Anxiety is a state of mental and/or physical panic. Mild anxiety is uncomfortable while severe anxiety can be disabling. Some people believe that anxiety is a bigger problem in society than expected. One example that demonstrates how serious of a problem anxiety is is discussed in the book, Anxiety Disorders by J. Paul Caldwell, MD, CCFP, the author asserts, “...it becomes extreme and exaggerated in its response, a destructive rather than helpful force, impairing performance and producing marked emotional distress. Excess anxiety robs the lives of those who suffer from it of peace, strains their relationships with family and friends, and causes significant suffering and unhappiness” (8). The fact that anxiety has such a significant impact on …show more content…
Physical symptoms, caused by anxiety, is the bodies way of letting you know something isn’t right, and something should be done to fix it. An example that demonstrates the physical symptoms of anxiety is discussed in the book Anxiety Disorders by J. Paul Caldwell, MD, CCFP, the author asserts, “...90 percent of them complain about physical symptoms caused when the body tries to cope with the effects of anxiety. These physical symptoms might include: insomnia, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, recurrent or persistent pain, chest pain with or without palpitations, headache, sweating, flushing, multiple physical complaints (weakness, dizziness, tiredness, nausea, pain, diarrhea, restlessness, fainting spells, tingling in the extremities) for which no medical explanation can be found” (11). All of the symptoms caused by anxiety must mean that something really wrong is happening in the body, or at least that’s what it believes. This provides an insight to how much the mind can affect the body. This piece of evidence presents the importance of how much mental health contributes to overall health. Anxiety can be detrimental to a person as a whole, not just
Alice Park’s article in TIME Magazine, entitled “The Two Faces of Anxiety”, outlines the key positive and negative effects anxiety can have on both the individual and humanity as a whole. Because of the steady increase in diagnoses of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and similar mental illnesses, evaluating the origins of anxiety as well as its effects are crucial steps for developing both medical treatments and alternative methods of coping with the disorder. While many of the 40 million American adults suffering from anxiety believe that eliminating the feeling altogether is ideal, they fail to consider what psychologists have mounds of empirical evidence in support of: anxiety is not inherently adverse, and can, in many cases, be advantageous. Anxiety is generally understood to be a biological process in which specific symptoms, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, manifest as a response to stressful scenarios. In these potentially-fatal situations, the fight-or-flight response is an evolutionary reaction developed to prevent species from engaging in behavior that could result in extreme negative consequences, while also preparing them for possible conflict. Overall, this response is a constructive adaptation, but an issue arises when individuals face stressful, albeit non-fatal, situations. The body still experiences the same symptoms despite the absence of any “real” danger, and the person suffering from the anxiety feels as though he or she has little control over the behaviors brought on by the condition. Triggered by both genetic and environmental factors, there appears to be a wide variation in the severity of anxiety as well as what treatment methods are effective for each individual. However, many psychologists ...
The onset of Generalized anxiety disorder begins in childhood or adolescents, and It can have a lifetime prevalence of 3-5% with a higher risk in women. One major effect of Generalized Anxiety Disorder is excessive worry or anxiety lasting up to 6 months at a time, although individuals that have Generalized Anxiety Disorder don’t identify their worrying as excessive all of the time, but they will recount subjective distress because of a constant worry, or may have difficulty with control over the worrying, or even experience social impairment. Anxiety can be associated up to 6 symptoms which include inability to sleep, fatigued, lack of concentration, easily agitated, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances. Most of which can affect everyday lifestyle and greatly effect physical health, not only can they cause personal distress but may also cause distress in those around.
How do people see the world? When communicating with others, thinking about oneself, and examining the world, each person adopts a specific lens through which they perceive their life. It has been stated that mental disorders like anxiety can dramatically alter this lens, shift a person’s worldview, or greatly modify their personality. It is my desire to study this phenomena and discover consistent differences in the perspectives of those with anxiety. I begin with a question: Do those with anxiety disorders bear a different and distinct perspective on universal concepts such as the world, life itself, and relation to others? Previous research seems to suggest that those suffering from anxiety disorders do hold these similar and distinct mindsets (Video).
The human body has developed a pain response in order to avoid injury. For example, if an individual were to place their hand on a hot oven, the excruciating pain would signal the nervous system to move the hand immediately before experiencing irreversible damage.
Anxiety disorders are very common and the causes vary. Symptoms of anxiety disorders can be disabling for some but in most cases people who suffer with it can still carry on social relationships and job functions. There are medical outlets a patient can seek to help cope and treat anxiety through biological treatment and psychotherapy. The authors of “Anxiety Reactivity and Anxiety Perseveration Represent Dissociable Dimensions of Trait Anxiety” focused on anxiety vulnerability by testing and measuring reactivity and preservation in regard to anxiety. (Rudaizky, page, MacLeod 2012).
According to Sharp (2012), “anxiety disorders are the most widespread causes of distress among individuals seeking treatment from mental health services in the United States” (p359).
Panic disorder is an anxiety-repeated disorder that affects approximately five percent of the population (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). A diagnosis of panic disorder requires that the individual experiences recurrent panic attacks with any of the following: worry about the possibility of future attacks, avoiding places or situations in which the individual fears a panic attack may occur, fear of being unable to escape or obtain help, or any other change in behavior due to the attacks (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). Panic attacks are often sudden and the sufferer usually experience physical symptoms such as autonomie, otoneurological, gastrointestinal,or cardiorespiratory distress (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). Individuals who suffer from panic disorder typically utilize medical services at a higher rate than those who do not have panic disorder, an impaired social life, and a reduced quality of life (Taylor, 2006). Often times those who suffer from panic disorder may also suffer from depression and general anxiety (Taylor, 2006). According to the Stanford University School of medicine, approximately 50 percent of patients diagnosed with panic disorder will develop depression and approximately 50 percent of depressed patients will develop panic disorder (Taylor, 2006). In addition those who suffer from panic disorder have a higher incidence of suicide, especially those with comorbid depression (Taylor, 2006). Not everyone who experiences a panic attack suffers from panic disorder (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). The same physical symptoms of panic disorder may occur when an individual is faced with specific fears and potentially dangerous situations (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). The difference b...
Anxiety is a monster that most people have to deal with on a daily basis. Even though anxiety is not actually a monster it still torments thousands of people every day, leaving them weak and scared. Anxiety defined means “distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune” defined by Dictionary.com. In the epic poem of Beowulf, one could say that the townspeople had anxiety when it came to Grendel because they feared what he could do to them.
Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United Sates. Anxiety is typically under diagnosed. Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, and getting anxious. It’s a feeling that you cannot shake, your heart begins to race, and you feel as if you cannot breath. Some believe anxiety is something that a person can control. They are wrong, anxiety is a debilitating mental illness that is hard to control and manage without the proper help. I chose anxiety because it is something that struggle with every day. The topics I will be discussing in my paper are the types of anxiety disorders, the manifestations of anxiety, treatment and medications, nursing interventions and patient education on anxiety. (Carol D. Tamparo, 2011)
Do you know what it feels like to have your palms sweat, throat close up, and your fingers tremble? This is the everyday life of someone who lives with anxiety. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I hear my brain freaking out about the day ahead of me. What do I eat for breakfast? What do I do first when I get home from school? What happens if I get in a car crash on my way to school? A million thoughts at one time racing through my head. I never have the time to process all of them. Most mornings, I lay in my bed and have to take a few deep breaths to begin my hectic but not so hectic day. That’s just the beginning. It’s safe to say that I feel that I 'm an anxious person and that I have an anxiety disorder.
Everything suddenly becomes unfamiliar and I’m no longer comfortable in my own skin. I’m absolutely terrified and unable to collect thoughts properly. Tormenting-thoughts shoot left and right through my brain and after each hit I find my heart beating faster by the second. My chest becomes tight and it is hard to breathe. I’m paralyzed with fear; it is impossible to find the right words to say, and I have a sudden aura of loneliness. I am having a panic attack.
Anxiety is our body’s reaction to stressful dangerous or unfamiliar situations (“What is Anxiety,” n.d.). Everyone has anxiety at times and this is necessary in human beings but some people have it much worse than others. Anxiety disorder makes life more difficult to cope with, it keeps people from sleeping, socializing with their peers and it makes it hard to concentrate (“What is Anxiety,”n.d.). So, what is the cause of anxiety? How can we tell if a person is suffering from an anxiety disorder? What are the different types of anxiety disorders around us?
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Every person experiences some form of anxiety in his or her lifetime. Anxiety helps us deal with tense situations like using our flight or fight reaction, study harder for an exam, or keep focus on important deadlines. Anxiety can be useful until it gets to the point of interfering with everyday life. Some people explain it as not being able to shut the anxiety off. When anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it becomes a disabling disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). Each year, anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). There are five major Anxiety Disorders they include Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Phobias.
Emotions and feelings are some of the driving forces in our lives and essentially control our reactions, ideas, and choices. Emotions allow us to form connections with others, make decisions about the world around us, and provide us with the motivation to accomplish various tasks. However, emotions generally come with a lot of confusion and variability due to how differently people utilize and deal with them. One common emotion I feel that all people deal with, and handle differently is anxiety. Anxiety can be an extreme motivator, or the complete opposite, depending on how a person reacts to the feeling. Overall, anxiety is a complex emotion that, in extremes, can disrupt a person’s daily life, or more commonly, make a person feel upset
Mental health refers to the state of individuals psychologically, emotionally and socially. Mental health affects a person’s emotions, feelings, thoughts, and sections when exposed to different situations. Furthermore, mental health is responsible for a person’s reaction to stress and other social conditions. Generally, mental health affects how a person relates to others and their ability to understand and interact with them. Therefore, problems that affect a person’s mental health affect the abilities to socialize, their feelings, moods, reaction to situations. The person experiencing mental health problem may portray different behaviors when confronted with different issues. Mental health issues have several