The Psychology of Social Situations: Selected Readings
Beyond worry: How psychologists assistance with anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders can severely impair a person's power to function at work, schoolhouse, and in social situations and can interfere with a person's relationships.
Everyone worries or feels nervous from time to time. Anxiety is a normal human reaction to stressful situations. But for people with feet disorders, those fears and worries aren't temporary. Their anxiety persists, and tin even get worse over time.
Anxiety disorders tin severely impair a person'due south ability to part at work, school, and in social situations. Feet can also interfere with a person'southward relationships with family members and friends. Fortunately, though, in that location are effective treatments for anxiety.
In some cases, medications take a function in treating anxiety disorders. Yet inquiry shows behavioral treatment, lone or in combination with medication, is a highly constructive treatment for near people with an anxiety disorder.
Agreement anxiety
Anxiety disorders are common in both adults and children. Near xviii% of U.Due south. adults and 25% of adolescents age 13 to 18 volition experience anxiety, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. About 4% of adults, and nearly 6% of teens, have anxiety disorders classified every bit severe.
There are several major types of anxiety disorders:
- Generalized feet disorder is characterized past persistent worry or anxious feelings. People with this disorder worry about a number of concerns, such equally health bug or finances, and may have a general sense that something bad is going to happen. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, and generally feeling on edge.
- Panic disorder is marked past recurrent panic attacks that include symptoms such as sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, or a feeling of choking; a pounding heart or rapid center rate; and feelings of dread. Such attacks often happen all of a sudden, without warning. People who feel panic attacks often get fearful nearly when the next episode will occur, which can crusade them to alter or restrict their normal activities.
- Phobias are intense fears about certain objects (spiders or snakes, for instance) or situations (such as flying in airplanes) that are distressing or intrusive.
- Social feet disorder is too known as social phobia. People with this disorder are fearful of social situations in which they might feel embarrassed or judged. They typically feel nervous spending time in social settings, feel self-conscious in front of others, and worry about being rejected by or offending others. Other common symptoms include having a hard time making friends, avoiding social situations, worrying for days earlier a social event, and feeling shaky, sweaty, or nauseous when spending time in a social setting.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by persistent, uncontrollable feelings and thoughts (obsessions) and routines or rituals (compulsions). Some common examples include compulsive manus washing in response to a fear of germs, or repeatedly checking piece of work for errors.
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a severe physical or emotional trauma such as a natural disaster, serious accident, or crime. Symptoms include flashbacks of the trauma, nightmares, and frightening thoughts that interfere with a person's everyday routine for months or years after the traumatic experience.
Seeing a psychologist about anxiety disorders
Though many types of anxiety disorders exist, research suggests that most are driven by similar underlying processes. People with anxiety disorders tend to get easily overwhelmed by their emotions, and they tend to have specially negative reactions to those unpleasant feelings and situations.
Ofttimes, people endeavor to cope with those negative reactions by avoiding situations or experiences that make them anxious. Unfortunately, avoidance can backlash and actually feed the anxiety.
Psychologists are trained in diagnosing anxiety disorders and teaching patients healthier, more effective means to cope. A form of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly constructive at treating anxiety disorders. Through CBT, psychologists assistance patients acquire to identify and manage the factors that contribute to their anxiety.
Through the cognitive component of therapy, patients learn to understand how their thoughts contribute to their anxiety symptoms. By learning to change those thought patterns, they can reduce the likelihood and intensity of anxiety symptoms.
With the behavioral component, patients larn techniques to reduce undesired behaviors associated with anxiety disorders. Specifically, patients are encouraged to approach activities and situations that provoke anxiety (such as public speaking or being in an enclosed infinite) to learn that their feared outcomes (such as losing their railroad train of thought or having a panic attack) are unlikely.
Psychotherapy for feet disorders: What to expect
Psychotherapy is a collaborative process, where psychologists and patients piece of work together to identify specific concerns and develop concrete skills and techniques for coping with anxiety. Patients tin look to practice their new skills outside of sessions to manage anxiety in situations that might brand them uncomfortable. Nevertheless, psychologists won't button patients into such scenarios until they're certain they accept the skills they need to finer confront their fears.
Psychologists sometimes use other approaches to care for anxiety disorders in addition to CBT. Group psychotherapy, which typically involves several people who all have anxiety disorders, can exist constructive for both treating feet and providing patients with support.
Family psychotherapy can help family members understand their loved one'southward anxiety and help them learn ways to collaborate that do non reinforce anxious habits. Family unit therapy can be particularly helpful for children and adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders are very treatable. Most patients who suffer from anxiety are able to reduce or eliminate symptoms after several (or fewer) months of psychotherapy, and many patients observe comeback after only a few sessions.
Psychologists are highly trained and volition tailor a treatment programme to address the unique needs of each patient. To find a licensed psychologist in your area, visit Psychologist Locator.
The American Psychological Association gratefully acknowledges Shannon Sauer-Zavala, PhD, Lynn Bufka, PhD, and C. Vaile Wright, PhD, for contributing to this fact sheet.
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Source: https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/disorders
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