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Jennifer Sorto
Psychology 1010
October 9, 2016
Anxiety Disorders
Introduction
Anxiety is a disorder that can often be misunderstood. The thought of
always being anxious throughout the day can be a bit hard to understand.
For that reason, this disorder takes control of many individuals lives. Imagine
that you are in your class getting ready to take your final test; As your
teacher hands out the test she mentions that there has been a couple of
changes and its no longer multiple choice, she has switched them to essay
questions. Feeling anxious and nervous during this time would be normal,
but imagine having this feeling constantly throughout the day over the
simplest tasks.
Research has shown that there is more than one type of anxiety. This
paper will contain information to further understand what anxiety is, as well
as information on the different types of anxiety disorders such as generalized
anxiety disorder, panic disorder and phobic disorder.
Literature Review
Anxiety is a disorder where fear seems to take over your thoughts,
which is how this disorder can dramatically change an individuals life. Often
times individuals tend to have anxiety due to a stressful situation or

something that happens surprisingly or abruptly, which is normal. When

anxiety arises that is out of proportion to real threats and challenges,
however, it is maladaptive: It can take hold of peoples lives, stealing their
piece of mind and undermining their ability to function normally (Schnacter,
2011, p.593). This disorder can cause individuals to avoid certain situations
that trigger their symptoms. Job performance, school work and relationships
can be affected. Possible symptoms of anxiety may be: restlessness, fatigue,
difficulty concentrating or having their minds go blank, irritability, muscle
tension, difficulty controlling the worry or thought, and difficulty falling or
staying asleep. This disorder is often treated by medication, therapy, or both.
In addition, generalized anxiety is when the individuals worries are
not based on just one specific worry, it is when the individuals worries are
accompanied by either restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems,
irritability, muscle tension, or sleep disturbance. Some say that anxiety and
depression are usually combined together since research has shown that
individuals that have anxiety often times develop depression as well. Over
the past couple of years, clinicians and researchers alike have been moving
towards a new conclusion: Depression and anxiety are not two disorders that
coexist. They are two faces of one disorder (Marano, 2003).
Another variety of anxiety is Panic disorder, which is when you are
scared for your life but in reality your life is not in danger. There are many
symptoms that relate to this disorder such as shortness of breath, heart
palpitations, sweating, dizziness, and fear for ones life. These symptoms

usually last about a couple of minutes. Approximately 22% of the U.S.

population reports having at least one panic attack (Kessler, Chiu, et al.,
2006) (Schnacter, 2011, p.596). Research has shown that panic attacks
often get confused with heart attacks, often leading to people going to the
Doctors office. Therefore, this disorder can be hard to diagnose since the
symptoms can often times be tied into other disorders.
Furthermore, Phobic disorder is also tied into anxiety. The DSM-5
describes phobic disorders as characterized by marked, persistent, and
excessive fear and avoidance of specific objects, activities, or situations
(Schnacter, 2011, p.594). This disorder is when an individual has fear
towards specific objects and activities that are not really a threat, for
example having fear to be in a store with other people. Being in a store is not
a threat, but it may feel like a threat to these individuals. Phobia begins
when an individual starts to organize their lives around avoiding the object
that they fear. Research has shown that phobias are the most common kind
of anxiety disorders. One risk factor for phobic disorders is a positive family
history of phobic disorders (Hans-Christoph, 2016).
Individuals with phobic disorder often try to cope with their symptoms
by doing drugs or alcohol which leads them to developing a substance
misuse disorder. Treatment with an SSRI, such as escitalopram or sertraline,
can be particularly beneficial and it is sobering to consider that the majority
of patients suffer for an average of 15 to 20 years before seeking treatment,
and half of those who suffer never seek help at all (Fry, 2015).

Application
The past year was when I was first exposed to anxiety. I have two very
close friends that I work with, one that has had anxiety for years and another
that has recently been diagnosed with this disorder. At first it was difficult
for me to understand their situation since I had no background knowledge
about anxiety. They would explain to me how this disorder makes them feel
and how it affects their lives. In order for me to fully understand their
disorder I interviewed my supervisor, as she is one of my close friends that
has had anxiety for years. The most interesting question I asked my
supervisor was, how does your anxiety make you feel? She had told me that
it feels like her mind is spinning and her heart is pounding in the middle of
work or a grocery store, she just cant think straight. At times her chest hurts
and her vision becomes blurred. She also stated sometimes I want to
scream and cry and sometimes I want to kill someone (Nickel, 2016). She
has mentioned that theres nothing about the grocery store or being out in
public with people that scares her but it seems to make her feel
uncomfortable which triggers to her anxiety. Unfortunately, anxiety seems to
take a huge toll in her life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, anxiety disorders can drastically change ones life. Not
only did I learn the different types of anxiety but I also learned how anxiety
makes those affected by it feel. It amazes me how your own body and mind

makes you feel, not being able to control your own thoughts or being able to
focus would be difficult. As I have never experienced this I assume that it can
make the lives of those affected very difficult. I am saddened how much
these symptoms affect peoples lives. In the future I would like to familiarize
myself on how certain anxiety medications help these individuals feel. It
would be nice to know if these medications are hard on their bodies or if the
medication is a huge help for them or maybe both. This topic has helped me
understand what my close friends go through on a daily basis, I am able to
recognize what may trigger their anxiety and how I could possibly comfort
them. Overall, anxiety causes stress that can stand in your way to live a
normal life.

References

Fry, M. (2015, October 01). A Practice Nurse guide to common mental health
problems: Anxiety
Disorders. Practice Nurse, 45(10), 25-28. Retrieved August 30,
2016, from
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/ehost

Hans-Christoph, S. (2016, January 19). Family Aggregation and Risk Factors

in Phobic Disorders
over Three-Generations in a Nation-Wide Study. PLoS ONE, 11(1), 1-14.
Retrieved September 10, 2016, from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/ehost

How does anxiety make you feel? [Telephone interview. Nickel, K.]. (2016,
September 10).

Marano, H. E. (2003, October 1). Anxiety and Depression Together. Retrieved

September 24, 2016,
from https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200310/anxiety-anddepression-together

Schacter, D. L. (2011). Psychology (Third ed.). Kevin Feyen.