The Anxiety of Elling
The Anxiety of Elling
Abstract
This paper explores the life of Elling and how he is forced to break through his problem with anxiety. His problems, or symptoms, will be compared to the criteria held by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Elling is a fictional character in a Norwegian film with the same title. I have gained better understanding of the disorder, one of which I have, through the study of this character and his behaviors. Within the paper is a summary of the movie and a comparison as to why I believe Elling would be diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, based off of the DSM criteria.
The Anxiety of Elling
Fear is an emotion that everyone experiences from time to time throughout his or her life. Fear is part of a biological response to danger. This emotion was programmed into each human being eons ago through evolution to alert us to the presence of danger by releasing adrenaline into our bloodstream , triggering the flight-or-fight response, which alerts us to the presence of danger and enhances our chances of survival. Anxiety itself is a chronic fear, which continues even when the direct threat is not present (Pinel, 2007, p.494).
Anxiety is a common occurrence and emotion in everyday life. Yet there are several individuals today who suffer from great pangs of anxiety and feelings of panic at such extremely high levels that it becomes quite debilitating. A normal, everyday environment can become so overwhelming that the day itself can stop dead in its tracks while the sufferer rides through the wave of intense emotions and thoughts which seem to be going a million miles a minute and showing no signs of stopping or slowing down. Anxiety is a normal reaction to a threatening situation and results from an increase in the amount of adrenaline from the sympathetic nervous system. This increased adrenaline speeds the heart and respiration rate, raises blood pressure, and
Abstract
This paper explores the life of Elling and how he is forced to break through his problem with anxiety. His problems, or symptoms, will be compared to the criteria held by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Elling is a fictional character in a Norwegian film with the same title. I have gained better understanding of the disorder, one of which I have, through the study of this character and his behaviors. Within the paper is a summary of the movie and a comparison as to why I believe Elling would be diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, based off of the DSM criteria.
The Anxiety of Elling
Fear is an emotion that everyone experiences from time to time throughout his or her life. Fear is part of a biological response to danger. This emotion was programmed into each human being eons ago through evolution to alert us to the presence of danger by releasing adrenaline into our bloodstream , triggering the flight-or-fight response, which alerts us to the presence of danger and enhances our chances of survival. Anxiety itself is a chronic fear, which continues even when the direct threat is not present (Pinel, 2007, p.494).
Anxiety is a common occurrence and emotion in everyday life. Yet there are several individuals today who suffer from great pangs of anxiety and feelings of panic at such extremely high levels that it becomes quite debilitating. A normal, everyday environment can become so overwhelming that the day itself can stop dead in its tracks while the sufferer rides through the wave of intense emotions and thoughts which seem to be going a million miles a minute and showing no signs of stopping or slowing down. Anxiety is a normal reaction to a threatening situation and results from an increase in the amount of adrenaline from the sympathetic nervous system. This increased adrenaline speeds the heart and respiration rate, raises blood pressure, and
References: Coon, D., Essentials of Psychology, Seventh Edition (1997). Brooks/Cole Publishing, Pacific Grove, California, 526. Harvard Health Letter, (July 1998) v23 i9 p1-2, Chronic Anxiety: How to Stop Living on the Edge. ADAA. (2011). Anxiety disorders association of america. Retrieved from http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad. Smith, M., Jaffe-Gill, E., & Segal, J. (2011, July). Generlized anxiety disorder (gad). Retrieved from http://helpguide.org/mental/generalized_anxiety_disorder.htm. Pinel, J. P. (2007). Basis of Biopsychology. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author. Alveberg, D (Producer), & Naess, P (Director). (2001). Elling. Norway: Maipo Film.