Anxiety
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[edit] Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, anxiety is a painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill. People usually experience anxiety about events that they cannot control or events that seem threatening or dangerous (Encarta, 2005). It is an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs, by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it.
According to Reber and Reber (2001), anxiety generally means a vague, unpleasant emotional state with qualities of apprehension, dread, distress and uneasiness. In theories of conditioning, the term is used to connote a secondary drive that functions to motivate avoidance responding. In Freudian theory, anxiety is treated as an unpleasant emotional state with distress. Anxiety acts as a signals when an individual has difficulties in realizing an unconscious wish based on the assumption.
Anxiety is an emotional state, represented by a feeling of dread, apprehension, or fear. In humans, this can be defined by description using language; in animals, it must be inferred from behavioural observations. Tests of anxiety in man are thus based on self report, and these may be divided into features that characterize the person's temperament (‘trait’ anxiety) or that describe a current emotional state (‘state’ anxiety). In animals, it is inferred by the animal's response to an anxiety-provoking situation such as a threatening environment. Distinctions between anxiety and other emotional states, such as fear or even ‘arousal’, are not always clear. Also, there are close associations between cognition and emotion: man has the capacity not only to know, but also to respond emotionally to what he knows (Herbert, 2001).
The physical symptoms of anxiety include fidgeting, muscle tension, sleeping problems, and headaches. Increased levels of anxiety can produce more prominent symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, increased blood pressure, nausea, and dizziness (Encarta, 2005).
Anxiety differs from anxiety disorders in that anxiety disorders tend to be more intense, last longer, and may lead to phobias that interfere with daily life.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2005), research has shown that anxiety disorders are the number one mental health problem among American women. Though only a small proportion receive treatment, approximately 15% of the population of the United States have suffered from panic attacks, phobias, or other anxiety disorders in the past year.
[edit] Application in and effects on classrooms and similar settings
There are numerous factors that cause a person to have anxiety disorders, but much of it is an outcome of cumulative stress over time. This is seen in many of our children in our schools today.
Anxiety affects our whole being. It is a physiological, behavioral, and psychological reaction all at once (Clark, Watson, Mineka, 1994).
- Physiological Level - Anxiety may include bodily reactions such as a rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, queasiness, dry mouth, or sweating.
- Behavioral Level - Anxiety can sabotage your ability to act, express yourself, or deal with everyday situations.
- Psychological Level - Anxiety is a subjective state of apprehension and uneasiness. In its most extreme forms, it can cause you to feel detached from yourself.
Anxiety can appear in different forms and at different levels of intensity. It can range in severity from a mere twinge of uneasiness to a full-blown panic attack marked by heart palpitations, disorientation and even terror (Olfson, 2000).
When a person experiences four or more of these symptoms below, that may very well define a panic attack:
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations (rapid or irregular heartbeat)
- Trembling or shaking
- Sweating
- Choking
- Nausea or abdominal distress
- Numbness
- Dizziness or unsteadiness
- Feeling of detachment or being out of touch with yourself
- Hot flashes or chills
- Fear of dying
- Fear of going crazy or out of control
There are some cases where one's anxiety arises only in response to a specific situation and this is called situational anxiety or phobic anxiety. Situational anxiety tends to be unrealistic where apprehension towards such things as driving on freeways, going to the dentist and confronting a person is high. Once situations begin to be avoided, then that is when the anxiety becomes phobic (Clark, 1986).
One main source of anxiety that is found in schools is test anxiety. As salient as examinations are in the life of students, test anxiety among elementary students seems to have been ignored. Yet, demands on students to do well on tests are a reality. As demands and pressures are placed on students to achieve higher test scores, the need for school counselors to implement interventions to help reduce anxiety increases.
Researchers in the field have characterized test anxiety as a relatively stable personality trait in which threatening situations generate debilitating psychological, physiological, and behavioral responses. Not only can test anxiety cause children to rush through testing in order to escape the unpleasant physical experiences (Rubenzer, 1988), but also it may actually create an "invisible disability" of achievement stress that can extend throughout a student's academic career. The "flight or fight" response experienced as a part of test anxiety can lead to major changes in attitude and effort that include withdrawal, outbursts, overactive behaviors, fatigue, avoidance of school, and other depressive symptoms (Rubenzer, 1988).
[edit] Interventions
There are many different types of interventions and treatments for people who suffer with anxiety and various panic attacks.
Relaxation Training - This is when a person practices abdominal breathing and some form of deep muscle relaxation on a daily basis. This helps in reducing the physical symptoms of panic as well as anticipatory anxiety which comes when one simply thinks about an upcoming panic attack.
Interoceptive Desensitization - Repeated exposure to unpleasant bodily symptoms promotes desensitization, which basically means getting used to them to the point that they no longer frighten a person or causes anxiety. An example of this may be when a person begins experiencing dizziness or rapid heartbeat due to their anxiety. In a therapist's office then, that person might be induced by spinning in a chair or running up and down stairs.
Cognitive Therapy - Helps you to replace exaggerated, fearful thinking about panic and phobias with more realistic and supportive mental habits. This is when a person learns to identify, challenge, and replace counterproductive thoughts with constructive ones.
Lifestyle or personality change - Some lifestyle changes that can reduce anxiety may include stress management, regular exercise, eliminating stimulants and sugar from your diet, slowing down and creating "downtime" and altering attitudes about perfectionism, the excessive need to please and the need to control.
Rubenzer, 1988
[edit] Mistaken Beliefs
One may wonder where such negative self-talk comes from. Why do people become anxious about things that may not seem like a big deal for others? We can call such things "Mistaken Beliefs." While growing up we learned them from our parents, teachers and peers, as well as from the larger society around us. These beliefs are typically so basic to our thinking that we do not recognize them as beliefs at all. We assume these beliefs to reflect reality in our lives. These mistaken beliefs can be the root of much of the anxiety that people experience. Many people talk themselves into much anxiety by anticipating the worst (what-if thinking), putting themselves down (self-critical thinking) and pushing themselves to meet unreasonable demands and expectations (perfectionist thinking). If we let go of the basic assumptions and the destructive patterns of self-talk, we can save ourselves quite a bit of worrying and anxiety.
Examples of common mistaken beliefs and the counterstatements that can replace the negative belief with a positive one.
1. I'm powerless. I'm a victim of outside circumstances.
I'm responsible and in control of my life. Circumstances are what they are, but I can determine my
attitude toward them.
2. If I take a risk, I'll fail. If I fail, others will reject me.
It's okay for me to take risks. It's okay to fail - I can learn a lot from every mistake.
3. I'm unimportant. My feelings and needs are unimportant.
I am a valuable and unique person. I deserve to have my feelings and needs taken care of as
much as anyone else.
4. If I worry enough, this problem should get better or go away.
Worrying has no effect on solving problems; taking action does.
5. The outside world is dangerous. There is only safety in what is known and familiar.
I can learn to become more comfortable with the world outside. I look
forward to new opportunities for learning and growth that the outside
world can offer.
Clark, Watson and Mineka, 1994
One should remember that the individual suffering from anxiety truly and completely believes the irrational idea. It is not a simple matter of coming up with a counter-statement and solving the situation. Changing his/her mindset and core beliefs can a significant amount of treatment and experiences that counter the belief. The individual will often come up with additional methods of rationalizing things that do not align with his/her beliefs. For example, the person may have an anxiety of going into public places. Forcing him/her into a public place and then saying "hey, look, everything is okay!" will not be an instant solution. The individual will probably rationalize the safe passing as "luck" or "not a real public area".
This can all be extremely frustrating for loved ones and other supporters of the individual. It can try patience on a daily basis - and the teacher should take this into account. When discussing situations with parents or placing the student in a group of other students to work with - empathy towards the actual student AND the family/peers are equally important.
[edit] Signed "life experiences", testimonies and stories
My sister and I should be the poster children for anxiety attacks as it relates to life's stressors. I never knew what an anxiety attack was until I decided to get married. While planning my wedding my eye began to twitch for apparently no reason. My chest would tighten. My palms would become sweaty. My heart would race. After quite a few episodes of these symptoms, I decided to see my physician. He informed me that I was experiencing anxiety, probably brought on by the pressures of the wedding. He suggested a medication and said they would disappear after the wedding. Unfortunately, he was wrong. The attacks really never went away. I learned to manage them. I exercise a lot. I decided that medication would not help me lead a happier life. I developed a system for coping by listening to my body. c.yeoman
During my teaching career, I have observed many students who have suffered anxiety because of teachers who felt they had to intimidate students in order to get them to learn. I really disagreed with this "teaching style" and decided to see what effect it had on learning (see my WikEd page on Learning and Emotion, linked below). I found out that creating anxiety in students inhibits learning, and should be avoided to maintain a productive classroom. As a student, I have recently experienced anxiety during certain classes, and it has intensified my view on the matter. There is no place in this world for teachers who create anxiety in students through intimidation. -G. Vigneron
As a musician, I experience a lot of anxiety when it comes to performing on stage. Some people call it "stage fright" but it should be called "Failure fright." I have noticed that the more I do performances, the less I feel that anxiety that causes me to "freeze." If I haven't performed in a while and I have to do a concert, the anxiety level is much higher than when I have performed regularly. The best way for me to combat the nerves is to know my music and memorize it. This allows me to just close my eyes and not worry about how I look, or who is in the audience watching me play. - Brandon Correa
I experienced a panic attack while I was teaching a class that I felt was out of control. On that particular day, the students did not want to do anything and they would not follow any of my instructions. I had already maxed out the number of students that I was allowed to send to the office that day and it was only getting worse. This had been building for a long time, until finally I felt completely out of control. At first, I thought something was wrong with my heart, because I had severe shortness of breath. I had never experienced a panic attack until then and it was very scary. My case just reiterates the reason why it is important to deal with your feelings early on so that they do not escalate into a panic attack. --Mindy Waters
I have many students that seem to suffer from Anxiety. One of my students in particular tends to anxiety attack whenever she is doing homework or taking an assessment. I have been working with her to try and overcome this problem. Something that she is doing is meeting with the social worker once a week to try and overcome this. Some of the techniques that the social worker has discussed is taking deep breathes before starting anything and drinking a lot of water during the day. Supposedly drinking the water will help clear the brain and allow the student to focus better, to deal with the task and not worry so much about the outcome.--- Brian Bucciarelli
I think that most people will experience some anxiety at one time in their life. Any activity that holds extra meaning will bring about some anxiety since their is the possibility of failure. I find that taking a deep breath and focusing on the job at hand really helps me to relax and work at succeeding. -Nick Hartz
I have a mild case of test anxiety so when it is time for me to take an exam, quiz, etc. I get so nervous that I forget everything and sometimes will get physically ill. Over the years, I have done things to counteract this response, but I don't know how I will work with students who have similar problems. I think the key to help this in high school students is to review with them before the test and give them positive feedback so they may feel more confident in their ability. Holly
Anxiety is a universal feeling--we will all have moments of anxiety. I have found for myself, I will experience anxiety to the point of nasea. One way I try to overcome feeling anxiety is to stay in the present--mentally. If I am reviewing my list of things to do...in a half hour, this afternoon, later tonight...don't forget this...do that...my stomache will just get into a knot--pulling tighter and tighter. If I just remember to breathe and focus on the what I'm doing right now, I'm able to keep my anxiety levels lower and continue through the rest of the day. A small, little tactic--but it's been helpful for me!
As an athlete I experince anxiety all the time. Whether it is before games, or even practice the feeling is there. For some the sweat or they need to move around. For me it all happens in my stomach. I get the biggest butterflies alive and my stomach just knots up. I used to hate this feeling and try to control it by breathing or trying to relax. Which in most cases would just get me more nervous. After being some what experinced now with all the games and practices I have been in, I have learned to except this feeling, when it comes. I just know that this is part of the process. Now when I get that feeling I am conditioned to start focusing in. If anixety is somthing that takes away from your focus, then this it where it becomes a problem. Then this is where I would try to positively talk to myself and start to visiulize myself playing well. But I think the best thing is to just tell yourself to embrace it and know that it is just part of the process. Lets you know you are alive! - J. Simmons
To this day I suffer from test anxiety. Regardless of how much or how little I have prepared for an exam I still get an upset stomach and have tension in my shoulders. Depending on the situation/exam my mouth will go dry as well. As a musician I suffer from performance anxiety. The difference between test and performance anxiety is that my performance anxiety has lessened with time. I still become nervous but once I begin playing I relax and focus on the music. I suppose if I did not get anxious it would mean that I am not concerned with the task at hand. M Rice
Some of my students were extremely anxious about tests, quizzes, and other performance assessments. I felt like their anxiety limited their performance. I wanted each of my students to be successful so I constantly tried methods for reducing the level of anxiety associated with performance assessments, and to improve the classroom atmosphere. One technique that I found effective was to utilize a variety of assessment approaches. My anxious students appreciated the opportunity to show me what they knew in ways that were not associated with traditional tests and quizzes. When a student approached me during a test and said that they were “completely freaked out” I would give them another opportunity to show me what they knew. I think it is important for secondary educators to be flexible in their approach to assessment because it is a teachers goal to help their students learn and not to overwhelm them with fear and anxiety, or to perpetuate feelings of inadequacy or failure that are often associated with anxiety. – Jeremiah Johnson
I feel for the students who are so nervous that they can't concentrate.The standardized tests seem to create test anxiety for many.Many students know the material but can't really do well because they are so nervous.This year my school gave each child a magic pencil called the "smart pencil" when they took the test.I don't know if they worked but it made many students less nervous.The younger students especially believed that the pencil was magical.A.Harty
I remember one year in college I broke out in hives while studying for finals. That was the first time I realized that I could have a physical symptom from stress. Now I've found that I experience anxiety on the first day of each school year. I usually feel nervous, my stomach hurts, and I get a headache, so I just begin the day with some Ibuprofen. However, I'm fortunate that I can just push on, and after the first 10 minutes of each class hour, the anxiety wanes. I couldn't imagine how it would feel to not be able to control anxiety. J. Adams
A recent success story about a student with significant anxiety: she thought she had turned in the paperwork to apply for extended time on the PSAE at the end of April. She rarely uses extended time on tests, so I didn't think it was strange at all for her not to apply for accommodations. However, I was taken by surprise when she came to ask me if she has extended time, the day before day 1 of testing. At that point, there was absolutely nothing we could do about it and she realized she would have to test and give it her best shot. After talking to her after the two days of tests, she said she stayed completely calm throughout the test because she just kept telling herself she can take the ACT again, which is what she was most worried about. Given the extensive history of anxiety with this student, this was a HUGE obstacle for her to overcome! - J. Grady
[edit] References and other links of interest
"Anxiety," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2005 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Bourne, Edmund J. The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. Oakland, Calif. : New Harbinger, 2005.
Clark, D.M. (1986). A cognitive approach to panic. Behavior Research and Therapy, 24, pp. 461-470.
Clark, L.A., Watson, D., and Mineka, S.M. (1994). Temperament, personality and the mood and anxiety Disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, pp. 103-116.
Herbert, J. "anxiety" The Oxford Companion to the Body. Ed. Colin Blakemore and Sheila Jennett. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign. 26 June 2006 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t128.e50>
Nevid, Jeffrey S., Rathus, Spencer A. (2005). Psychology and the Challenges of Life: Adjustment in the New Millennium. 9th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Olfson, M., et al. (2000). Barriers to the treatment of social anxiety. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, pp. 542-548.
Reber, A. S. & Reber, E. (2001). The Penguin dictionary of psychology (3rd ed.). London, Penguin Books Ltd., England.
Rubenzer, R. L. (1988). Stress management for the learning disabled. Reston, VA: ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children
