Fear and anxiety
Anxiety and the types of anxiety have entered the current vocabulary as a synonym for fear or an equivalent of more intense fears. We all feel fear, and in varying doses, anxiety, and we know that the two feel the same: our heart beats faster; our vision narrows; we can no longer breathe; the body is in tension.
The reality is that fear and anxiety create extremely similar responses in the body, but are triggered by different events.
Fear it is an adaptive response to an imminent, real, and well-defined danger. Many people consider fear a weakness. Thus, although it does not have a very good reputation, it is essential for survival in dangerous situations. It mobilizes the whole organism for the fight or flight reaction. When our ancestors saw a dangerous animal, they felt fear and ran away to avoid being attacked. Because they felt fear, we are here today.
Charles Darwin, the author of the evolutionary theory, argued that people who fear more have a greater chance of perpetuating the species. Un case of a 54-year-old woman in the United States who cannot feel fear due to brain damage, showed us the consequences of not being able to feel this emotion. The woman was nearly killed, attacked and threatened several times due to her inability to sense danger and protect herself.
So, if fear is beneficial, is anxiety pathological?
The answer is no. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety is an emotion characterized by:
- a state of tension
- worrying thoughts
- physical changes, such as increased blood pressure.
The difference between Africa si anxiety is that the first emotion is felt as a response to real, immediate dangers, while anxiety anticipates imaginary dangers, from a more or less probable future. Anxiety often leads to avoidance behaviors: we refuse to expose ourselves to any situation that could cause the slightest discomfort. This narrows our universe more and more.
Anxiety can also have beneficial effects, however: a 2017 study found that when participants viewed stressful events as challenges rather than threats, they performed better than people who did not experience high levels of anxiety.
Unfortunately, most people fail to make this shift in perspective. Instead, listen to the anxious voice in their head that says, "We don't have to do this, let's get out of here." And gradually, they don't go out at all, they don't try anything new, they don't take any risks.
Anxiety becomes a clinical problem when it controls our life, instead of us controlling it.
Anxiety is not a diagnosis, however, there are several types of anxiety disorders, which are based on this excessive emotion.
Anxiety disorders bring together a series of conditions that have in common excessive anxiety and specific behavioral changes. They differ from each other in the types of objects or situations that induce fear, anxiety, or avoidance behavior, and the associated thoughts or beliefs. Many of these disorders develop from childhood and tend to persist if not treated properly.
Here are the types of anxiety:
Types of anxiety – Separation anxiety
Of all the types of anxiety, this one is typical for young children, most often with onset between 6 months and 3 years. It can also occur in older children, teenagers or even adults. This manifests in the person's excessive anxiety about separation from the primary caregiver/attachment figure.
There is a constant fear that something bad will happen to the loved one or that something will happen that will lead to separation or permanent loss of the attachment figure. The person affected by this disorder does not want to separate from the attachment figure. He shows physical signs of stress and often has nightmares.
Here's how you can recognize this disorder in your child:
- about 75% of children with fear of separation refuse to go to school and have adjustment problems;
- he does not want to say goodbye to you, and clings to you so tightly that it is almost impossible to separate;
- screams and cries in a way that suggests physical pain, and continues to do so for a long time (minutes to an hour) after you leave;
- refuses to interact with other children or teachers;
- he always wants to know where you are and that you have not suffered anything.
Types of anxiety – Selective mutism
It is characterized by a person's repeated inability to speak in certain social situations. We refer to situations where it is necessary for him to speak (eg at school) although he does so in other contexts. It usually appears in childhood and if left untreated, often persists into adulthood.
People suffering from this disorder continue to remain silent even when there is the threat of repercussions such as: humiliation; punishments; social isolation. Children and adults with selective mutism are perfectly capable of articulating words and understanding language. However, they cannot speak or communicate effectively in social contexts.
They are often categorized as: rude; impertinent or antisocial to those around them. It's important for other people to understand that they don't refuse to talk, they really can't.
More than 90% of children with selective mutism also suffer from social phobia or social anxiety.
These conditions affect their school performance as well as social integration and self-esteem. Selective mutism it manifests itself differently in different people. Some can talk to certain people, such as close friends, but not teachers or strangers. Others only manage to whisper.
The main alarm signals in a child are:
- the marked contrast between his ability to talk and socialize with people close to him compared to a frozen posture and facial expression when he has to do the same with someone outside his comfort zone;
- they avoid eye contact and appear tense, uncoordinated in relation to people with whom they do not feel comfortable;
- they are shy and withdrawn in social contexts;
- clings to caregivers in social contexts.
Types of anxiety – Specific phobias
People suffering from this type of anxiety feel fear and anxiety towards a certain object or situation, which they avoid at all costs. The feeling of anxiety appears as soon as the person in question is exposed to the phobic stimulus, being disproportionate to the threat it presents. There are many types of phobias, among the most common are: phobia of animals; phobia of blood/injections/injuries; phobia of airplanes.
IIn the case of this disorder, the anxiety trigger is social interaction or situations where there is the possibility of being judged by those around you.
Some examples of situations that trigger social anxiety are:
- socializing with unknown people,
- contexts where the person concerned can be seen eating or drinking
- situations where they have to perform on stage in front of an audience.
Types of anxiety – Panic disorder
It consists of unexpected and recurring panic attacks accompanied by constant worry and fear about the possibility of having a panic attack. It is more common in women than in men. Symptoms most often start in young adults.
A panic attack is an intense and overwhelming feeling of fear or significant discomfort, which reaches a peak of intensity in a few minutes and ends in a maximum of 10 minutes.
During a panic attack, we can think that we are having a heart attack, that we are going to die, that we are suffocating, that we are going crazy. They can appear in 2 ways:
- predictable – being triggered by factors that cause us fear (an exam, a medical consultation).
- unexpected – when we can't identify any trigger.
Most people have the following symptoms during a panic attack:
- palpitations (the heart beats very fast, and the head, neck, etc. feel throbbing);
- feeling faint, dizzy;
- numbness or tingling in the fingers or the whole hand;
- terror, the feeling of imminent death;
- sweats or chills;
- chest pains;
- breathing difficulties;
- the feeling of losing control.
People with this disorder often end up avoiding many situations out of fear that they might trigger their panic attacks.
Types of anxiety – Panic disorder
It consists of unexpected and recurring panic attacks accompanied by constant worry and fear about the possibility of having a panic attack. It is more common in women than in men. Symptoms most often begin in young adults.
A panic attack is an intense and overwhelming feeling of fear or significant discomfort, which reaches a peak of intensity in a few minutes and ends in a maximum of 10 minutes.
During a panic attack, we can think that we are having a heart attack, that we are going to die, that we are suffocating, that we are going crazy. They can appear in 2 ways:
- predictable – being triggered by factors that cause us fear (an exam, a medical consultation).
- unexpected – when we can't identify any trigger.
Most people have the following symptoms during a panic attack:
- palpitations (the heart beats very fast, and the head, neck, etc. feel throbbing);
- feeling faint, dizzy;
- numbness or tingling in the fingers or the whole hand;
- terror, the feeling of imminent death;
- sweats or chills;
- chest pains;
- breathing difficulties;
- the feeling of losing control.
People with this disorder often end up avoiding many situations out of fear that they might trigger their panic attacks.
Agoraphobia
People who have this disorder fear two or more of the following situations:
- use of public transport;
- to be in open spaces;
- to be in closed spaces;
- to stand in line;
- to be in a crowd;
- to be alone outside the house in different contexts.
The situations listed above almost always cause marked fear. They are either avoided or managed with the help of someone close to them. People with agoraphobia fear these situations. They fear because they think they won't be able to escape or get help if they start to experience anxiety or other debilitating or embarrassing symptoms.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Unlike the types of anxiety above, this one is characterized by persistent and excessive fear and worry related to various aspects (work, school, relationships) that cannot be controlled. In addition, affected people show a series of physical and mental symptoms:
- muscle tension;
- irritability;
- feeling like I'm about to burst;
- headaches;
- nausea;
- restlessness;
- the need to go to the toilet frequently;
- fatigue;
- difficulty concentrating or feeling like your mind is going blank and you can't remember what to do or say;
- sleep problems.