Age of Anxiety – Bonus Assignment #1 by: Muaz Ahmad
The documentary brings about a number of valid points that a huge portion of the population is dealing with anxiety disorders. The main response however, from medical/pharmacy professions is to promote medication as a prime solution. There are however alternative ways to deal with anxiety disorders that need to be explored and encouraged. All anxiety is not bad, some of it is very normal. There may for example be a person trying to harm you so your body’s anxiety response causes you to tense up and put extra strength in your flight. However anxiety becomes a disorder when the person’s thinking becomes irrational even though there is no danger around the person.
Many of us are finding our
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Ivan Illich – Limits to Medicine (1976): contemporary medical practice is iatrogenic in 3 ways, for Structural iatrogenesis (loss of individual autonomy and creation of dependency) mentions that there is an effort to minimize development of family and community-based models of care. This would leave individuals with little options but to be pushed towards medication dependence. There are however positive developments which need to be encouraged. Zola (1972) components of medicalization, in his 1st point mentions that “Expansion of what in life is deemed relevant to the practice of medicine” this is an important direction to expand in as in many cases knowledge of the lifestyle of patient could reveal areas where simple changes could be made which would result in a profound reduction of anxiety; changes such as joining group programs to provide more social interaction. Many people are living solitary lives with no one to talk to; people need to be encouraged to slow down in their busy lives and build relationships be they with family or friends with whom they can discuss their thoughts. With this feedback they can regain a proper perspective and start to stamp out irrational thoughts. Feedback received this way can allow one to regain a proper perspective and start to stamp out irrational thoughts. Another important resource to use is the ability to reflect. Reflection on the seemingly endless variety and forms of life around us, on the incredible balance within the universe beings about the realization that perhaps we are not alone; that they is a higher power behind the universe who is also there to support me. The realization that one has purpose and support in life can go a long way to reduce anxiety disorders. Furthermore, there are other alternatives to explore instead of resorting to pills such as promoting
Now in society the stigma for depression has died down and there is more openness when it comes to depression and anxiety which helps me seek help. It helps me accept the fact that I have this illness. I am more aware that I am not the only one suffering and that many others are also suffering which connect to what Mill states, “The individual and the social are inextricably linked and we cannot fully understand one without the other.” I am now getting better and seeking
Smith, R.C. (2002). The biopsychosocial revolution. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 17(4). 309-310. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1495036/
In the movie The Soloist, directed by Joe Wright, a Los Angeles Times writer, Robert Lopez, meets Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a homeless schizophrenic. Later, he finds out that Nathaniel once attended Juilliard but dropped out during his second year. Being curious as to how someone like Nathaniel ended up on the streets, Robert does his research and writes a column about Nathaniel for the L.A. Times. In the beginning it is evident that the main character, Nathaniel Ayers, is suffering from a mental illness by the way he hears voices and talks with such disorganized speech.
Anxiety is a concept that most people experience daily, but severe anxiety is associated with panic attacks and other disorders can debilitate a person’s life. In the 1997 documentary, Secret Fear directed by Sarah Barton, real-life people express their stories and experiences with anxiety. The film uses the stories of people who have recovered and / or continue to cope with their disorder. Furthermore, different types of therapy, medications, and coping methods are described for the viewer to understand the ways in which people are able to overcome anxiety. Since anxiety is not limited solely to panic attacks, the film uses people who have experienced Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), hoarding, depression, or social phobias. The film
Fear and Anxiety are essential functions that occur in the brain that allow people to respond to stimuli appropriately. These feelings as normal as they are can cause problems and in 3.1 percent of adult Americans approximately 6.8 million people it does cause problems (“Generalized anxiety disorder”, 2014). A problem can arise when people have too much fear and anxiety; a problem is evident when it interferes with their life and their ability to do things. This is known as general anxiety disorder (GAD). When someone is suffering from generalized anxiety disorder they normally experience excessive exaggerated anxiety and worry about normal life events that give no clear reason for worry (“Generalized anxiety disorder”, 2014). This disorder can be debilitating and rule over people’s lives if it is severe and a better understanding of the disorder can be gained by looking at historical views, current views, causes and symptoms, case studies, differential diagnosis considerations, and treatment.
It is never pleasant to feel anxious or distressed for any reason. However, there are several people who are diagnosed with anxiety disorders as they are very prevalent today. Mental health professionals are helping people overcome hurdles such as panic attacks, severe worry, social anxiety and other specific phobias. I think that anxiety is an emotion that everyone experiences at one time or another in their life. Anxiety can have a negative effect on an individual if it interferes with one’s daily routine and keeps them from doing what they normally do.
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 ...
Horton, R. (2007). Launching a new movement for mental health. The Lancet Global Health 370(9590), 806.
Considering the research question: “How do the benefits and limitations of antidepressants and psychotherapy in reducing symptoms of major depression give a better understanding of human nature regarding the different psychological perspectives?” this essay will argue that while treating major depression biologically with antidepressants can be successful, there is more credit due to psychotherapy as treatment because people are social beings with conscious, cognitive th...
Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy argumentative essay Martin Luther King better utilizes reference to the past in his speech, “I Have a Dream” compared to John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address”. However, President Kennedy’s usage of reference to the past does not highlight important goals. Prominent examples of references to the past are used in Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream”. Specifically referencing the “...Constitution and the Declaration of Independence...”. The ideals the Constitution promotes align with what King preaches in his speech, where all are to be equal.
Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 36:2, 67-68. Simon, D. (2004). The 'Secondary'. Practicing Mind-Body-Soul Medicine. Alternative Therapies, 10:6, 62-68.
Muscle aches, trouble concentrating, and being tired all the time, these are some effects that anxiety disorders can have on a person. Jake has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Just like there are many different causes and different types of disorders, there are also many ways to treat the disorders. Three different types will be explained within this essay. Number one, the humanistic approach, or being able to fulfill a personal potential. Number two, the behavioral view of the change in behaviors, and then the third, the cognitive side, or mental processes. By looking at these specific views, we will define them and see where they believe the causes are formed and the care they can give to help in combating the anxieties of life.
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.
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.
Mental disorders are rapidly becoming more common with each new generation born in the world. Currently, nearly one in two people suffer from some form of depression, anxiety, or other mental health problem at some point in their lives (Editor). With so many people suffering from their mental illnesses, steps have been taken in order to get help needed for these people but progress has been slow. In the medical world, hospitals are treating those with physical problems with more care than those with mental problems. Prescription drugs can only do so much helping the mentally ill go through their daily lives and more should be done to help those who need more than medicine to cope with their illness. Mental health should be considered just as important as physical health because of how advanced physical healing is, how the public reacts to those with mental illness, and due to the consequences that could happen if the illness is not correctly helped.