Each person at least once in his life experienced a state where, for inexplicable reasons, there is discomfort and a hunch that something terrible will happen soon. Anxiety disorders most often relate to neurotic diseases, they are due to the pathological condition of patients.
In this case, the clinical picture may differ significantly, however, certain personality disorders are not observed. People of all ages suffer from anxiety, including the smallest children. According to statistics, such disorders are most often overtaken by young women aged 20 to 30 years. However, depending on the situation, absolutely everyone may experience unexplained anxiety.
When these emotions become too strong or uncontrollable, this prevents the person from normal business and communication with the outside world. There are a huge number of mental disorders, the symptoms of which include various levels of anxiety. It can be a phobia, a traumatic condition or panic attacks. If a person experiences too strong a sense of anxiety, then this makes him be in a nervous state almost constantly. This leads to mental and physical exhaustion. Therefore, it is worth considering in more detail the levels of anxiety and the features of this condition.
Key Definitions
An anxiety state is a person’s mental tension, which appears when he anticipates an uncertain or unknowable, but inevitably approaching danger. At the same time, the internal resources of the body are activated. This means that mentally a person begins to prepare for the expected event.
Anxiety in itself is an emotional reaction to the expectation of danger or something bad. As a rule, in such situations, a person more imagines a threat than is really afraid of anything that could really harm him. Based on this, it becomes obvious that this condition is not always due to events occurring in life. It all depends on the subjective presentation of the individual and the characteristics of his consciousness.
Based on this, different levels of anxiety can appear in different situations and have different symptoms. Some people behave restlessly always and everywhere. Others are confronted with such conditions only occasionally when circumstances develop accordingly.
Experts also argue that each person has their own personality traits, which is why all individuals are more or less susceptible to anxiety. Some people are more resistant to anxiety. However, when certain situations arise, they begin to fear the threat much more. Because of this, certain reactions occur. If a person is predisposed to anxiety, then he is less anxious, but it accompanies him throughout his life.
Such a pathology cannot lead to serious mental disorders, however, it entails a number of consequences, because of which it becomes more difficult for a person to live, lead a familiar lifestyle, and even maintain himself in a normal physical form.
Development reasons
If we talk about the exact factors that contribute to the development of various levels of anxiety, then today they are unknown to science. This is due to the fact that this condition of a person manifests itself without any reason. Some people have troubles amid experienced psychological traumas. It is believed that genetics can also play a role. This means that if there are certain genes in the human brain, then a chemical imbalance occurs, which leads to the development of mental tension and constant anxiety. On the other hand, this may be a kind of manifestation of a phobia.
Initially, anxiety at a low level arises as a conditioned reflex reaction to a stimulus. However, after a while, a person does not need such an incentive.
If we consider this pathology from a biological point of view, then in this case, doctors tend to believe that there are a number of certain abnormalities that conduct nerve impulses to the brain. In addition, this problem may occur in those who experience problems with inadequate physical activity or malnutrition. If the human body lacks vitamins and minerals, then this reduces physical activity, which in turn leads to weakening of other systems.
Some people experience a certain level of anxiety when they enter a new unfamiliar environment. It seems dangerous to them, so a person automatically prepares for the worst.
In addition, mental states of this type can develop against the background of somatic diseases. For example, if a patient has problems with the endocrine system or a woman has a hormonal failure during menopause, this can cause a sudden feeling of anxiety. According to statistics, in some cases, this condition became a harbinger of a heart attack. Anxiety occurs when a sharp drop in sugar level. Mental illness can also cause anxiety. For example, with schizophrenia, nervousness, and alcoholism, situations are common when people begin to be afraid of something that does not exist at all.
Genes
According to one popular theory, a high level of anxiety is laid at the genetic level. This means that every person has a so-called biological makeup. Sometimes people get anxiety only because this function was built into the genetic code by default.
In this case, a certain chemical imbalance occurs. Also, processes occur in the brain, which begin to cause great concern. In this case, a person cannot explain what exactly he is afraid of. At the same time, he has no predisposition to mental illnesses and other pathologies. Accordingly, this theory can indeed be considered as one of the most likely explanations for revealing the level of anxiety.
Health
Physical activity can really cause the development of a wide variety of pathologies, including psychological ones. Many people do not understand how important active activity is not only for the general health of the body, but also for a favorable mental state.
According to studies, people who play sports, run, go to the gym, dance, etc., experience less stress and anxiety. Accordingly, they are less prone to anxiety, sleep better and experience less fear. In addition, thanks to good physical activity, a person can direct hormones in the right direction.
Psychology
Many experts, considering the definition of the level of anxiety, agree that anxiety appears due to the fact that certain thoughts and beliefs appear in the head of a person, which become basic for him. They affect the daily mood of the individual, as well as the development of anxiety.
For example, someone who, going on a date or an interview begins to critically examine himself and suggests that he looks very bad or not ready for this meeting, begins to independently adjust himself to the fact that he will get a negative experience.
However, if you focus on your merits, then in this case, the degree of anxiety is significantly reduced. This means that a person independently provokes such a state, thinking about completely unreasonable problems that do not exist in reality. If such a sensation arises, it is enough to concentrate on the positive aspects and stop thinking about the possibility of a negative outcome.
Experience
Each person, having passed a certain life path, can tell a huge number of stories that cause concern. Accordingly, if a person has a certain negative experience and at a subconscious level he has a fear that similar events may occur with him in the future, then this significantly changes the quality and level of his life.
Accordingly, the more a person succeeds, the more he begins to feel his own dignity and suppresses possible anxiety. Accordingly, we can say that this pathology develops against the background of lowered self-esteem, which, in turn, appears due to the large amount of negative experience that a person has had to face in life.
Environment
Another theory is that a person’s anxiety can be caused by something unknown and unfamiliar. Having visited a new company, moving to a new apartment, a person ceases to feel comfortable. Accordingly, his body goes into danger mode. He is ready for any negative emotions.
In this case, it remains only to wait a little while, when a person is not accustomed to environmental changes. As soon as the initially unfamiliar house becomes for him something more than a new living space, he will cease to be anxious and begin to lead a normal life.
Varieties of anxiety
There are several types of anxiety disorder, however, in medical practice, an adaptive and generalized form of pathology is most often found. If we talk about the first category, then in this case a person has uncontrolled anxiety, which is sometimes combined with other negative emotions. This is due to adaptation to a certain stressful situation. If we are talking about generalized anxiety disorder, then in this case the feeling of panic can persist permanently and dissipate to various objects.
It is also worth considering several varieties of anxiety that have been most studied and are most common today:
- Social. In this case, the person begins to experience a high level of anxiety, if it is in a large crowd of people. This most often happens with children of primary school age, when they first begin to attend educational institutions. That is why the level of anxiety of the child is often increased. This also applies to adults who came to work in a large company. Based on this, a person consciously begins to avoid certain activities. For example, he does not get to know others and tries to avoid new enterprises.
- Public anxiety. In this case, a high level of anxiety is recorded when a person is forced to be at some public event. For example, anxiety can be observed during exams, in public conferences, salutes, and so on. Most often, the reason for this is that the person is sure that he will be in an awkward situation in front of a large number of people.
- The alarm that appears when you select. As you know, it is difficult for every person to make a serious decision in his life if he is not confident in himself. Therefore, he is trying to avoid responsibility. In this case, the individual begins to experience severe helplessness, which causes a certain level of personal anxiety. This brings great discomfort.
- Post-traumatic anxiety. In this case, we are talking about the fact that the person experienced a certain psychological trauma, which left a huge imprint. A person has causeless anxiety because he expects danger at any second.
- Existential anxiety. By and large, in this case we are talking about the fact that a person begins to realize the fact that sooner or later he will die. At some point, this thought begins to reach a certain absurdity. Besides the expectation of his death, the most insignificant things begin to disturb a person. He may also fear that he will lose loved ones, or that his life will be wasted.
- Separate anxiety disorder. In this case, it is a violation when a person has bouts of anxiety and extreme panic if he is too far from a certain person. These levels of anxiety are more common among younger schoolchildren and children starting to go to kindergarten when they are forced to leave their parents for a long time.
There are also other types of manifestations of anxiety, for example, obsessive-compulsive, irrational, and others. For some people, anxiety is a definite opportunity to control their life. For example, very often this feeling is recorded in those who always strive for perfection. Also, anxieties are predisposed emotionally excitable, intolerant of mistakes and people who are very concerned about their health.
If we talk about the varieties of this condition and the assessment of the level of anxiety of the pathology, then it can be open and closed. In the first case, a person begins to experience a negative state consciously. This means that he is able to regulate his activity. If latent anxiety disorder occurs, then in this case the activity occurs unconsciously. Outwardly, a person will be absolutely calm, sometimes even too much. In psychology, there is even a term that refers to this condition - inadequate calm.
Forms of pathology
If we talk about the levels of anxiety in adolescents, children and adults, then in this case it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the character, the feelings themselves and how a person is aware of them, verbally or non-verbally expresses their anxiety, etc.
As a rule, in order to study the form of such anxiety, it is necessary to conduct individual or group psychological work. Most often, this is required by children and adolescents. Therefore, many different methods have been developed to determine the level of anxiety.
If we talk about forms of pathology, then in addition to the latent and open phase, there are several more types. It is worth considering them in more detail.
If we are talking about open anxiety, then it happens:
- Sharp. In this case, anxiety will be unregulated or poorly regulated. A person can be aware that he is experiencing negative feelings, so that he will externally exhibit symptoms. However, at the same time, the individual cannot cope with his illness, so he most of the time is at a low or medium level of anxiety.
- Adjustable and compensated. Most often, such conditions are characteristic of children. In this case, they themselves are able to develop a way that will help to cope with anxiety. In this case, the child himself understands that this condition is severe and unpleasant. This brings him a number of mental inconveniences.
If we are talking about cultivated anxiety, then in this case a person has a change in attitude to his condition. He begins to perceive anxiety as something valuable and applies these emotions as his personal qualities that help him achieve what he wants.
Also one of the varieties of cultivated anxiety is the so-called magical form of anxiety. This means that a teenager or a child begins to conjure evil forces, constantly losing in his mind the most dangerous and unpleasant events in his life. He constantly talks about them, but this does not help free himself from fears, but only further enhances his fears.
Clinical picture
According to studies of the level of anxiety, it was possible to establish that, like any other psychological state, anxiety can be expressed in certain signs at different levels of perception.
If we talk about the physiological state of a person, then most often patients suffer from:
- Heart palpitations and breathing.
- Unstable blood pressure.
- Increased emotional and physical excitability.
- General weakness.
- Trembling in the limbs.
- Decrease in sensitivity.
- The appearance of dry mouth and thirst.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Nightmares.
- Daytime fatigue and fatigue.
- Soreness in the muscles.
- Pain in the stomach.
- Increased sweating.
- Appetite problems.
- Stool disorders, nausea and vomiting.
- Pulsating headaches.
- Disorders of the genitourinary system.
- Menstrual changes in women.
If we are talking about an emotionally cognitive level, then in this case a person is constantly in mental stress. He is aware of his helplessness and insecurity. Afraid and worried. In addition, there is a decrease in the concentration of attention of patients. A person becomes irritable, intolerant. He cannot focus on specific tasks.
This often leads to the fact that patients begin to avoid any social interactions. , , . . , .
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Diagnostics
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It is necessary to consider how long the patient suffers from this condition. In addition, you need to make sure that this is not a reaction to stress or to any pathological condition associated with diseases of the internal organs.
Diagnostics includes several stages, as well as various methods for diagnosing the level of anxiety. First, the doctor interviews the patient and makes an approximate assessment of his mental state. After this, a somatic examination is carried out.
Kondash technique
In this case, it is worth noting some features of this test, most often used in pedagogy. First of all, it is worth saying that a person can independently assess and determine for himself the presence of any deviations that can lead to anxiety. In addition, he independently assesses the situation.
The main advantage of the Kondash anxiety level scale is that it is possible to determine the areas of reality, as well as those objects that become primary for the student. In addition, a similar type of questionnaire shows the characteristics of the development of students. Each form has instructions and a specific list of tasks. Therefore, everyone can use this technique for diagnosing the level of school anxiety . The survey is carried out both in a group and individually.
The list contains situations that a person has to meet throughout his life. Some of them are unpleasant for him and cause excitement and fear. Accordingly, in order to determine a person’s level of anxiety, it is necessary to ask him to read each sentence and evaluate it according to the level of trouble in a situation on a scale from 0 to 4.
Taylor Anxiety Levels
In this case, you can also independently or in a group to get all the necessary data about the state of the person. A similar technique is also a questionnaire listing several expressions. A person should read and evaluate their level according to their feelings. You can do it yourself.
Detection of the level of anxiety by the Taylor method is widely used in both individual and group examinations. At the same time, it is possible to solve not only theoretical, but practical problems. In addition to the Taylor questionnaire, anxiety levels are determined by other similar tests.
Phillips technique
This questionnaire is also designed specifically for schoolchildren and children of primary and secondary school age. The list of questions has 58 suggestions. They can be given to the child in writing or read out orally. For each of the questions you need to answer only “yes” or “no”. In this case, you need to ask the child to respond as sincerely and truthfully as possible.
This is not a competition, therefore, there can be no right or wrong answers. After that, the results are processed and the level of anxiety is determined according to the Phillips method. It is carried out using a special test key. If the answers coincide with him, then this is a very serious sign of increased anxiety.
Treatment principles
In this case, an integrated approach is needed. This means that it is necessary to normalize not only the mental, but also the physical and emotional state of a person. It is also worth clarifying at what stage the pathology is. With a low and medium level of anxiety, the patient must independently analyze the situation that occurs with him. First of all, he must realize that he is experiencing a condition that is not the norm. After this, you need to ask the patient to try to determine the cause of this pathology on his own. The methods described above or consultation with a therapist can help with this.
After identifying the problem, you must try to recognize its presence. This awareness helps to solve a large half of the unstable state. You can also try learning relaxation techniques. Relaxation best helps to get out of stressful situations, to stop experiencing anxiety. You need to perform deep breathing exercises and meditate.
It is necessary to ensure that a person gets enough sleep and regularly eats quality food. If the pathology was diagnosed in a small child, then this may indicate that he has serious problems with self-esteem. Therefore, efforts must be made to strengthen it. Parents should praise and in every possible way show their child how much they love him.
Finally
There is nothing dangerous in the appearance of anxiety. This condition is characteristic of humans. As a rule, problems disappear on their own. If the patient is constantly anxious, then he needs help. It is very important to correctly assess at what stage the anxiety is. In the most difficult situations, you may need to take medication. Especially if a person has serious sleep problems. This can cause serious health problems, so it is better not to postpone the visit to a specialist.