Alice Park's Time Magazine Article, The Two Faces of Anxiety

“Anxiety is the signal of danger which mobilizes the human organism’s resources at all levels of functioning in the interests of conservation, defense, and self- preservation.” (Anxiety 1) If a person suffers from anxiety there is a major loss of control and then an attempt to regain that control because of a fear that they have. Anxiety disorders are one of the most frequently occurring mental disorders in the United States. However, anxiety disorders are not only found in the United States. They are found throughout the world. They just happen to be most predominating in the United States. In this paper, I will be discussing the generalized anxiety disorder and how if effects society today.

Alternatively Hadley (1995) puts forward the view that contrary to popular belief, anxiety actually arises out of thoughts of potential danger and not the actual danger that produces the symptoms of anxiety. In support of this view the document by Chrysalis states that “feelings of anxiety come from apprehension or fear, the source of which is not always recognisable”. Feeling anxious at certain times in our life is a normal instinctual response that serves as a protection to aid survival. It teaches us to avoid dangerous situations and in this way is a learning process however the subconscious can sometimes work overtime resulting in response to all situations that feel remotely similar to the one that has made us feel anxious in the first instance (Chrysalis 2010 1-5 pp7). This document describes how anxiety will affect our whole being, our emotions, our behaviour and our physical health. Anxiety becomes a problem when its level rises above normal and interfere with a person’s life, associated physical symptoms include, trembling, tense muscles, churning stomach, nausea, diarrhoea, headache, heart palpitations, pins and needles, sweating or flushing (Chrysalis 2010 1-5 pp7). These feelings coupled with the physical symptoms experienced make a person want

Anxiety is one of the banalest features in the human mind. People with severe anxiety can have strenuous difficulties in life. In the past, anxiety was deemed irrelevant, and it was assumed to be benign. In recent years, Researchers have concluded that anxiety can be detrimental to one’s health. Anxiety can range from mild to strong, but nonetheless, it can affect lives severely. Almost everybody in the world has at least some type of anxiety. Whether it is presenting in front of a crowd, going to social events, reliving a traumatic experience, or even going on a rollercoaster. Psychology doctor, Peg O-Conner declares in her article that anxiety is, in fact, part of human nature (Conner). Conner argues that becoming unable to prioritize matters,

To experience any form of anxiety, such as interviews, a drive in traffic, or even a first date is a natural- human experience. For instance, one begins to undergo a feeling of failure regarding specific class. Nevertheless, sometimes, the emotion, keeps us motivated and school work-orientated. Yet, now and then, anxiety can take a hold on one when intense fear and distress becomes too overwhelming; it can prevent one from doing everyday thing. As a result, anxiety disorder can be the cause (B. T. Anxiety Disorders, 2016). According to National Alliance of Mental Illness, known as NAMI (2016), anxiety disorders are a common mental health concern in the United States. Roughly, forty million adults in the United States, and eight percent of children and teenagers face some sort of a negative impact of an anxiety disorder. Consequently, people develop symptoms of anxiety disorder before the age twenty-one.

Anxiety is a disorder many people are quick to self-diagnose. While anxiety is a very serious disorder, I believe it is important to educate and seek professional advice before assuming you are someone who suffers from this disorder. I chose the article by Alexander M. Penney, Dwight Mazmanian, & Caitlin Rudanycz because I was that person I previously mentioned. I suffered for years from what I assumed was severe anxiety and it wasn’t until I sought professional help that I was finally able to understand and better control the situation at hand.

Most drugs used to treat anxiety are called SSRIs, such as Xanax, Valium, and Librium. These drugs are Central Nervous System depressants (“downers”) and are prescribed in low doses to treat anxiety. These drugs slow down the nervous system, so that one’s anxious thoughts cease to exist until the drug begins to wear off. As a anxious person continues to use SSRIs to relieve their anxiety, their brain begins to become dependent on the drug, this can cause the user to go through withdrawal. Withdrawals can increase the anxiety and tension of a person, which in effect, does the exact opposite of what the user

With anxiety disorders being one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in the United States continued research is critical. The pervasiveness of these disorders including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder and specific disorders comes at a high cost both socially and economically (Beidel et

The research question for this paper is: what are possible origins of or influences contributing to anxiety? Anxiety is a disorder where the individual experiences fear greater than what the situation warrants, and is currently the third largest psychiatric disorder in the United States (Schneier, 2003). However, the origins of anxiety is not entirely clear yet, and different schools of thought have formed different theories and explanations for this disorder. Knowing and understanding the possible origins of anxiety can assist in the development of treatments.

II. (Review Main Points) We have specifically looked at the basics of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, its symptoms and effects on life, and the possibilities for treatment and help. III. (Review Specific Purpose)

Everyone gets worried sometimes, but anxiety is much more than just day to day worry. According to the textbook, anxiety is defined as a “Mental Illness characterized by persistent feelings of threat and worry in coping with everyday problems”. (Donatelle, 2014). Anxiety effects all kinds of people, myself included. I’ve been suffering from anxiety since adolescence. It turns out that anxiety is the number 1 mental illness that affects the United States. (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2015). Forty million adults in the U.S., which is 18 percent of the population, have an anxiety disorder. (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2015). Due to the large amount of the population affected, the estimated costs

“Although anxiety disorders are both common and distressing, many people with anxiety disorders don 't seek professional help and may live with these distressing and impairing conditions for decades.” (Arbor 2011,p.22)

Anxiety is a disorder in which an individual suffers from the inability to see past their immediate moment, without the fear of the unknown waiting for them. Scientifically speaking, anxiety is brought upon an individual by a chemical imbalance, which is explained by a neural pathway being blocked or disrupted, causing “emotional pain and irrational conclusions” (Richards, 2016). The broad term of anxiety cannot begin to scratch the surface of the disorder, however, it can be broken down into three main types: “general, panic, and social” (“Anxiety Disorders”, 2013). Whether they are conditioned to be anxious, traumatized as a child, or have severe social dysfunction,

The definition of anxiety is something not easily come by. Søren Kierkegaard, a famous Danish philosopher who was widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher, once written, “And no Grand Inquisitor has in readiness such terrible tortures as has anxiety, and no spy knows how to attack more artfully the man he suspects, choosing the instant when he is weakest, nor knows how to lay traps where he will be caught and ensnared, as anxiety knows how, and no sharp-witted judge knows how to interrogate, to examine the accused as anxiety does, which never lets him escape, neither by diversion nor by noise, neither at work nor at play, neither by day nor at night” (The Concept of Anxiety – Kierkegaard). In other words, Kierkegaard believes that anxiety is a malignant “torture” that causes people to suffer consistently from everyday life.

According to Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach (2015), anxiety is defined as a “negative mood state characterized by bodily symptoms of physical tension and apprehension about the future” (Barlow, 2015). Anxiety is a set of behaviors, such as looking worried, anxious or fidgety, or a physiological response in the brain that is reflected by increased heart rate and muscle tension (Barlow et al., 2015). Within the spectrum of anxiety disorder, there are many disorders that are classified under anxiety, such as panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In regards to this essay, the anxiety disorders of obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common abnormality found in human behavior that can be explained by the humanistic model of psychology. Emotional well-being is the root of humanistic psychology and it is detrimental to a patient’s mental wellness when they feel unfulfilled or stressed. While it is normal to experience a range of emotion in day-to-day life, the influx in negative feelings can eventually lead to a patient developing anxious behaviors. In addition, Carl Roger’s unconditional positive regard is an insightful model that uncovers what triggers GAD. Treatments like Gestalt therapy and client-centered therapy have been proven to successfully treat patients’ anxiety, which proves