beverlee brownlee undergrad & graduate students anxiety is defined as painful uneasiness of...
TRANSCRIPT
WHAT IS ANXIETY? Anxiety is defined as painful
uneasiness of mind or abnormal apprehension and fear accompanied by physiological signs of doubt about the nature and reality of a certain fear or self-doubt.
Stress and anxiety are not the same thing, however they reinforce each other.
Stress causes one to become anxious and anxiety causes stress levels to increase. It’s a never ending cycle.
TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) Social anxiety disorder Panic disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) Phobia
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER(GAD)
Characterized by excessive and often time exaggerated anxiety and worry about everyday life for no obvious reason
Tend to always expect disaster Can’t stop worrying about health, money,
family. and work/school Becomes constant state of fear, worry and
dreadand worry about everyday life events with no obvious reasons for worry
SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER Also called social phobia;
anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations
afraid that he or she will make mistakes and be embarrassed or humiliated in front of others
Lack of social skills and/or experience in social situations
See phobia
PANIC DISORDER
Different from normal fear and anxiety reactions to stressors
Can strike without reason and warning
Usually do ton out of proportion response to a fear that has little or no danger
Develop a constant fear that can interfere with everyday life
Trigger stimulus
(Thoughts or feelings)
Perceived threat
Physical sensation Anxiety catastrophic
(why me? It’s always me)
Physiological sensations
(sweating, palpitations)
OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER(OCD)
Potentially disabling illness that traps people in endless cycles of repetitive thoughts and behaviors
Plagued with recurring thoughts, images and fears that one cannot control
May make ritual go away temporarily but once the fear or thought comes back, the cycle begins all over again
PHOBIAS A lasting and
unreasonable fear caused by the presence or thought of a specific object or situation
That usually poses little or no actual danger
Can significantly interfere with the person's ability to function
SIGNS & SYMPTOMSEmotional Physical
Trouble concentrating Feeling tense & jumpy Irritability Restlessness Anticipating the worst
Insomnia Fatigue Muscle tension Sweating Headaches Shortness of breath
TREATMENT OPTIONS Moderate
exercise/dietary changes
Breathing techniques Cognitive behavior
therapy Mindfulness meditation Hypnosis Progressive muscle
relaxation
BREATHING TECHNIQUES The key to deep
breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen getting as much fresh air into the lungs
This decreases shortness of breath and tension to subside
Steps used: Sit comfortably, back
straight, put one hand on chest while the other is resting on your stomach
Take it easy and breathe
BREATHING TECHNIQUES CONT’.
Breathe in through your nose while your hand on the stomach is gently rising and other hand is slowly rising off chest
Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles
Push out all negative thoughts when exhaling
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY ( CBT)
Widely used treatment amongst professionals
Addresses negative thoughts that attribute to anxiety and stress
Ultimate goal of CBT is to identify and correct negative thoughts and beliefs
Three steps used: Identify negative thoughts: some situations are
perceived more dangerous than in realityChallenge those thoughts: question the evidence for
your frightening thoughts; analyze unhelpful beliefs and test out the reality of negative predictions
(CBT) CONT’.Replace negative thoughts with realistic
ones: after identifying irrational predictions and negative distortions replace them with new thoughts that are more accurate and positive
DIET & EXERCISE Exercise is a natural
stress buster and anxiety reliever
30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week can provide significant anxiety relief
Along with exercising daily eating a well-balanced diet provides relief for both stress and anxiety
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
Involves focusing mind on the present without judgment
Observe thoughts as they enter the mind and let go as quickly as they enter
Thoughts become temporary pulses in the mind
Reduces tendencies to automatically assume thoughts are facts
Nice happy
thoughts
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CONT’.
Tips to effectively use mindfulnessTake time to sit somewhere quiet & slowly
relax breathingAllow your self to accept the present: focus
on the world around you Release negative thoughts and replace with
more positive ones
HYPNOSIS Hypnosis is sometimes
used in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety.
While you’re in a state of deep relaxation, the hypnotherapist uses different therapeutic techniques to help you face your fears and look at them in new ways.
PROGRESSIVE MUSCLERELAXATION(PMR)
Technique for reducing anxiety by tensing and relaxing the muscles
Developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson
Entails both the physical and mental components
The physical part involves tensing and relaxing the muscle groups of legs, abdomen, chest, arms and face
done for approximately 10 seconds and then released for 20 seconds before continuing with the next muscle group.
PMR CONT’. The mental part focuses on the difference
between the feelings of tension and relaxation
one is forced to concentrate on the sensation of tension and relaxation
MORE INFO For more info on medication and
treatment options available go to: treatment options and info
anxiety disorders
Now go relax