Anxiety Research Paper

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common forms of mental illness that people deal with in today’s society. They are often misdiagnosed because people feel that fears and worries are normal forms of emotion that we all deal with as a whole, but for some, anxiety disorders can be a nightmare. Anxiety disorders can be debilitating and affect a persons life, but there are many things that can be done to lesson the symptoms and inevitably lead a person to a happy and stress-free life. There are many types of anxiety that people deal with but the most common type is called general anxiety disorder. General anxiety disorder refers to anxiety related to a wide range of situations and makes a person feel worried anxious all of the time (Rosen
33.) About six percent of the united states population suffer from GAD and these people are unable to control or escape from their worry and anxiety (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 20,21.) This disorder often causes physical sysmptoms, such as sleep distruabance, muscle tension, irritability, difficulty concentrating, restless or fatigue (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 22.) Anxiety disorders are very common worldwide and when they persist overtime, their impact on daily life continues to grow (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 3.) Panic disorder is also a type of anxiety disorder that affects approximately 0.3 percent to one percent of adolescents at any given time (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 63.) Panic attacks are often associated with panic disorders but can also occur with any anxiety disorder. A panic attack is a sudden overwhelming feeling of uneasiness, fear or terror, where it feels like you might have a heart attack, go mad, or die according to WebMD.com. Having a panic disorder can be crippling in many ways and the fear of losing control has limited many people in this world from enjoying normal experiences throughout their life. Obsessive-compulsive disorders are associated with severe forms of anxiety and people with this condition are unable to control the obsessive thoughts. The unpleasant thoughts can be so disabling that the person will come up with strategies to make themselves feel better (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 73.) These strategies, called compulsions, are ritualistic and are performed in a stereotyped, repetitive fashion (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 73.) People with this disorder realize that the thoughts are impulses that they feel which are totally unreasonable and not normal, but this only distresses the individual more, especially since they can not stop or resist them. There is a type of anxiety disorder called a phobia and there are two types of phobias that affect people in this world, social phobia and specific phobia.
Social phobia is an unrealistic or exaggerated fear of an activity or social situation according to helpguide.com. According to WebMD.com , a specific phobia is an intense fear of a specific object or situation, such as a snake, heights, or flying. The level of fear is usually inappropriate to the situation and may cause the person to avoid common, everyday situations. People with social phobia limit their access to situations that cause them distress, but this is not helpful because they never learn to overcome the phobia entirely. This is also true of people who suffer from specific phobias. The two phobias can be extremely frightening and puts major limitations on a persons’
life. The last disorder in the category of anxiety is known as post-traumatic stress disorder. According to helpguide.com, post-traumatic stress disorder is an extreme anxiety disorder that can occur in the aftermath of a traumatic or life-threatening event. In today’s society, lots of young people experience severe trauma as do our military in this country. Young people may find it difficult to explain what they feel after a trauma and also may not express their emotional feelings while adults may unknowingly down play or deny the impact of the traumatic event (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 90.) These types of behaviors in reference to the emotional trauma can increase the stress internally and is inevitably disastrous if left untreated. There are causes and symptoms of anxiety that must be addressed in order to diagnose an anxiety disorder correctly.
People exhibit different physical and emotional symptoms for different disorders, but overall symptoms only vary slightly. According WebMD.com, general symptoms include feelings of panic, fear and uneasiness, problems sleeping, muscle tension, cold or sweaty hands and/or feet, heart palpitations, dry mouth, and nausea. Other symptoms may include stomach aches, diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, and insomnia. Acoording to helpguide.com, along with the physical symptoms, there are emotional sysmptoms that people must deal with also. Among these symptoms, the most overwhelming would be fear. The physical symptoms of anxiety can be so overwhelming and intense that the person may feel that they are going crazy and eventually fears everything concerning their life. The feelings cause turmoil, tension, dreary outlooks for the future and most likely will lead to depression if not properly
treated. The developmental of anxiety disorders involve risk factors. Risk factors increase the probability of developing a psychological problem. Biological risk factors include genetics and temperament (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 4.) When parents have anxiety disorders their children have an increases risk for anxiety disorders and the children may experiences more severe forms of anxiety disorders (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 5.) People who are under stress are at a higher risk for anxiety disorders. Scientific theory states that anxiety disorders are causes by an imbalance of the chemicals in the brain that regulate feelings and physical reactions. WebMD.com states that these imbalances of chemicals can altar thoughts, emotions, and behavior which will result in anxiety. WebMD.com also states that a stressful event or chain of events such as a family break-up, abuse, ongoing bullying at school, sexual abuse, or a death can be stressful and lead to the increase anxiety that sticks around. With so much stress and anxiety in this world and with anxiety disorders hindering peoples lives, fortunately there are home remedies and treatment options that can bring you back from the brink of insanity. Home remedies that can help you bring your life back into balance is prioritizing your daily tasks and responsibilities. Helpguide.com states that eating healthy, reducing alcohol and nicotine, exercising regular getting enough sleep, and changing negative thoughts can also help stabilize your life in a healthy way. Engaging your mind and keeping it busy and active and also getting involved in social groups if you can, has been known to be very beneficial in overcoming the fear associated with anxiety disorders. Meditation is also one of the oldest techniques to help achieve a level of calmness and peace that relieves anxiety pain, and fear. In severe cases treatment for anxiety disorders may include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which includes psychotherapy also known as “talk therapy” (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 13.) There are several circumstances in which a combination of medication and psychotherapy is used to treat people with anxiety disorders (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 17.) These treatments have been very successful with many to relieve the stress and control the symptoms of anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are an increased concern in today’s society but we are understanding them more each day. Current research is examining risk and protecting factors that may help us identify anxiety in young children and provide interventions early in life (Connelly, Simpson, Petty 105.) It is hoped that this can prevent the development of severe anxiety disorders and reduce the serious impact of these disorders on both children and adults. Overcoming anxiety disorders is a common problem that many face today, but with acknowledgement, open-mindedness, acceptance, and the willingness it can become a small pest instead of an overwhelming monstrosity.