ANXIETY (English anxiety) - an individual psychological feature, manifested in a person's tendency to frequent and intense experiences of anxiety, as well as a low threshold for its occurrence. It is considered as a personal formation and / or as a property of temperament, due to the weakness of nervous processes.The question of the causes of T. is open; currently dominated by the t. In preschool and primary school age main reason there are violations of the parent-child relationship. At a more adult age, T. can be generated by internal conflicts, mostly of a self-evaluative nature.
Steady T. in to. - l is allocated. sphere - private, "connected" (school, examination, interpersonal, etc.) and general, "spilled", freely changing objects depending on the change in their significance for a person. Adequate T., which is a reflection of a person’s troubles in one area or another, is also distinguished, although a specific situation may not contain a threat, and inadequate T., or T. proper, in areas of reality that are favorable for the individual (L. I. Bozhovich, V. R. . Kislovskaya).
T. is an indicator of the ill-being of personal development and, in turn, has a negative effect on him. influence. Insensitivity to real trouble, “security” that arises under the influence of protective mechanisms, primarily repression, and manifests itself in the absence of anxiety even in potentially threatening situations, has the same effect (see Psychological protection, Pollyanna's mechanism). T. can be a harbinger of neurosis, as well as its symptom and mechanism of development. It is included as one of the main components in the "post-traumatic syndrome", i.e., a complex of experiences caused by experienced mental and / or physical trauma (see Post-traumatic stress disorder). Among other types of mental disorders, phobias, hypochondria, hysteria, obsessive-compulsive disorders, etc. are also associated with T. It was first described by Z. Freud (1925). See also Psychopathological Syndromes. (A. M. Parishioners.)
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Anxiety- the tendency of a person to feel intense anxiety and fear, often unreasonably. It is manifested by psychological anticipation of a threat, discomfort and other negative emotions. Unlike a phobia, with anxiety, a person cannot accurately name the cause of fear - it remains uncertain.
Prevalence of anxiety. Among children in high school, anxiety reaches 90%. Among adults, 70% suffer from increased anxiety in different periods life.
Psychological symptoms of anxiety may occur intermittently or most of the time:
- excessive worries for no reason or for a minor reason;
- premonition of trouble;
- inexplicable fear before any event;
- feeling of insecurity;
- indefinite fear for life and health (personal or family members);
- perception of ordinary events and situations as dangerous and unfriendly;
- depressed mood;
- weakening of attention, distraction to disturbing thoughts;
- difficulties in study and work due to constant tension;
- increased self-criticism;
- "scrolling" in the head of one's own actions and statements, increased feelings about this;
- pessimism.
- rapid breathing;
- accelerated heartbeat;
- weakness;
- sensation of a lump in the throat;
- increased sweating;
- skin redness;
- clenches fists;
- snaps fingers;
- pulls clothes;
- licking or biting lips;
- bites nails;
- rubs his face.
Increased anxiety is considered a pathological condition (not a disease, but a deviation from the norm). Often it is a reaction to the transferred physical or emotional stresses.
Norm and pathology. Norma counts moderate anxiety associated with disturbing personality traits. In this case, the person often develops anxiety and nervous tension for the most insignificant reasons. At the same time, vegetative symptoms (pressure drops, palpitations) appear very slightly.
Signs of mental disorders are bouts of intense anxiety, lasting from several minutes to several hours, during which the state of health worsens: weakness, pain in the chest, a feeling of heat, trembling in the body. In this case, anxiety may be a symptom of:
- anxiety disorder;
- Panic disorder with panic attacks;
- Anxious endogenous depression;
- obsessive-compulsive disorder;
- Hysteria;
- Neurasthenia;
- Post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Departure to the world of illusions. Often anxiety does not have a clear subject. For a person, this turns out to be more painful than the fear of something specific. He comes up with a reason for fear, then phobias develop on the basis of anxiety.
- Aggressiveness. It occurs when a person has increased anxiety and low self-esteem. In order to get rid of the oppressive feeling, he humiliates other people. This behavior only brings temporary relief.
- Inactivity and apathy, which are a consequence of prolonged anxiety and are associated with the depletion of mental strength. A decrease in emotional reactions makes it difficult to see the cause of anxiety and eliminate it, and also worsens the quality of life.
- The development of psychosomatic illness. The physical symptoms of anxiety (palpitations, bowel spasms) are aggravated and become the cause of the disease. Possible consequences: ulcerative colitis, gastric ulcer, bronchial asthma, neurodermatitis.
Why does anxiety occur?
To the question: “Why does anxiety arise?” there is no clear answer. Psychoanalysts say that the reason is that the desires of a person do not coincide with the possibilities or are contrary to morality. Psychiatrists believe that wrong upbringing and stress are to blame. Neuroscientists argue that the main role is played by the features of the course of neurochemical processes in the brain.Reasons for the development of anxiety
- Congenital features of the nervous system. Anxiety is based on a congenital weakness of the nervous processes, which is characteristic of people with a melancholic and phlegmatic temperament. Heightened experiences are caused by the peculiarities of the neurochemical processes that take place in the brain. This theory is proved by the fact that increased anxiety is inherited from parents, therefore, it is fixed at the genetic level.
- Features of education and social environment. The development of anxiety can be provoked by excessive guardianship of parents or an unfriendly attitude from others. Under their influence, disturbing personality traits become noticeable already in childhood or appear in adulthood.
- Situations associated with a risk to life and health. These can be serious illnesses, attacks, car accidents, catastrophes and other situations that have caused a person to have a strong fear for their life and well-being. In the future, this anxiety extends to all the circumstances that are associated with this situation. So a person who has survived a car accident feels anxiety for himself and loved ones who are traveling in transport or crossing the road.
- Repetitive and chronic stress. Conflicts, problems in personal life, mental overload at school or at work deplete the resources of the nervous system. It is noticed that the more negative experience a person has, the higher his anxiety.
- Severe somatic diseases. Diseases accompanied by severe pain, stress, high temperature, intoxication of the body violate the biochemical processes in nerve cells, which can be manifested by anxiety. Stress caused by a dangerous illness causes a tendency to negative thinking, which also increases anxiety.
- Hormonal disorders. Failures in the work of the endocrine glands lead to a change in the hormonal balance, on which the stability of the nervous system depends. Anxiety is often associated with excess hormones. thyroid gland and ovarian dysfunction. Periodic anxiety caused by a violation of the production of sex hormones is observed in women in the premenstrual period, as well as during pregnancy, after childbirth and abortion, during menopause.
- Improper nutrition and vitamin deficiency. Lack of nutrients leads to violations of metabolic processes in the body. And the brain is especially sensitive to starvation. The production of neurotransmitters is negatively affected by a lack of glucose, B vitamins and magnesium.
- Lack of physical activity. Sedentary image life and lack of regular exercise disrupt metabolism. Anxiety is the result of this imbalance, manifesting itself on a mental level. Conversely, regular training activates nervous processes, contributes to the release of hormones of happiness and the elimination of disturbing thoughts.
- Organic brain damage in which blood circulation and nutrition of the brain tissue are disturbed:
- Severe infections in childhood;
- Injuries received during childbirth;
- Violations of cerebral circulation in atherosclerosis, hypertension, age-related changes;
- Changes caused by alcoholism or drug addiction.
Causes of increased anxiety in children
- Overprotection by parents who are too protective of the child, afraid of illness, injury and show their fear.
- Anxiety and suspiciousness of parents.
- Parental alcoholism.
- Frequent conflicts in the presence of children.
- Poor relationship with parents. Lack of emotional contact, detachment. Lack of kindness.
- Fear of separation from mother.
- Parental aggression towards children.
- Excessive criticism and excessive demands on the child by parents and teachers, which result in internal conflicts and low self-esteem.
- Fear of not meeting the expectations of adults: "If I make a mistake, then they will not love me."
- Inconsistent demands of parents, when the mother allows, and the father forbids, or "Not at all, but today it is possible."
- Rivalries in the family or class.
- Fear of being rejected by peers.
- Child's disability. Inability to dress, eat, go to bed on their own at the appropriate age.
- Children's fears associated with scary tales, cartoons, films.
- preparations containing caffeine - citramon, cold medicines;
- preparations containing ephedrine and its derivatives - broncholitin, dietary supplements for weight loss;
- thyroid hormones - L-thyroxine, alostin;
- beta-agonists - clonidine;
- antidepressants - Prozac, fluoxicar;
- psychostimulants - dexamphetamine, methylphenidate;
- hypoglycemic agents - Novonorm, Diabrex;
- narcotic analgesics (with their cancellation) - morphine, codeine.
What types of anxiety exist?
Due to development- Personal anxiety- a constant tendency to anxiety, which does not depend on the environment and circumstances. Most events are perceived as dangerous, everything is seen as a threat. It is considered an overly pronounced personality trait.
- Situational (reactive) anxiety- anxiety arises before significant situations or is associated with new experiences, possible troubles. Such fear is considered a variant of the norm and is present to varying degrees in all people. It makes a person more careful, stimulates to prepare for the upcoming event, which reduces the risk of failure.
- Learning anxiety- related to the learning process;
- interpersonal- associated with difficulties in communicating with certain people;
- Associated with self-image– high level of wishes and low self-esteem;
- Social- arises from the need to interact with people, get acquainted, communicate, be interviewed;
- Choice anxiety- the unpleasant sensations that arise when you have to make a choice.
- Mobilizing anxiety- provokes a person to take actions aimed at reducing risk. It activates the will, improves thought processes and physical activity.
- Relaxing anxiety- paralyzes the will of man. It makes it difficult to make decisions and perform actions that would help find a way out of this situation.
- Adequate anxiety- reaction to objectively existing problems (in the family, in the team, in school or at work). May refer to one area of activity (for example, communication with the boss).
- Inappropriate anxiety- is the result of a conflict between a high level of aspirations and low self-esteem. It occurs against the background of external well-being and the absence of problems. It seems to a person that neutral situations are a threat. Usually it is spilled and concerns many areas of life (study, interpersonal communication, health). Often seen in teenagers.
- Reduced anxiety– even potentially dangerous situations that carry a threat do not cause alarm. As a result, a person underestimates the seriousness of the situation, is too calm, does not prepare for possible difficulties, and often neglects his duties.
- Optimal Anxiety- Anxiety arises in situations that require the mobilization of resources. Anxiety is expressed moderately, so it does not interfere with the performance of functions, but provides an additional resource. It has been observed that people with optimal anxiety are better than others in controlling their mental state.
- Increased anxiety- anxiety manifests itself often, too much and for no reason. It interferes with an adequate reaction of a person, blocks his will. Increased anxiety causes absent-mindedness and panic at a crucial moment.
Which doctor should I contact with anxiety?
People with anxious personality traits do not need treatment because "character does not heal." A good rest for 10-20 days and the elimination of a stressful situation help them reduce anxiety. If after a few weeks the condition has not returned to normal, then you need to seek help from psychologist. If he reveals signs of neurosis, anxiety disorder or other disorders, he will recommend contacting psychotherapist or psychiatrist.How is anxiety corrected?
Correction of anxiety should begin with the establishment of an accurate diagnosis. Because with anxious depression, antidepressants may be needed, and with neurosis, tranquilizers, which will be ineffective for anxiety. The main method of treating anxiety as a personality trait is psychotherapy. - Psychotherapy and psychological correction
- Behavioral psychotherapy
Treatment is carried out in 3 stages
- Determine the source of the alarm. To do this, you need to answer the question: “What were you thinking about before you felt anxiety?”. This object or situation is likely to be the cause of the anxiety.
- Question the rationality of negative thoughts. “How big is the chance that your worst fears will come true?” Usually it is negligible. But even if the worst happens, in the vast majority of cases there is still a way out.
- Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. The patient is encouraged to replace thoughts with positive and more real ones. Then, at the moment of anxiety, repeat them to yourself.
- Exposure psychotherapy
This direction is based on a systematic reduction of sensitivity to situations that cause anxiety. This approach is used when anxiety is associated with specific situations: fear of heights, fear of public speaking, public transport. In this case, the person is gradually immersed in the situation, giving the opportunity to face their fear. With each visit to a psychotherapist, the tasks become more difficult.
- Situation representation. The patient is asked to close their eyes and imagine the situation in full detail. When the feeling of anxiety reaches its highest level, the unpleasant image must be released and returned to reality, and then move on to muscle relaxation and relaxation. At the next meetings with a psychologist, they look at pictures or films that demonstrate a frightening situation.
- Getting to Know the Situation. A person needs to touch what he is afraid of. Go out onto the balcony of a high-rise building, say hello to those gathered in the audience, stand at the bus stop. At the same time, he experiences anxiety, but is convinced that he is safe and his fears are not confirmed.
- getting used to the situation. It is necessary to increase the exposure time - ride on a Ferris wheel, drive one stop in transport. Gradually, the tasks become more difficult, the time spent in an anxious situation is longer, but at the same time, addiction sets in and anxiety is significantly reduced.
- Hypnosuggestive Therapy
- Normalization of processes occurring in the nervous system.
- Increasing self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Forgetting unpleasant situations that led to the development of anxiety.
- Suggestion of an imaginary positive experience regarding a frightening situation. For example, "I like to fly on airplanes, during the flight I experienced the best moments of my life."
- Instilling a sense of calm and security.
- Psychoanalysis
The inability of a person to independently identify the cause of anxiety suggests that it lies in the subconscious. Psychoanalysis helps to penetrate the subconscious and eliminate the cause of anxiety, therefore it is recognized as an effective technique.
Psychological correction of anxiety in children
- play therapy
The most common variant of play therapy is when the child is offered to play the role of what/what he/she is afraid of - ghosts, bandits, teachers. At the initial stages, these can be individual games with a psychologist or parents, then group games with other children. Fear and anxiety are reduced after 3-5 sessions.
To relieve anxiety, the game "Masquerade" is suitable. Children are given various items adult clothing. Then they are asked to choose which role to play in the masquerade. They are asked to talk about their character and play with other children who are also “in character”.
- fairy tale therapy
- Relieve muscle tension
Games to relieve muscle tension
| The game | Instruction for the child |
| "Balloon" | We fold the lips with a tube. Exhaling slowly, inflate the balloon. We imagine what a big and beautiful ball we got. We smile. |
| "pipe" | Slowly exhale through the lips folded in a tube, sort through the fingers on an imaginary pipe. |
| "Gift under the tree" | Inhale, close your eyes, imagine the most best gift under the tree. We exhale, open our eyes, depict joy and surprise on our faces. |
| "Barbell" | Inhale - raise the bar above your head. Exhale - lower the bar to the floor. We tilt the body forward, relax the muscles of the arms, neck, back, and rest. |
| "Humpty Dumpty" | With the phrase "Humpty Dumpty was sitting on the wall," we rotate the body, the arms are relaxed and freely follow the body. "Humpty Dumpty fell down in a dream" - a sharp tilt of the body forward, arms and neck are relaxed. |
- Family Therapy
At a meeting with a psychologist, the presence of both parents, and, if necessary, grandparents, is important. It should be borne in mind that after 5 years the child listens more to the parent of the same sex with him, who has a special influence.
- Medical treatment for anxiety
| Drug group | Medicines | Action |
| Nootropic drugs | Phenibut, Piracetam, Glycine | They are prescribed when the energy resources of the brain structures are depleted. Improve brain function, make it less sensitive to damaging factors. |
| Herbal sedatives | Tinctures, infusions and decoctions of lemon balm, valerian, peony motherwort, persen | They have a calming effect, reduce fear and anxiety. |
| selective anxiolytics | Afobazole | Relieves anxiety and normalizes processes in the nervous system, eliminating its cause. It has no inhibitory effect on the nervous system. |
Self help for anxiety
Methods for Reducing Anxiety in Adults- Introspection It is an attempt to sort out the inner conflict on your own. First you need to make two lists. The first is “I want”, where all material and non-material desires are entered. The second is “Must/Must”, which includes responsibilities and internal restrictions. Then they are compared and contradictions are revealed. For example, “I want to go traveling”, but “I have to pay off the loan and take care of the children.” Even the first stage will significantly reduce anxiety. Then you should determine what is more valuable and more important to you. Is there a compromise between "want" and "need"? For example, a short trip after paying off a loan. The final step is to draw up an action plan that will help in the fulfillment of desires.
- Auto-training to increase self-esteem. It combines self-persuasion and muscle relaxation. Often at the heart of anxiety, the contradiction between desire and lack of faith in one's own strength is treated - "I want to please a man, but I'm not good enough." Self-confidence is aimed at strengthening faith in oneself. To do this, in a relaxed state, it is better to repeat verbal formulas before falling asleep, with the necessary statements. “My body is completely relaxed. I am beautifull. I am self-confident. I'm charming." The result will improve significantly if you combine auto-training and work on yourself in other areas: playing sports, intellectual development etc.
- Meditation. This practice includes breathing exercises, muscle relaxation and concentration on a specific subject (sound, candle flame, one's own breath, a point in the area between the eyebrows). At the same time, it is necessary to discard all thoughts, but not to drive them away, but to ignore them. Meditation helps to streamline thoughts and emotions, to concentrate on the present moment - “here and now”. It reduces anxiety, which is a vague fear of the future.
- Change of life situation work, marital status, social circle. Often, anxiety arises when it is necessary to do something that goes against the goals, moral attitudes, and opportunities. When the cause of the internal conflict is eliminated, anxiety disappears.
- Increasing Success. If a person feels successful in some area (work, study, family, sports, creativity, communication), then this significantly increases self-esteem and reduces anxiety.
- Communication. The wider the social circle and the closer social contacts, the lower the level of anxiety.
- Regular spot classes. Training 3-5 times a week for 30-60 minutes reduces the level of adrenaline, increases the production of serotonin. They restore balance in the nervous system and improve mood.
- Rest and sleep mode. A full 7-8 hour sleep restores the resource of the brain and increases its activity.
- Reduce the number of remarks. An anxious child suffers greatly from the excessive demands of adults and the inability to meet them.
- Make comments to the child in private. Explain why he is wrong, but do not humiliate his dignity, do not call him names.
- Be consistent. It is impossible to allow what was forbidden before and vice versa. If the child does not know how you will react to his misbehavior, then the level of stress increases significantly.
- Avoid speed competitions and general comparisons of the child with others. It is acceptable to compare the child with him in the past: "Now you are doing better than last week."
- Demonstrate confident demeanor in front of your child. In the future, the actions of parents become a model to follow in difficult situations.
- Remember the importance of physical contact. It can be strokes, hugs, massage, games. Touch shows your love and soothes a child at any age.
- Praise the child. Praise must be well-deserved and sincere. Find something to praise your child for at least 5 times a day.
What is the Anxiety Scale?
The basis for determining the level of anxiety is anxiety scale. It is a test in which it is required to choose a statement that most accurately describes a mental state or assess the degree of anxiety in various situations. There are various options for methods named after the authors: Spielberger-Khanin, Kondash, Parishioner.
- Spielberger-Khanin technique
The Spielberger-Khanin technique is intended for adults. It can be in the form of two tables, but the electronic version of testing is more convenient. An important condition when passing the test is that you can not think about the answer for a long time. It is necessary to indicate the option that first came to mind.
To determine personal anxiety it is necessary to rate 40 judgments that describe your feelings USUALLY(In most cases). For instance:
- I get upset easily;
- I am quite happy;
- I am satisfied;
- I have blues.
- I'm calm;
- I am satisfied;
- I'm nervous;
- I'm sad.
The scores are not summed up, but a “key” is used to interpret the answers. With its help, each answer is estimated by a certain number of points. After processing the responses, indicators of situational and personal anxiety are determined. They can range from 20 to 80 points.
- Children's Anxiety Scale
It consists of 100 questions that must be answered "yes" or "no". These questions relate to various areas of the child's activity:
- general anxiety;
- relationships with peers;
- relationship with parents;
- relationships with teachers;
- knowledge check;
- assessment of others;
- success in learning;
- self-expression;
- decrease in mental activity caused by anxiety;
- vegetative manifestations of anxiety (shortness of breath, sweating, palpitations).
- Anxiety denial - what can be a defensive reaction;
- Normal level of anxiety that prompts action;
- Increased level - in certain situations, anxiety disrupts the child's adaptation;
- High level - anxiety needs to be corrected.
It should be noted that although increased anxiety in children and adults is not dangerous to health, it leaves an imprint on a person’s behavior, making them more vulnerable or, on the contrary, aggressive, and makes them refuse meetings, trips, as situations that carry a threat. This state affects the decision-making process, forcing you to choose not what will bring success, but what entails less risk. Therefore, the correction of anxiety allows you to make life richer and happier.
The understanding of anxiety was introduced into psychology by psychoanalysts and psychiatrists. Many representatives of psychoanalysis considered anxiety as an innate property of the personality, as a condition originally inherent in a person.
The word anxiety in translation from English "anxiety" - anxiety, excitement, anxiety, care.
Anxiety - the experience of emotional discomfort associated with the expectation of trouble, with a premonition of imminent danger. Distinguish between anxiety as an emotional state and as a stable property, personality trait or temperament. In the domestic psychological literature, this distinction is fixed, respectively, in the concepts of "anxiety" and "anxiety".
L.I. Bozovic defined anxiety as conscious, past experience, intense illness, or anticipation of illness.
According to A.M. Parishioners, anxiety is a stable personality formation that persists for a fairly long period of time. (Parishioners A.M., 2000)
According to R.S. Nemov, anxiety is defined as the property of a person to come into a state of increased anxiety, experience fear and anxiety in specific social situations. (Nemov R.S., 1994)
V.V. Davydov interprets anxiety as an individual psychological feature, consisting in an increased tendency to experience anxiety in a variety of life situations, including such social characteristics that do not imply this. (Davydov V.V., 1983)
S. Sullivan considers anxiety not only as one of the main personality traits, but also as a factor determining its development. Having arisen at an early age, as a result of contact with an unfavorable social environment, anxiety is constantly and invariably present throughout a person’s life. (Hall K., Lindsay. G., 1997)
Erich Fromm believes that in the era of medieval society, with its mode of production and class structure, a person was not free, but he was not isolated and alone, did not feel in such danger, and did not experience such anxiety, because he was not " alienated" from things, from nature, from people. Man was connected with the world by primary ties, which E. Fromm calls natural social ties that exist in primitive society. With the development of society, the primary bonds are broken, a free individual appears, cut off from nature, from people, as a result of which he experiences a deep sense of insecurity, impotence, doubt, loneliness and anxiety. In order to get rid of the anxiety generated by "negative freedom", a person seeks to get rid of this very freedom. He sees the only way out in flight from freedom, that is, flight from himself, in an effort to forget himself and thereby suppress the state of anxiety in himself. (Fildstein D., 1991)
By definition, S.S. Stepanova "anxiety is an experience of emotional distress associated with a premonition of danger or failure." (Stepanov S., 2004)
S. Sullivan believes that a person has an initial anxiety, anxiety, which is a product interpersonal relationships, it is initially transmitted from mother to child and is subsequently associated with a safety hazard. In order to avoid or minimize anxiety (actual or potential) people use various ways protection and control of their behavior. For example, it turns out that one can avoid punishment by conforming to the wishes of the parents. These security measures form the "I" - a system that sanctions certain forms of behavior ("I am good") and prohibits others ("I am bad"). Self protects a person from anxiety, it is maintained at a high level of self-esteem and protected from criticism. (Hall K., Lindsay. G., 1997)
The composition of anxiety includes the concepts: "anxiety", "fear", "anxiety". Consider the essence of each.
Fear is an affective (emotionally sharpened) reflection in the mind of a person of a specific threat to his life and well-being.
Anxiety is an emotionally heightened sense of impending danger.
The unifying beginning for fear and anxiety is a feeling of anxiety. It manifests itself in the presence of unnecessary movements or, conversely, immobility. The person is lost, speaks in a trembling voice, or is completely silent.
V.V. Suvorova defines anxiety as a mental state of internal restlessness, imbalance and, unlike fear, can be pointless and depend on purely subjective factors that acquire significance in the context of individual experience. And he refers anxiety to a negative complex of emotions, in which the physiological aspect dominates. (Suvorova V.V., 1975)
Z. Freud believed that the clash of biological drives with social prohibitions gives rise to anxiety. Z. Freud looked at anxiety as a symptomatic manifestation of an internal emotional conflict caused by the fact that a person unconsciously suppresses sensations, feelings or impulses that are too threatening or annoying for him.
He identified 3 types of anxiety: realistic, neurotic and moral. In some cases it is translated as "real fear", "neurotic fear", "moral fear".
b Realistic anxiety . The emotional response to a threat or awareness of the real dangers of the outside world is called realistic anxiety. It performs such an important function of the ego as self-preservation.
b Neurotic anxiety. An emotional response to the danger that unacceptable impulses from the id will become conscious. Neurotic anxiety is initially experienced as realistic (external source), and only when it arises real opportunity impulses of the id to break through the control of the ego, neurotic anxiety arises. Anxiety can be generalized from a constant fear of expecting danger, and this can become the basis of depressive behavior. (Shmakov V.M., 2012).
b Moral anxiety is the fear of conscience. People with a well-developed Super-Self tend to feel guilty about doing something against the moral code or even thinking about it. They are said to be tormented by pangs of conscience. Moral anxiety is also fundamentally realistic: in the past, a person was punished for violations of the moral plan, and can be punished again.
Alarm functions - to warn a person about impending danger; it is a signal to the self that, although appropriate measures are taken, the danger may increase and the self may be defeated.
Anxiety is a state of tension; it is an impulse, like hunger or sexual impulse, but it does not arise in the internal tissues, but is originally associated with external causes. Increased anxiety motivates a person to take action. He can leave a dangerous place, restrain an impulse, obey the voice of conscience.
Anxiety that cannot be dealt with effectively is called traumatic anxiety. It brings the person back to a state of infantile helplessness. In fact, the prototype of later anxiety is the trauma of birth. The world bombards the newborn with stimuli to which he is not ready and cannot adapt. He believed that anxiety played the role of a signal warning the "Ego" of impending danger emanating from intense impulses. In response, the "Ego" uses a number of defense mechanisms, including: repression, projection, substitution, rationalization, etc. The defense mechanisms operate unconsciously and distort the perception of reality by the individual. (Hall K., Lindsay. G., 1997)
K. Horney connects the Oedipus complex not with the sexually aggressive conflict between the child and parents, but with the anxiety that arises in connection with basic violations in the relationship of the child with mother and father, for example, rejection, overprotection, punishment.
The main concept of K. Horney is "basal anxiety", defined as "a feeling of isolation and helplessness of a child in a potentially hostile world. This feeling of insecurity can be the result of many harmful environmental factors: direct and indirect dominance, indifference, unstable behavior, lack of respect for individual needs of the child, lack of real guidance, too much or no admiration, lack of warmth, compulsion to take sides in parental quarrels, too much or too little responsibility, overprotection, isolation from other children, injustice, discrimination, failure to keep promises, hostile atmosphere, etc. In general, everything that violates the safety of the child in relations with parents gives rise to anxiety.” (Hall K., Lindsay.G., 1997)
K. Horney believes that by satisfying these needs, a person seeks to get rid of anxiety, but neurotic needs are insatiable, they cannot be satisfied, and, therefore, there are no ways to get rid of anxiety. (K. Horney, 1997)
K. Rogers sees the source of anxiety in the fact that there are phenomena that lie below the level of consciousness, and if these phenomena are threatening to the individual, then they can be perceived subconsciously even before they are conscious. This can cause an autonomic reaction, a heartbeat, which is consciously perceived as excitement, anxiety, and the person is not able to assess the causes of anxiety. His anxiety seems unreasonable.
By definition, A.V. Petrovsky: "Anxiety is an individual's tendency to experience anxiety, characterized by a low threshold for the onset of an anxiety reaction; one of the main parameters of individual differences. Anxiety is usually increased in neuropsychiatric and severe somatic diseases, as well as in healthy people experiencing the consequences of psychotrauma, in many groups of people with a deviant subjective manifestation of personality ill-being".
Behaviorists view anxiety as an unfortunate, learned response to real-life threatening events; the resulting anxiety becomes tied to the circumstances associated with the event, and, thus, these circumstances begin to serve as a trigger for a person's anxiety, regardless of any threatening event. If a person does not have enough control over the manifestation of anxiety, then he may develop a state of increased anxiety, bouts of irritability, increased heart rate and fear of death or fear of insanity.
N.D. Levitov: Anxiety is a mental state that is caused by possible or probable troubles, unexpectedness, changes in the usual environment, activities, delay in the pleasant, desirable, and is expressed in specific experiences (fear, excitement, disturbance of peace, etc.) and reactions. (Levitov N.D., 1963)
Along with the definition, researchers distinguish different kinds and levels of anxiety. Spielberger C.D. defines the difference between anxiety and anxiety as follows: "the state of anxiety is characterized by subjectively, consciously perceived sensations of threat and tension, accompanied by or associated with activation or excitation of the nervous system." Anxiety as a personality trait, apparently, means a motive or an acquired behavioral disposition that predisposes an individual to perceive a wide range of objectively safe circumstances as containing a threat, prompting them to respond with anxiety states, the intensity of which does not correspond to the magnitude of the objective danger.
Thus, the concept of "anxiety" most psychologists designate a state of a person, which is characterized by an increased tendency to experiences, fears and anxiety, which has a negative emotional connotation.
C.D. Spielberger distinguishes two types of anxiety: personal and situational (reactive).
b Reactive anxiety (state) - characterized by tension, anxiety, nervousness at a particular moment or time interval.
ü Personal anxiety (character trait) indicates a stable tendency to perceive a wide range of situations as threatening, and to respond to such situations with a state of anxiety. (Khanin Yu.L., 1983)
A.M. Parishioners distinguish types of anxiety based on situations related to:
b with the learning process - learning anxiety;
b with self-image - self-assessment anxiety;
with communication - interpersonal anxiety.
In addition to the varieties of anxiety, its level structure is also considered.
I.V. Imadadze identifies two levels of anxiety: low and high. A low level is necessary for normal adaptation to the environment, and a high one causes discomfort for a person in the society around him. (Imedadze I.V., 1966)
B.I. Kochubey, E.V. Novikov distinguishes three levels of anxiety associated with activity: destructive, insufficient and constructive. (Kochubey B., 1988)
According to A.M. Parishioners, a form of anxiety is understood as a special combination of the nature of experience, awareness of verbal and non-verbal expression in the characteristics of behavior, communication and activity. She identified open and closed forms of anxiety.
Open forms: acute, unregulated anxiety; adjustable and compensatory anxiety; cultivated anxiety.
Closed (disguised) forms of anxiety are called "masks" by her. These masks are: aggressiveness; excessive dependence; apathy; deceit; laziness; excessive daydreaming.
Increased anxiety affects all areas of the child's psyche: affective-emotional, communicative, moral-volitional, cognitive. (Parishioners A.M., 2002)
Research by V.V. Lebedinsky allow us to conclude that children with increased anxiety are at risk for neurosis, addictive behavior, and emotional personality disorders. (Nerval L.I., 2006)
B.I. Kochubey and E.V. Novikova (1988) believe that anxiety develops due to the presence of an internal conflict in a child, which can be caused by:
First, conflicting demands made by parents, or parents and the school (kindergarten). For example, parents do not let their child go to school because they feel unwell, and the teacher puts a “deuce” in a journal and scolds him for skipping a lesson in the presence of other children.
Secondly, inadequate requirements (most often overestimated). For example, parents repeatedly repeat to the child that he must certainly be an excellent student, they cannot and do not want to come to terms with the fact that their son or daughter gets not only "five" at school and is not the best student in the class.
And, thirdly, negative demands that humiliate the child, put him in a dependent position. For example, a caregiver or teacher says to a child: "If you tell me who behaved badly in my absence, I will not tell my mother that you got into a fight." (Kochubey B.I., Novikova E.V., 1988)
Excessively high levels of anxiety, as well as too low level (complete absence anxiety) are considered as a phenomenon that interferes with normal adaptation. The ambiguity of assessments of the anxiety action vector is also manifested in views on its functional significance. It is noted that anxiety can play a protective and motivational role, comparable to the role of pain. However, unlike pain, anxiety is a signal of danger that has not yet been realized.
Thus, the probabilistic nature of hazard prediction (its nature and magnitude) is emphasized, which depends on situational and personal factors.
In the psychological literature, one can find different definitions of this concept, although most studies agree in recognizing the need to consider it differently - as a situational phenomenon and as a personal characteristic, taking into account the transitional state and its dynamics.
Human anxiety is an individual-personal psychological feature that is found in the tendency of subjects to constantly feel the strongest anxiety for minor reasons. Often, anxiety disorder is regarded as a personality trait or is interpreted as a feature of temperament arising from the weakness of nervous processes. In addition to this, increased anxiety is often seen as a joint structure that combines a personality trait and a temperamental feature. The state of anxiety is a feeling of discomfort or the anticipation of a certain threat. The described disorder, as a rule, is referred to as neurotic disorders, in other words, to pathological conditions that are psychogenic and characterized by the absence of personality disorders.
Personal anxiety is predominantly increased in people with, in individuals with neuropsychiatric ailments or suffering from severe somatic diseases, experiencing the consequences of mental trauma. In general, the state of anxiety is a subjective reaction to personal trouble.
Causes of anxiety
Modern science does not know the exact causes that provoke the development of this condition, but a number of factors can be identified that contribute to the emergence of anxiety, among them are: genetic predisposition, malnutrition, lack of physical activity, negative thinking, experience, somatic diseases, environment.
Many scientists believe that the level of anxiety is laid down at the genetic level. Each individual has a specific set of genes, the so-called "biological design". Often a person feels elevated level anxiety due to the fact that it is only "built into" his genetic code. Such genes provoke a significant chemical “skew” in the brain. It is the imbalance that creates anxiety.
There is also a biological theory that claims that increased anxiety is due to the presence of some biological anomalies.
Anxiety can be triggered by malnutrition and lack of physical activity, which is critical to health. Sports, running and more exercise stress are excellent ways to relieve tension, stress and anxiety. Thanks to such activity, a person can direct hormones in a healthier direction.
Most psychologists believe that people's thoughts and attitudes are key factors influencing their mood, and therefore anxiety. Personal experience the individual also often becomes a cause of concern. The acquired negative experience can cause fear in similar situations in the future, which will increase the level of anxiety and affect success in life.
In addition, high anxiety can be triggered by an unfriendly or new environment. In the normal state, anxiety is a signal that the individual is in a dangerous situation, but if the level of danger anxiety does not correspond to the degree of danger, then this condition must be corrected.
This condition is often a concomitant symptom of some somatic ailments and mental illnesses. This, first of all, includes various endocrine disorders, hormonal failure during menopause in women, neurosis, alcoholism. Often, a sudden feeling of anxiety is a harbinger of a heart attack or indicates a decrease in blood sugar levels.
All of the above factors can not provoke anxiety in every individual, the age of the individual often plays a decisive role in the occurrence of anxiety.
Neo-Freudians, in particular K. Horney and G. Sullivan, believed that the basic cause of anxiety is an early dysfunctional relationship experience that provoked the development of basal anxiety. Such a state accompanies the individual throughout his life, influencing to a large extent on his relationship with the social environment.
Behaviorists regard anxiety as a result of learning. According to them, anxiety is the learned response of the human body to dangerous situations. This reaction is further transferred to other circumstances that cause association with a known threatening situation.
Signs of anxiety
Common symptoms of anxiety:
- inability to relax;
- feeling unwell;
- restless sleep;
- a feeling of inability to cope with oneself.
Physical symptoms of anxiety:
- increasing muscle tension, provoking pain in the head;
- stiffness of the muscles of the neck or shoulders;
- from the side of the autonomic nervous system - increased arousal (rarely).
The state of anxiety gives rise to a steady struggle with oneself, which affects the whole organism as a whole or its individual systems. For example, panic attacks or rapid breathing can result in dizziness or weakness. In such a state, the individual loses control over the situation. Often he may have fear or.
An excited person experiences weakness, his sweating increases, he can cry at any second. An anxious subject is quite easy to frighten, because he is too sensitive to noise. In addition to the symptoms described above, there is often difficulty swallowing or breathing, dry mouth, palpitations, pain or tightness in the chest area.
Also, to the listed manifestations, one should add indigestion, epigastric pain, flatulence, nausea. Possibly increased urination or an urgent need to void Bladder, diarrhea, weakening of libido. All the signs under consideration have a subjective conditionality, namely, there is a connection: anxiety, age or gender dependence. So, for example, in men in a state of increased anxiety, there may be cases of impotence, and in the fairer sex, menstrual pain.
In children, high anxiety is manifested by a depressed mood, poorly established contacts with the environment that frightens him, which over time can lead to underestimation and a stable pessimistic mood.
All manifestations are also determined by the type of anxiety, namely personal anxiety and situational, mobilizing and relaxing, open and hidden. The first type is a personality formation, which is found in a stable tendency to anxiety and unrest, regardless of severity. life circumstances. It is characterized by a sense of the inexplicable and menacing. An individual with such a personality trait is ready to perceive all events as dangerous.
Situational anxiety is caused by a specific situation or event that causes anxiety. Such a state can be found in each individual in front of serious life difficulties and possible troubles, which is considered the norm, since it contributes to the mobilization of human resources.
Mobilizing anxiety gives an additional message to action, relaxing anxiety paralyzes the personality at crucial moments. Also, researchers have shown that the state of anxiety changes over time as a function of the degree of stress to which a person is exposed and varies in intensity.
Anxiety is diagnosed through various methods, including questionnaires, drawings and all kinds of tests.
Anxiety Correction
An annual diagnosis of anxiety reveals a huge number of children with signs of anxiety and fear.
Removing anxiety in children is associated with certain difficulties and can take quite a long time. Psychologists recommend corrective work to be carried out simultaneously in several directions. First of all, it is necessary to direct all efforts to increase children's self-esteem. This stage is quite long and requires daily work. You need to try to address the baby by name, more often sincerely praise him, celebrate his successes in the presence of peers. At the same time, the baby should understand well what he received praise for.
At the same time, it is necessary to teach the baby the ability to control himself in certain, most disturbing situations. At this stage, games are used to reduce anxiety and its various manifestations. Have the maximum effect story games and dramatization. For their implementation, specially selected scenes are used to help relieve anxiety. It is easier for crumbs to overcome any barriers through play activities. In addition, in the gameplay, negative personal qualities are transferred from the baby to the game character. Thus, the child can get rid of his own imperfections for a while, see them as if from the outside. In addition, a preschooler can show his own attitude to personal shortcomings in play activities.
In addition to the described methods aimed at reducing anxiety, various methods of relieving muscle tension are used. Here it is better to use games related to bodily contact, relaxation exercises, massage. A very effective method of reducing childhood anxiety is to paint the face with mom's unnecessary lipsticks to play an impromptu masquerade.
The best way to relieve anxiety in adults is to use various meditative techniques. The secret to the success of meditation lies in the presence of a relationship that unites negative emotions and muscle tension. Reducing muscle tension can gradually overcome anxiety.
Anxiety treatment
The first step in treating anxiety is identifying the exact cause. So, for example, if an anxiety condition is provoked by taking medications or narcotic substances, then the treatment will consist in their cancellation.
When caused by a somatic ailment, in the first place it is necessary to treat the main disease. If an individual is found to have a primary anxiety disorder, in cases where the anxiety persists after the underlying disorder has been treated or medications have been discontinued, psychotherapy and drug treatment are recommended.
Modern drugs designed to relieve anxiety are effective, safe and easily tolerated. With anxiety disorder, a short course of benzodiazepines can reduce anxiety and eliminate insomnia.
If the patient suffers, then the use of medicines in the complex is indicated. The appointment of drugs is due to the presence of concomitant mental disorders, such as depression, alcoholism and. In such cases, antidepressants are indicated.
The psychological approach involves, as a rule, the use of cognitive methods. The techniques of this approach are aimed at changing the client's reactions to situations that generate anxiety.
In addition, psychologists advise not to forget about self-help in getting rid of increased anxiety. Often, individuals with excessive anxiety are helped by a change in lifestyle. Numerous studies have shown that increasing physical activity helps burn off excess adrenaline and provides a healthy outlet for motor restlessness. Also, studies show that physical activity can improve mood and stimulate the development of a more positive outlook on life. 
