Anxiety is a negative mood with feelings of restlessness, tension and fear. In moderation, such emotions are useful: they help mobilize strength and find a way out of extreme situations. But there must be a reason for concern and normally it lasts for a limited period of time.
If a person constantly experiences feelings of anxiety and worry for no reason, this may indicate the presence of a mental disorder. In the absence of help, constant stress wears out the nervous system and the body as a whole, which leads to a breakdown of adaptation mechanisms and the development of chronic diseases.
If you notice that you cannot relax for a long time, then you should think about visiting a specialist.
In pathological cases, a state of anxiety and restlessness for no reason is manifested by both mental and physical symptoms.
Mental symptoms:
- constant feeling of fear and excitement for no reason,
- poor concentration and attention,
- sleep disorders,
- emotional lability, irritability, tearfulness,
- inability to relax and fully engage in daily activities or communication,
- need to reassure other people that everything is okay. At the same time, words of support do not bring relief.
Physical symptoms:
- rapid breathing and heart rate,
- headaches, abdominal and heart pain,
- increased sweating,
- eating disorders: increased appetite or loss of appetite,
- weakness,
- trembling, chills,
- stool disorders: frequent urge, constipation,
- feeling of lack of air,
- nausea,
- muscle spasms and pain.
Unreasonable anxiety and restlessness intensify or subside from time to time. Exacerbations often accompany stress: conflicts, important events, illnesses. Normally, a person quickly recovers after the situation is resolved, but when upset, negative emotions do not go away.
The intensity of anxiety varies from mild to severe. The extreme is panic. If you ignore an anxious state for a long time without a reason, then panic attacks may join it. They strike unexpectedly and sometimes without a good enough reason, but after this episode the person begins to avoid situations similar to the one in which this happened: public transport, an elevator, or just a crowd of people. This greatly reduces quality of life and can lead to social withdrawal.
Symptoms
Anxiety manifests itself in three groups of signs:
- Psychological: a feeling of fear, internal tension and anxiety, in severe cases - panic, obsessive thoughts of alarming content.
- Physiological autonomic reactions: redness or paleness of the skin, dry mucous membranes, palpitations and shortness of breath, sensations of pressure in the chest or abdomen, “waves throughout the body,” fluctuations in blood pressure, etc.
- Behavioral: freezing and numbness, restless tossing and restlessness, attempts to escape, lack of normal sleep.
The first two groups are necessarily present, the last (behavioral) may be absent if anxiety is not very pronounced.
Feelings of anxiety with sensations of heaviness in the chest or in the heart area indicate an anxious-depressive state. Such complaints are most pronounced in the morning and may subside in the evening. The presence of such complaints indicates severe overexcitation of the nervous system, and not the presence of lung or heart disease.
Anxiety. The concept of anxiety and anxiety. Types of anxiety. article on psychology
Anxiety. The concept of anxiety and anxiety. Types of anxiety.
In psychology, you can find different definitions of the concept of anxiety, although most agree on the need to consider it multifaceted - as a situational phenomenon and as a personal characteristic, taking into account the transition state and its dynamics. One of the definitions (A.M. Prikhozhan) indicates that anxiety is the experience of emotional discomfort associated with the expectation of trouble, with a premonition of impending danger.
Anxiety is distinguished as an emotional state and as a stable property, personality trait or temperament. According to R. S. Nemov’s definition, “anxiety is a constantly or situationally manifested ability of a person to enter a state of increased anxiety, to experience fear and anxiety in specific social situations.” Thus, the concept of “anxiety” is designated as a stable personal quality of a person, which is characterized by an increased tendency to worry, fear and worry, which has a negative emotional connotation. Anxiety is the experience of emotional discomfort, internal unrest, anxiety associated with the expectation of trouble, the premonition of impending danger, which may or may not happen. Anxiety is often considered as an emotional reaction of anxious anticipation of danger and as a reaction to a possible failure, an imaginary threat. Consequently, the state of anxiety is often determined not only by the actual situation itself, but also by how it appears to a person, what personal meaning and significance he attributes to this situation. For one, the situation is quite ordinary, not causing a state of emotional tension; for another, the same situation is a source of strong mental, spiritual and emotional experiences.
Teenagers are most anxious in relationships with classmates and parents and least anxious in relationships with strangers and teachers. Older schoolchildren show the highest level of anxiety in all areas of communication, but their anxiety increases especially sharply when communicating with parents and those adults on whom they depend to some extent. The existence of two different types of anxiety has been proven: personal and situational. Personal anxiety is understood as an individual personality trait of a person, reflecting his predisposition to emotionally negative reactions to various life situations that pose a threat to his “I” (self-esteem, level of aspirations, attitude towards oneself, etc.), including such , which objectively do not dispose to this. Personal anxiety is a person’s stable tendency to react to similar social situations with increased anxiety and worry. It is characterized by a state of unaccountable fear, an uncertain sense of threat, and a readiness to perceive any event as unfavorable and dangerous. A person susceptible to this condition is constantly in a wary and depressed mood; it is difficult for him to contact the outside world, which he perceives as frightening and hostile. Consolidated in the process of character formation to the formation of low self-esteem and gloomy pessimism. Situational anxiety can be defined as a temporary state of anxiety that is stable only in certain life situations, generated by such situations and, as a rule, does not arise in other situations. This condition occurs as a habitual emotional and behavioral reaction to this kind of situation. They can be negotiations with officials, conversations on the phone, examination tests, communication with strangers of the opposite sex or a different age than the person in question. Situational anxiety, i.e., generated by a specific situation that objectively causes concern. This condition can occur in any person in anticipation of possible troubles and life complications. This condition is not only completely normal, but also plays a positive role. It acts as a kind of mobilizing mechanism that allows a person to approach emerging problems seriously and responsibly. What is more abnormal is a decrease in situational anxiety, when a person, in the face of serious circumstances, demonstrates carelessness and irresponsibility, which most often indicates an infantile life position and insufficient formation of self-awareness.
Causes of anxiety
In first place among the causes of anxiety are improper upbringing and unfavorable relationships between the child and his parents, especially with his mother. A certain level of anxiety is a natural and obligatory feature of an active personality. Each person has their own optimal or desired level of anxiety - this is the so-called useful anxiety. A person’s assessment of his condition in this regard is for him an essential component of self-control and self-education. However, an increased level of anxiety is a subjective manifestation of personal distress.
Anxiety also has a significant impact on a teenager’s self-esteem. An increased level of anxiety in a teenager may indicate his insufficient emotional adaptation to certain social situations. This creates a general attitude of self-doubt. Due to a number of age-related characteristics, adolescence is often called the “age of anxiety.” Teenagers are worried about their appearance, about problems at school, relationships with parents, teachers, and peers. And misunderstanding on the part of adults only intensifies the unpleasant sensations. There is such a specific type of anxiety as “family anxiety”. “Family anxiety” refers to states of often poorly realized and poorly localized anxiety in both or one of the family members. A characteristic feature of this type of anxiety is that it is manifested by doubts, fears, concerns, primarily concerning the family. These are fears regarding the health of family members, their absences, late returns, regarding clashes and conflicts that arise in the family. The basis of “family anxiety,” as a rule, is the individual’s poorly realized uncertainty in some very important aspect of family life. This may be uncertainty about the feelings of other family members, parental love, self-doubt; for example, a teenager represses a feeling that may manifest itself in family relationships and that does not correspond to his self-image. Important aspects of this state are also a feeling of helplessness, a feeling of inability to intervene in the course of events in the family, to direct it in the right direction. It is believed that there is an influence of parents' anxiety on children's anxiety through imitation, impact on the child's living conditions (for example, limiting contacts with peers, excessive care, etc.). Due to the increase in anxiety and associated low self-esteem, educational achievements decrease and failure is consolidated. Lack of self-confidence leads to a number of other features - the desire to mindlessly follow the instructions of an adult, to act only according to samples and templates, fear of taking initiative, formal assimilation of knowledge and methods of action. Adults, dissatisfied with the child’s declining educational productivity, focus more and more on these issues when communicating with him, which increases emotional discomfort. It turns out to be a vicious circle: the child’s unfavorable personal characteristics are reflected in his educational activities, low performance results in a corresponding reaction from others, and this negative reaction, in turn, strengthens the child’s existing characteristics. You can break this circle by changing your parents’ attitudes and assessments. Close adults, focusing attention on the slightest achievements of the child. Without blaming him for individual shortcomings, they reduce his level of anxiety and thereby contribute to the successful completion of educational tasks. There is also demonstrativeness - a personality trait associated with an increased need for success and attention from others. The source of demonstrativeness is usually the lack of attention of adults to children who feel abandoned and “unloved” in the family. But it happens that a child receives enough attention, but it does not satisfy him. Excessive demands on adults are made not by neglected children, but, on the contrary, by the most spoiled children. Such a child will seek attention, even breaking the rules of behavior. (“It’s better to be scolded than not noticed”). If for a child with high anxiety the main problem is the constant disapproval of adults, then for a demonstrative child it is a lack of praise. Another option is “escaping reality.” It is observed in cases where demonstrativeness in children is combined with anxiety. These children also have a strong need for attention to themselves, but they cannot realize it due to their anxiety. They are little noticeable, are afraid of causing disapproval with their behavior, and strive to fulfill the demands of adults. An unsatisfied need for attention leads to an increase in even greater passivity and invisibility, which complicates already insufficient contacts. When adults encourage children to be active, pay attention to the results of their educational activities and search for ways of creative self-realization, a relatively easy correction of their development is achieved.
The information provided allows you to avoid conflicts and other behavioral and communication misunderstandings. Problems with anxiety seen in time help maintain health for all participants in life events.
How to get rid
If anxiety is not a symptom of an illness, then there is no need to get rid of it. It, being a normal defense mechanism, will go away on its own as soon as the stress or danger has passed. In cases where anxiety gets out of control and becomes a symptom of a disease, treatment will be required. Painful anxiety is treated by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
The most common universal way to quickly relieve anxiety is physical exercise. The load on the muscles allows you to switch overexcited brain structures. Exercises of several squats, push-ups or running until a feeling of physical fatigue appears quickly and safely removes the feeling of anxiety. Water procedures are also effective: cold shower, warm bath.
The Danger of Feeling Anxious
With mental illnesses, anxiety gets out of control and can become inadequate—occur in situations where there is no real external danger. In such cases, anxiety itself becomes the cause and mechanism for the development of diseases: psychosomatic conditions, anxiety and depressive disorders, endogenous and organic diseases.
It is also necessary to know that during anxiety, the ability to think rationally and adequately analyze incoming information is reduced. This is why all psychologists recommend never making radical decisions at the “peak of anxiety.”
general characteristics
Anxiety is expressed as a vague, vague fear of possible future events.
Often it occurs for no reason, that is, in situations where there is no real danger. A person anticipates trouble, but does not know how to avoid or overcome it. Internal tension is partially reduced by physical activity, so restless people cannot sit still, walk around the room, bite their nails, aimlessly turn on the mobile phone screen several times, and perform other seemingly meaningless actions. Anticipating trouble forces you to concentrate on finding ways to solve or avoid future problems. Absent-mindedness and some detachment from reality appear. Thinking becomes selective: a person pays attention to events related to the disturbing situation and ignores everything else. In this way he confirms that his experiences are justified. Sometimes the feeling of anxiety intensifies to a state of anxiety, and disturbances in the perception of time, space, people, and actions develop.
Subjectively, anxiety feels like anxiety - a combination of fear, sadness, shame, and guilt for no reason. During the most acute experiences, physiological changes begin to be realized: rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, nausea, dizziness, headaches. If there is no understanding of the connection between anxiety and physical ailment, a person looks for the cause of discomfort by turning to somatic doctors - therapists, neurologists, cardiologists.
The thinking of a restless person is directed from the past to the future - an unfavorable or dangerous event is extracted from memories, and then something similar is predicted. In this case, the previous experience can be old or just happened, personal or someone else’s. For example, after a boss reprimands, discomfort increases every time you come to the workplace, since there is a possibility of meeting the manager. Similarly, anxiety may develop before flying on an airplane if you have previously watched a movie about a plane crash.
Speaking about anxiety without a reason, it is worth noting that, as a rule, there is a reason, but it is not realized or is assessed by others as insignificant. The key function of anxiety is to encourage actions that increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome of events and prevent potentially dangerous behavior. The biological basis of this experience is the mobilization of psychophysiological processes to overcome a possible traumatic situation. The negative effect of anxiety is a feeling of fear that interferes with effective functioning.
