What is anxiety?
What are some physical responses we get with anxiety?
They may have physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness or a rapid heartbeat
FALSE:
Anxiety is normal.
Everyone experiences anxiety at times. For example, it is normal to feel anxious when on a rollercoaster or before a job interview.
What is a stressor?
A situation that the person experiences as threatening in some way (for example, bad grade on a test, argument with your family).
What is the type of anxiety where you have a fear of a specific trigger, such as heights or spiders
Phobia
The best way to manage anxiety is to eliminate it? TRUE/FALSE
FALSE: The anxiety and fear response is a normal adaptive system in the body that tells us when we are in danger or prepares us for upcoming events. This means that dealing with your anxiety NEVER involves eliminating it, but rather managing it.
Is it common to have anxiety about past experiences? TRUE/FALSE
FALSE: Anxiety involves being worried about a future threat, whereas fear is a response to an immediate threat.
Can anxiety help us? TRUE/FASLE
TRUE: Fear and anxiety can be adaptive (adapted to help us).
Fear can trigger your body’s “fight or flight” system (also called your “stress response”). This response prepares your body to defend itself.
Anxiety can increase preparedness for important events.
What is the "flight or fight" or stress response?
a complex set of physiological changes that help us deal with the stressor by allowing our bodies to quickly mobilize our resources to help us deal with the threat
(whether that be by escaping or fighting)
What is the type of anxiety that comes in social situations, especially related to fear of judgment or embarrassment
social anxiety
What is the goal for anxiety treatment?
The goal is to have a moderate or adaptive amount of anxiety in situations where this is appropriate, but not to have overwhelming and excessive anxiety that impairs functioning.
Is anxiety a threat detection response? TRUE/FALSE
TRUE: Anxiety is a threat detection emotion, whereas fear is a threat response emotion.
Is anxiety dangerous? TRUE/FALSE
FALSE: Anxiety is not dangerous.
Although anxiety may feel uncomfortable, it is not dangerous or harmful to you.
Either way, anxiety is a necessary emotion that, although unpleasant, we need to function. Anxiety is not dangerous, it signals potential danger.
What are the physical changes in the body?
• Heart rate increases to supply the body with the blood that it needs.
• Respiration rate increases to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood.
• More blood is diverted to large muscle groups so that you can run faster or defend yourself.
• Blood from other parts of the body such as the digestive system, is diverted to the large muscles. Thus, activity in your digestive system is temporarily suspended.
• Blood is also diverted from your skin (leads to paleness), and your mouth can go dry.
• You sweat to cool down the body.
What is the type of excessive worry about a number of different topics (for example, health and well-being of loved ones, possible occurrence of natural disasters, school/work performance)?
Generalized anxiety
What can we do if our anxiety is overwhelming?
If anxiety is overwhelming and excessive, we can use relaxation skills to calm the stress response. This can help us to cope more effectively in the moment. Some specific relaxation skills that can be helpful include respiratory control, a particular style of breathing found to reduce anxiety, and deep muscle relaxation.
TRUE: anxiety involves physiological (physical) changes accompanied by psychological responses, especially doubt about a potential threat and our ability to cope with it.
Does anxiety last forever? TRUE/FALSE
FALSE: Anxiety does not last forever.
When you are anxious, you may feel like the anxiety is going to last forever.
Even though it feels this way, anxiety is temporary and will eventually decrease when there is no actual threat—even if you don’t do anything to try to make it go away.
Is the "fight or flight"/stress response helpful? TRUE/FALSE
It depends:
TRUE: When there is actual danger present
FALSE: When the "perceived danger" is not dangerous, for example, a math test
What is the type of anxiety with recurrent unexpected panic attacks and fear of having additional panic attacks?
panic disorder
Should you always avoid anxious situations? TRUE/FALSE
FALSE: Be aware of avoidance of anxiety-producing situations and do your best to face situations that may be challenging but not too overwhelming.
What is anxiety?
an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure
Can people always tell when you are anxious? TRUE/FALSE
FALSE: Anxiety is mostly anonymous (not everyone knows).
Most people cannot tell when you are anxious. It is not uncommon for those experiencing excessive amounts of anxiety to feel like they are under a “spot light” and everyone is looking at them – this is not usually the case.
When anxiety increases in response to a nonthreatening event (such as giving a presentation at school), and your stress response tells you to “flee” (you call in sick and stay home), what did you not experience or what did you not learn?
Your anxiety probably would have increased a little bit more as you got closer to presenting, but it would have eventually decreased and you would have learned that the event was not dangerous. By reacting to the perceived danger with avoidance, it limits your ability to learn that the threat was not dangerous.
Are PTSD & OCD also associated with extreme anxiety (although not anxiety disorders)? TRUE/FALSE
TRUE:
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): presence of intrusive or unwanted thoughts, impulses, or images (obsessions) and/or behaviors or mental acts done to reduce distress (compulsions).
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): exposure to actual or threatened death, injury, or sexual violence with corresponding symptoms related to re-experiencing (flashbacks), avoidance (avoiding reminders of the trauma), and changes to thoughts or mood (increased feelings of sadness, withdrawal).
Can problem solving be used to help manage anxiety? TRUE/FALSE
TRUE: Problem solving strategies can also be very helpful to address situations associated with increased anxiety.
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