Does anxiety get worse before it gets better
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Does Anxiety Get Worse Before It Gets Better?
Anxiety Symptom Trajectories in Heart Failure Patients
Research on heart failure (HF) patients has identified distinct trajectories of anxiety symptoms over a 12-month period. In a study involving 597 HF patients, three trajectories of anxiety were observed: getting better (66.7%), stable with slight improvement (22.1%), and getting much worse (11.2%) 1. Notably, the trajectories showing stable, slight improvement and those getting much worse were significant predictors of poorer physical health-related quality of life (P-HRQOL) at one year 1. This suggests that for a subset of patients, anxiety symptoms can indeed worsen before any potential improvement is observed.
Anxiety in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Patients
In patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), anxiety symptoms can also exhibit worsening patterns under certain conditions. A clinical study using a new questionnaire to assess various aspects of anxiety found that GAD patients often experience worsening anxiety in response to specific triggers. These triggers include difficulty completing tasks strictly according to instructions, things going wrong, making personal decisions, and holding back irritation or discontent 2. This indicates that anxiety can intensify in response to stressors before any improvement is seen, particularly in individuals with GAD.
Conclusion
The evidence from studies on both heart failure patients and those with generalized anxiety disorder suggests that anxiety symptoms can indeed worsen before they get better. In HF patients, a significant portion experienced worsening anxiety over a year, which negatively impacted their quality of life. Similarly, GAD patients reported increased anxiety in response to specific stressors. Therefore, it is crucial for healthcare providers to monitor anxiety symptoms closely and provide timely interventions to manage worsening symptoms effectively.
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