It is perfectly normal for any human being often to be nervous before making an important decision or before taking a test. But in some cases, the nervousness is extreme leading to a condition known as Anxiety Disorder. This is a serious and un-preventable mental condition where by worry and fear is constantly overwhelming. It affects people from all age groups starting in childhood. The most common symptoms of anxiety disorders includes: dizziness, dry mouth, shortening of breaths, nightmares, sleeping problem, not able to concentrate or stay calm, panic, fear and uneasiness amongst others. Anxiety disorder can reach to a point of the patient not being able to lead a normal life (Chakraburtty, 2009).
The symptoms can be lessened by the patient seeking help from a professional counselor in case they detect the slightest hint of the symptoms or after a traumatizing experience. People should also observe the quantities of coffee, tea, and chocolate they consume for these substances contains caffeine which is a known anxiety stimulant. Also, people should take caution and only consume medicines proscribed by a qualified medical doctor. This is because majority of medicines and herbal solutions bought over the counter contains chemicals known to cause the anxiety symptoms.
The main cause of anxiety disorder is not certain, but continued mental research has shown that the disorders are caused by an array of factors. A chemical imbalance is among the probable causes of anxiety disorder. Research has also proved that the brain’s chemical balance can be affected by prolonged stress. The disorder also runs in families where by siblings inherit it from parents. However, some forms of the anxiety disorder may be triggered by trauma. T...
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...es people changing on what they eat and drink from food that might provoke anxiety to more healthy food. It also involves leaving bad lifestyle practices like excessive alcohol consumption and instead the need to lead a more responsible lifestyle.
Group therapy: This involves patients suffering from anxiety disorder coming together and sharing experience on how to overcome various challenges that comes with the condition for the benefit of each of them. They give each other hope and advice on how to handle different situations in the future (Prentice-hall, 1995-2002).
Works Cited
Chakraburty Amal (2009), Anxiety disorders. Retrieved from:
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-anxiety-disorders
Prentice-hall, (1995-2002), Therapies objectives. Retrieved from:
http://cwx.prenhall.com/bookbind/pubbooks/morris5/chapter14/deluxe.html
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, also known as (GAD) is one of the several types of anxiety disorders. GAD according to our textbook (Lahey) is an uneasy sense of general tension and apprehension for no apparent reason that makes the individual highly uncomfortable because of its prolonged presence. GAD is much more than the normal anxiety people experience day to day. Without provoking, it is chronic and exaggerated worry and tension. This disorder can involve anticipating disaster, often worrying excessively about health, money, family or work. Sometimes, though, just the thought of getting through the day brings anxiety.
Group therapy is a setting among other antisocial personalities. This style allows the patient a different type of incentive to improve some of their disorders.
Looking for new and more effective ways to treat the issues of their clients, counselors and therapists may often begin to consider leading a group therapy session. Group therapy is a form of therapy in which a therapist either treats or provides psychoeducational skills to a small, carefully planned target group of individuals in an effort to ameliorate the issues and dysfunctions of each individual in that particular group of patients together (Scheidlinger, 2004). In this group, therapists often utilize some of the psychotherapy theories such as Gestalt, transactional analysis, psychotherapy or psychodrama which they often use to treat clients individually.
One objective is to utilize the most powerful tool at psychotherapy’s disposal; the group experience. By one individual sharing their experience within the group, the other members are able to identify their similar experiences and work toward their own growth. Group therapy also increases self-awareness of clients in order for them to think introspectively in order to make a change in behaviors, increases social comfort, allowing exploration of new behaviors, provide and obtain support, develop communication skills, and promote interactions with others using truth and
19 million Americans (approximately one in eight) aged 18-54 suffer from anxiety disorders. (1) When I heard this statistic, I realized how important the discussion of such disorders was to the sciences. 1/8th of the most productive portion of the US population suffers from an anxiety disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a division of the Institutes of Health for the Federal Government, is committed to research causes and treatment of such disorders. (2) Progress has been made, comparing studies of animals to studies of humans, in pinpointing the specific areas of the brain. Anxiety is associated with fear- fear of a specific object or situation, generalized fear and worry, recurring fearful memories, etc. The NIMH has found that a specific portion of the brain, the amygdala, controls the body's automatic response to fear. When the brain is confronted with fear, the brain takes two course of action. One, the brain transmits information to the cerebral cortex (the thinking part of the brain) to inform it of what specifically is endangering the individual. Second, the brain transmits to the amygdala the same information, so that the body might prepare for action.
The onset of Generalized anxiety disorder begins in childhood or adolescents, and It can have a lifetime prevalence of 3-5% with a higher risk in women. One major effect of Generalized Anxiety Disorder is excessive worry or anxiety lasting up to 6 months at a time, although individuals that have Generalized Anxiety Disorder don’t identify their worrying as excessive all of the time, but they will recount subjective distress because of a constant worry, or may have difficulty with control over the worrying, or even experience social impairment. Anxiety can be associated up to 6 symptoms which include inability to sleep, fatigued, lack of concentration, easily agitated, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances. Most of which can affect everyday lifestyle and greatly effect physical health, not only can they cause personal distress but may also cause distress in those around.
According to Sharp (2012), “anxiety disorders are the most widespread causes of distress among individuals seeking treatment from mental health services in the United States” (p359).
Feeling anxious is common for everybody, especially when faced with an important life event, but it is when someone has that anxious feeling for long periods of time for unwarranted reasons, that it can be determined that they have an anxiety disorder (Rector, Bourdeau and Kitchen 2). Anxiety will never appear on it’s own, it is usually paired with depression, this is why Patricia Farrell refers to anxiety and depression as the “ugly twins” (Farrell 71). In 2008, it was determined that anxiety was the “most common mental health problem in women, and are second only to substance use disorders in men”( Rector, Bourdeau and Kitchen 2). There is a growing need to better understand anxiety, so the illness is no longer marginilized and sufferers are able to receive treatment as soon as possible. The four most common forms are posttramautic stress disorders(PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder(GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and social phobia. These disorders, while classified because of the high level of anxiety (Emilien xv), vary in specific physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms, this is why treatments slightly differ. Although it has determined that treatment improves one’s quality of living (Hofmann, Wu and Boettcher 13), because of the lack of knowledge and cultural stigma that surrounds anxiety disorder, sufferers will not receive treatment.
Anxiety is a feeling of tension associated with a sense of threat of danger when the source of the danger is not known. In comparison, fear is a feeling of tension that is associated with a known source of danger. I believe it is normal for us to have some mild anxiety present in our daily lives. Everyday that I can think of I have some kind of anxiety though out that day. Anxiety warns us and enables us to get ready for the ‘fight or flight’ response. However, heightened anxiety is emotionally painful. It disrupts a person's daily functioning.
Fear and Anxiety are essential functions that occur in the brain that allow people to respond to stimuli appropriately. These feelings as normal as they are can cause problems and in 3.1 percent of adult Americans approximately 6.8 million people it does cause problems (“Generalized anxiety disorder”, 2014). A problem can arise when people have too much fear and anxiety; a problem is evident when it interferes with their life and their ability to do things. This is known as general anxiety disorder (GAD). When someone is suffering from generalized anxiety disorder they normally experience excessive exaggerated anxiety and worry about normal life events that give no clear reason for worry (“Generalized anxiety disorder”, 2014). This disorder can be debilitating and rule over people’s lives if it is severe and a better understanding of the disorder can be gained by looking at historical views, current views, causes and symptoms, case studies, differential diagnosis considerations, and treatment.
Anxiety is a term for several disorders that causes the body to feel fear, nervousness, apprehension, and worrying, "Anxiety is a word we use for some types of fear that are consequently to do with the thought of a threat or something going wrong in the future, rather than right now" (Mental Health Foundation). Many people suffer from anxiety every day, consequently most people can not pinpoint what exactly their anxiety originates from. No one likes to experience stress and anxiety, but it is just a phase of life that most humans have to overcome and become stronger. Anxiety disorders are one of the most inferior mental illnesses that affects teens and adults in the United States. Anxiety negatively affects the body and
Group therapy is considered one of the most resourceful forms of therapy. The benefits to group therapy can be both cost-effective and a great means of support (Corey, Corey & Corey, 2014). The process of experiencing ideas and viewpoints expressed by your peers allows group members to become more susceptible to the counseling procedure. Group counseling also helps individuals to feel a sense of belonging due to similar situations and experiences shared by the group. The sense of support from group members can be an excellent means towards developing long-lasting relationships and developing communication skills needed to move forward during the counseling phase. In this paper, I will discuss my experiences throughout the group-counseling phase.
The condition of Donald can be described as a long term, constant and at times disabling conditions; that can be described as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is the anxiety disorder that has affected about 3.1 % of American adults that are age from 18 to older (2013, National Institute of Mental Health).
To begin with, one of the major factor contributing to anxiety are environmental factors. These are experiences you have that are non-genetic and are taught to us through our surrounding’s (“The Anxiety Guide”, n.d.). The stress some experiences on a day to day basis may lead to them developing an anxiety disorder. When our bodies experience stress
National Institute of Mental Health. (2009). Studying anxiety disorders. NIH Medline plus, 5, 13-15. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders/complete-index.shtml