Anxiety
Stress and Anxiety
When the Pressures of Life Overwhelm
Stress and Anxiety are two major facets of life. They are natural physiological and psychological reactions that occur within everyone. Some people have less Anxiety and stress than others. Because stress and Anxiety are so burdensome, many of the sciences like psychology and biology have devoted a large amount of time trying to understand the root of these symptoms. Where do stress and anxiety come from, and is there any way to make them disappear?
Introduction
It is finals week. You have six very difficult classes to study for, you have a part time job, and you have to write a paper. You're being threatened with an eviction notice, you car needs repairs, and your significant other may be cheating on you. How do you imagine you would feel if all of these things were happening at once? Most likely you'd feel suffocated, angry, depressed, and perhaps suicidal. These feelings mostly come from anxiety and stress. Anxiety to get good grades, get your car fixed, keep your relationship alive, and impress your managers at work. This anxiety leads to stress, and when stress gets to high-- people burnout. Both stress and anxiety have become popular buzz words due to modern society's hectic pace. Many times these two words are misused when explaining simple, unrelated things. Let's examine what stress and anxiety really are.Stress and Anxiety Defined
Stress is an emotion, and all emotions are directly related to a person's goals; rewards and punishments. [1] When our goal[s] are obstructed, we feel as though we're being punished and, as a consequence, the emotion of stress arises. [2] The more our goal[s] are obstructed, the more stress we will feel. The obstructions, or obstacles, that keep us from our goals are called stressors. [3] These stressors disturb the body's normal homeostasis. Though stress is usually associated with negative things, not all stressors are bad. For instance, your loved one has been pressuring you to consider marriage. You love this person, and deep down you know that one day you will be married, but the thought of marriage still manages to stress you out. This may because of the money, social implications, or commitment that marriage entails. Likewise, the emotion of stress is not always negative. [4] There have been studies which show that stress is an important component for optimal performance and efficiency. Some people thrive on stress, such as competitive sports players trying to make it to the championships or students working to maintain a 4.0 GPA. Too much stress is definitely negative, but the right amount is healthy.The interesting part about stressors is that they will only cause stress if a person believes that the stressor is blocking them from achieving a goal. This perception determines how stressed out a person becomes, and whether or not that stress will be unhealthy. [5] Since around 80% of a stressor's emotional effect on a person is due to their perception of the stressor, then the key to living a stress-free life would be to work on changing how one looks at life's obstacles.
Anxiety is defined as a state of uneasiness and apprehension about future uncertainties. [6] Anxiety will usually occur after the onset of stress and is a lot like fear. Sometimes anxiety will cause panic attacks, which is characterized as intense feelings of fear and dread that last an average of 30 minutes. Anxiety is linked to activity in the amygdala and hippocampus. [7]
Physical Symptoms
When a person becomes stressed they will have what is called a fight-or-flight response, a process activated by the adrenal cortex and mediated by the hypothalamus. [8][9] This causes a person to freeze, fight, or flee. The pupils become dilated, the arteries constrict, the adrenal gland is activated, heart vessels enlarge, fat and glucose is metabolized, and vessels to the skin kidneys and digestive tract constrict. A stressor first causes the adrenal gland to release adrenaline, and after awhile the hypothalamus will secrete corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). The CRF triggers the pituitary gland to secrete corticotropin, which then triggers the adrenal gland to release cortisol. High cortisol levels in a person's bloodstream can be toxic. [10] Cortisol triggers the release of calcium, leading to free radicals that injure and destroy nerve cells. Consequently, the production of new neurons is reduced and the hippocampus slowly begins to shrink. Cortisol also reduces blood-brain barrier effectiveness, allowing toxins and dangerous organisms to attack the brain. Stress weakens the immune system (causing colds, flus, allergies, etc.) because energy that would normally go to the brain, digestive system, and immune system is rerouted to large muscles to prepare a person for physical flight or fight in the face of the stressor. [11] It can also cause hypertension, ulcers, addictions, infertility, diabetes, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and mental illness. It also causes depression, energy depletion, insecurity, apathy, emotional withdrawal, insomnia, chronic fatigue, hopelessness, confusion, lack of concentration, and poor memory. [2]
Anxiety carries multiple physiological and psychological symptoms including headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, depression, restlessness, and irritability. [12] Sometimes anxiety can be so acute that a person has a panic attack, which is sometimes confused with a heart attack because of the pain it causes in the chest.
Allostasis
Allostasis is a word that describes the process an organism goes through to change behavior for the purpose of returning to a state of equilibrium. [13] Equilibrium is lost due to allostatic load, or the amount of arousal (stress) one experiences over time. There are four different kinds of allostatic load that vary by the number and intensity of stressors. [14]- Repeated stressors that occur consecutively within a short amount of time.
- A single stressor that is repeated over time.
- Prolonged sympathetic arousal with no parasympathetic arousal or abatement (never ceases).
- Not enough sympathetic arousal, resulting in activation of other systems or mediators.
Arousal States
A popular theory to explain arousal states is the Yerkes-Dodson law, which demonstrates a relationship between arousal and performance. [15] There is an optimal or ideal level of arousal where a person makes very few errors and right in between high and low arousal. When arousal is low, such as when a person is very fatigued, then errors of omission occur (leaves things out). When arousal is high, such as when a person has drank a large amount of caffeine, then errors of commission occur (adds extraneous things, has trouble focusing on the task at hand). High arousal is better suited for doing simple things while low arousal is better suited for complex activity.There are four states of arousal. [16]
- Sleep - Results in resting and dreaming. Helps relieve and escape stress.
- Normal Arousal - Involves acetycholine, dopamine, and serotonin. Good for problem solving and creativity.
- Focused Attention and Aggression - Testosterone increases in this state. It can lead to productivity and is good for routinized, or simple, behavior/activity.
- Fight-or-Flight Syndrome - This state involves epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. It is survival mode in which a person is on high alert and constantly ready to exert physical energy.
Burnout
Constant, unrelieved stress eventually results in burnout. When stressors continually keep a person from achieving their goal[s], the person will begin to feel like they have no control over their lives and lose hope of ever reducing or eliminating the effect of the stressors. [17] Burnout occurs after either a very intense but shorter term stress or a not so intense but longer term stress. There are various phases one can pass through on the way to burnout, as outlined by Robert Golembiewski. [2] In the first phase the person would show little or no depersonalization, have a sense of success and job worth and little or no emotional fatigue. In the eighth and final phase a person would show high depersonalization, have no personal sense of worth or accomplishment, and be emotionally exhausted.Disorders
Sometimes a person's stress and anxiety is so high that they will be diagnosed as having an anxiety disorder. There are different kinds of anxiety disorders.Generalized Anxiety Disorder
One of the most common is called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which is characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry, and tension that occurs for unrealistic or irrational reasons. [18] With GAD there is nothing a person can do to stop their constant worrying. It interferes with work and social life and results in a constant state of unhappiness. GAD carries physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms such as restlessness, lack of energy, chest pains, and irritability. [19] The disorder is believed to be genetically based.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
A person who has unwanted thoughts that constantly run through their head over and over again, or who feels compelled to engage in repetitive behavior is said to have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). [20] An OCD sufferer will constantly obsess or worry about things so much that it interferes with their ability to function. They may have to wash their hands every two minutes, check to see whether they locked the door many times during the night, or constantly clean their house. [21] These rituals help those with OCD control their anxiety, but they often times consume their lives.
Panic Disorder
Unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, or abdominal distress are the signs that a person has panic disorder. [22] Sufferers of panic disorder are constantly haunted by panic attacks.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that usually occurs after a very terrifying ordeal where physical harm and pain was threatened or administered. [23] Those with PTSD will experience episodes in which they will have flashbacks or thoughts about a traumatic time in their life. These thoughts can leave a person sleepless, irritable, depressed, or detached and numb. PTSD can be caused by such things as violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.
Social Phobia
Those with social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, are full of anxiety and self-consciousness when in social atmospheres. [24] There are various degrees at which a person can suffer from social anxiety disorder. They could only have anxiety when having to give speeches in front of an audience, or they could have anxiety anytime there is another human being in their vacinity; it depends on the individual. [25]
Acute Stress Disorder
Acute stress disorder occurs after someone witnesses an event involving a threat or actual death, serious injury, or physical violation to themself or others. [26] The disorder usually develops within a month or so of the event. Sufferers will experience episodes of disturbance that are usually triggered by a stimuli that reminds them of the traumatic event they witnessed. These disturbances can last from 2 days to 4 weeks. In order to cope, a person with acute stress disorder may disassociate with the world, becoming numb and detached. [27] They will also avoid stimuli which reminds them of the event they're trying to avoid thinking about.
Coping With Stress and Anxiety
There are many ways a person can avoid stress and anxiety. Here are just a few.- If you believe you suffer from an anxiety or stress disorder then make plans to visit a doctor or psychologist to help work out your problems.
- Engage in relaxing activities like meditation, hypnosis, deep breathing, resting, or taking a bath.
- Avoid stressors by doing things that are fun and help you 'escape' from the world. Read a book, watch a TV show or movie, play a video game, etc.
- Get plenty of exercise. Doing so helps to clear your mind and make your body feel better. You will increase your circulation and stamina as well as get breaks from work.
- When feeling stressed it can help to eat or drink. Make sure that you do not overdo it; everything in moderation.
- Spend time with family and loved ones. Get out of the house and do things that will make you smile and laugh.
- Play with a pet animal. If you don't have a pet, then consider adopting one.
- Volunteer your time to help nurture other people.
- Try and figure out what is stressing you and see if you can moderate something in your life so that the stressor is not so stressful anymore.
- Don't try to be someone you're not. Be true to yourself and keep your self-esteem high.
