Outline Of Anxiety

The oxford dictionary describes anxiety "A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome"(1). Anxiety causes unwanted and distressing physical symptoms due to our innate reaction to perceived danger, fight or flight. (weird sentence structure) Distressing physical symptoms may be increased, such as the heart rate, due to the body reacting either by fighting or running away (flight) from danger. This increases the blood flow to the peripherals increasing oxygen and glucose to the muscles. In turn, this may cause feelings of dizziness and nausea, as blood is being primarily diverted from the core.

There are different aetiologies of anxiety, such as the psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural and biological which

The DSM-IV-TR has set a criteria claiming that to be diagnosed with a phobia such as the phobic situation or object is avoided or endured with intense anxiety or distress (Abnormal and clinical psychology - Paul Bennett) the avoidance and distress caused greatly interferes with a persons normal functioning or routine; such as work, family and relations. A cognitive behavioural explanation for developing a phobia relates to our cognitions based on our schemas (initial thoughts and ideas of a situation) but also our influences from other people. Our cognitions effect our behaviours and vice versa; our behaviours or behaviours of others affect our thoughts about a situation. Changing our perceptions of it, and how we think about it presently and in the

Panic disorder according to DSM-IV-TR to be diagnosed with panic disorder the person needs to be experience recurrent and unexpected panic attacks in conjunction with other symptoms such as, persistent worry about further attacks, and implications of further attacks e.g. heart attacks (abnormal and clinical psychology - Paul Bennett) Psychological explanations for panic disorder considers aspects of childhood such as over controlling parenting. In psychodynamic and the humanistic approach understand panic disorder to be caused by this. Controlling parenting and or hard discipline techniques, leads a child to adopt such standards of themselves. They feel the need to pressurise themselves in order to fulfil these standards and receive reinforcement. However if they have other beliefs and ideas that conflict with the strong standards set my parents, it can lead to anxiety/ panic attacks. Although there has been limited empirical data and contrasting research findings to support these