Anxiety

Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most fundamental emotions shared by all species of animals. When confronted with danger, the fight or flight response of the sympathetic nervous system is triggered so that we are prepared to react and protect ourselves. Without anxiety and its physiological manifestations, such as hypersensitivity to environment and enhanced blood supply to leg muscles, the likelihood of harm or disaster in threatening situations would undoubtedly dramatically increase. A moderate amount of anxiety also has the result of prompting individuals to prepare for certain events, such as exams and presentations, that clearly benefit from this action.

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by "brief episodes of intense fear accompanied by multiple physical symptoms (such as heart palpitations and dizziness) that occur repeatedly and unexpectedly in the absence of any external threat." Unlike fear, there is seemingly no reason or input that causes such an episode. It feels almost like an internal earthquake, something over which you have no warning and feel no control, an event that destabilizes the foundation of what you consider within the borders of normal expectation. After an initial panic attack, individuals often become incredibly fearful about the possibility of another attack. The degree to which this affects subsequent behavior and lifestyle can be extremely drastic and potentially debilitating. Whether it is a daily transformation or a more anxious reaction to the next time one feels dizzy, panic attacks have a lasting impact on the thoughts and actions of the individuals who experience them.

There are a variety of explanations for the cause of panic disorder which increasingly defi...

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...cietal views of mental illness. We seem to still be a society at least partially obsessed with the notion that scientific knowledge yields empirical expertise and validity. Taking the responsibility away from the individual and placing it, to some degree, in their genes and neuroanatomy, would surely affect a broad range of societal issues, including diminishing the stigma attached to a variety of illnesses. This, in turn, could affect issues such as funding for research, health care coverage, and might potentially prompt more people to seek treatment. It can be considered a segment of the path of our ever developing understanding of who we are and why things happen.

Internet Sources:

http://lexington-on-line.com/naf_xanax.html

http://panicdisorder.about.com/

http://www.mentalhealth.com/mag1/p5m-pan1.html

http://www.algy.com/anxiety/files/barlow.html