Continuity And Continuity Theory Essay

ANXIETY AND CONTINUITY THEORY 2

Introduction Aging is a part of life that we can't run away from. We see examples of it everyday, from our grandparents, parents and the neighbors next door. Along with aging comes anxiety. We wonder if we will be able to live and afford our homes, be independent from our children, afford our medications, or have the ability to function and move the way we are used to. It's this continuity that we seek, and hope to maintain as we get older. Anxiety increases when our continuity decreases, which is the purpose of this essay. We want to answer the question, “how can we decrease anxiety and increase the continuity in performing

Merriam Webster defines it as, “an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse ), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it” (Webster, 2018). Our inability to cope, overcome our doubts or our fears of being inadequate for the situation we face, tend to increase just when we start facing multiple health issues. The article Anxiety disorders in older adults: a comprehensive review, stated “In the elderly, medical comorbidity is also very frequent and several physical conditions...may both be a source of anxiety and be exacerbated by anxiety” (Wolitsky-Taylor, Castriotta, Lenze, Stanley, Craske 2010). For the elderly, feeling anxiety and stress, as well as managing various illnesses, can be overwhelming. They want what they have always been, strong, independent, contributors to our society. What they want, is something we all want in our lives; continuity.

ANXIETY AND CONTINUITY THEORY 3

Nursing Theory: Continuity