The Webster dictionary defines anxiety as an abnormal apprehension and fear often accompanied by physiological signs (as sweating and increased pulse), by doubt about the nature and reality of the threat itself, and by self-doubt.
Anxiety is a mood state characterized by an unpleasant feeling associated with uneasiness, fear, or worry. Anxiety is normally experienced under stress and helps the person cope with uncertain and difficult situations.
Anxiety just like other negative feelings brings negative energy that tends to paralyze the individual. Anxiety drags the individual down instead of propelling him to move forward or up in growth. Anxiety is disabling – it ruins a person’s response potential by curtailing his action and movement. He vacillates and dilly-dallies. His decision-making is delayed – if at all.
The person in a state of anxiety may manifest physical responses such as trembling, fatigue, stomach ache, headache, shortness of breath, or vomiting. Emotional symptoms characterized by feeling of apprehension, tension, trouble concentrating, jumpiness, irritability, and restlessness are also manifested.
The psychoanalytic theories of Freud, Horney, and Sullivan, among others, attribute feelings of anxiety to tension-triggered reaction over threat to a person’s psychological security and well-being.
“The function of anxiety is to warn the person of impending danger, a signal to the ego that unless appropriate measures are taken, the danger may increase until the ego is overthrown.”
“The individual’s customary reaction to external threats of pain and destruction with which it is not prepared to cope is to become afraid. The threatened person is ordinarily a fearful person.”
Anxiety manifested by young children when meeting with unknown people or strangers is common stage of development and considered normal. Fixated into adulthood, this stranger anxiety or social anxiety is no longer within the common developmental stage.
Test anxiety is apprehension or nervousness experienced by students who fear failing an examination.
In diagnosing psychoneurosis, psychotherapists look for anxiety as the dominant symptom, over delusions and hallucinations.
Karen Horney, one of the early practitioners of the psychoanalytic school, theorizes that “anything that disturbs the security of the child in relation to its parents produces basic anxiety.” The anxious child develops various strategies to cope: 1) Become hostile and seek to avenge itself against those that reject it; 2) Become very submissive to win back the love it feels it has lost; and, 3) Develop unrealistic, idealistic picture of itself in order to compensate for feelings of inferiority.
Anxiety in its normal state keeps one on his toes, become vigilant, be reminded of shortcomings. Its value is that it triggers movement and action. Too much anxiety freezes one into inaction and is debilitating.
Tags: Anxiety
