processes, perceptions, and memory disturbances. People with anxiety often experience excessive worrying or persistent thoughts of negative future situations or events. They tend to have memory problems, which lead to difficulties remembering information and recalling details. Distorted thoughts such as catastrophizing (or thinking about worst-case scenarios), overgeneralization (or drawing a conclusion based on limited information or evidence), and personalization (or attributing an external event as your own fault) are common.
• Emotional: Symptoms related to feelings, moods, and emotional reactions include feelings of dread (where people feel that there is an impending doom), emotional sensitivity that results in a constant reaction to perceived failure, criticism, and rejection, and mood swings. People who are anxious also tend to become more irritable, frustrated, and angry. 
• Behavioral: People with an unspecified anxiety disorder also show changes in their behavior in response to anxiety-provoking events or situations. They tend to avoid situations, objects, events, or activities that might induce anxiety. Difficulty concentrating is also present. Safety behaviors like seeking reassurance from others to provide anxiety relief are noticeable.
• Physical: Reactions to feared-specific objects or situations are usually observable among people with anxiety. These include physical symptoms such as muscle tension (or tightness or stiffness in different areas of the body), sleep disturbance (either difficulty or excessive sleeping patterns), fatigue (lacking energy and feelings of tiredness), increased heart rate, and gastrointestinal problems (stomachache, diarrhea, and hyperacidity). 

Factors to Consider in Diagnosis

The decision about whether or not an unspecified anxiety disorder is assigned to an individual is highly dependent on a comprehensive assessment and the clinician’s judgment. 

When diagnosing an individual with an unspecified anxiety disorder, the following factors are carefully taken into consideration to provide an accurate diagnosis:

• Symptom Presentation: The clinician must evaluate the severity, duration, frequency, and nature of anxiety symptoms as reported by the individual and/or observed by the clinician himself. This can be done through a clinical interview, psychological testing and assessment administration, and behavioral observations. 
• Functional Impairment: The clinician assesses how anxiety symptoms affect the individual’s significant areas of functioning. First, occupational or academic functioning. The clinician asks questions about the individual’s ability to concentrate at work or school, handle tasks and projects, or meet deadlines. Second, clinicians may ask questions related to social functioning, such as the ability to interact with family members, friends, and colleagues. Third, an evaluation of the capacity to do day-to-day activities such as personal hygiene and house chores is included in the assessment. 
• Co-morbidities: People with anxiety symptoms tend to have co-occurring mental health conditions, including but not limited to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use, and the need for depression treatment. The clinician carefully assesses these co-morbidities for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Results of Physical Examination and Laboratory Tests: The clinician considers the results of different medical tests to ensure that the anxiety symptoms the individual is experiencing are not better explained by another medical condition. 

Causes and Risk Factors

Unspecified anxiety disorder shares similar causes and risk factors with other anxiety disorders in its diagnostic class. It is essential to identify these factors to determine what precipitates its symptoms.

The causes and risk factors of the disorder refer to a specific underlying mechanism that directly and indirectly influences its onset and development. These include:

• Biological or Physiological: Genetic predisposition plays a crucial risk factor among people with anxiety disorders. Individuals with a family history of anxiety disorders are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder as well. In addition, brain chemistry was also found to be linked to anxiety. Imbalances in some of the brain’s neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and norepinephrine, are observed among people with anxiety symptoms. 
• Psychological: Particular personality traits, including perfectionism, neuroticism, and a constant habit of overthinking behavioral patterns, put an individual at risk of developing an anxiety disorder. Other temperaments, such as being highly sensitive and reactive and having a negative outlook about themselves, others, and life, are also observed among people with anxiety disorders. 
• Environmental: Prolonged exposure to stressors such as traumatic events (physical, verbal, sexual abuse, or neglect), chronic stress in the family or at work, and adjustment to major life events may be linked to anxiety disorder as well. 

Treatment of Unspecified Anxiety Disorder 

The effective treatment of unspecified anxiety disorder involves a distinct and comprehensive approach that considers symptom presentation and underlying factors that contribute to the cause of the disorder.

Most of the time, clinicians use a combination of therapeutic interventions that are tailored to the individual’s needs and preferences. In addition, the levels of care for anxiety treatment can either be residential or intensive outpatient programs (IOP). 

Commonly Used Treatment Options 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that stands as one of the gold-standard treatments for anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on modifying both thoughts and behaviors associated with anxiety symptoms.

It works by identifying irrational thought patterns, reconstructing them, and replacing or modifying them with more rational thought patterns. In addition, it also addresses maladaptive behaviors and teaches the individual to change them into healthier coping skills to reduce anxiety.

Medication-based intervention is recommended in combination with psychotherapy to treat anxiety disorders. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) may be used to regulate brain neurotransmitters to treat the source of anxiety.

In some cases, benzodiazepine is prescribed for short-term relief of acute anxiety episodes. 

Managing Anxiety Disorders at Luxe Recovery 

A comprehensive and individualized approach that recognizes the complex interplay of factors related to anxiety disorders is essential to understanding their complexity and creating an accurate treatment program.

Here at Luxe Recovery, we are committed to providing you with personalized care and support. Our highly trained clinicians will help you regain control over your mental health and well-being. Connect with us and let us help you make informed decisions to start your recovery from anxiety and enjoy a happier and healthier life.