An essay on anxiety: sample paper

Published under category: Sample Academic Papers | 2015-02-18 15:38:10 UTC

Context: Psychology

The following is an essay on anxiety. Anxiety is one of the many human psychological conditions. Our assignment writing services can write you a professional paper on anxiety right now. A custom paper on anxiety can be required by you instructor, especially if you are a psychology or sociology major. Buy custom essay on anxiety only on reliable websites.
Anxiety is a term used to explain several disorders, as regards our emotions. It is a general feeling of fear and worry of a future occurrence. Feelings of anxiety are manifested in both emotional and physical behavior. Someone suffering from anxiety will be emotionally unstable, full of worry, and may even overreact to small situations. He/she can also be observed to be restless, and not settled. In addition, muscular tension and fatigue can also be noted. A little anxiety can be a motivator through life. However, in excess, anxiety becomes a disruption. Even worse, the situation making someone anxious may even not be encountered. This would mean someone would have wasted his/her lifetime worrying about an event that never occurs. A little anxiety is normal. In excess, however, it becomes a disorder, which requires medical attention. In my research, I set learn more about anxiety, its causes, and defense mechanisms that can help one cope with it. I obtained information mostly from peer reviewed journals, which were very resourceful in providing well-researched information. What the Research Says There are several types of anxiety. One of the most recognized and researched type of anxiety is existential anxiety. This is a situation whereby someone struggles to find meaning in life. A being becomes aware of potential nonbeing. This is in regard to three factors: ontic, moral and spiritual nonbeing. In ontic nonbeing, an individual fears death. However, death is an inevitable occurrence. If someone focuses on death, other than his or her present life, it gives rise to anxiety. In moral nonbeing, someone lives with the fear of behaving in a way that will go against his or her moral beliefs and standards. This causes one to always check on their behavior. Spiritual nonbeing is perceived to be the worst contributor to anxiety. It results to a feeling of emptiness and worthlessness, and life loses meaning. Another type of anxiety is the anxiety of test and performance. An optimum level of arousal is needed for best performance in a competitive event. However, when the level of arousal exceeds optimum, it turns to anxiety, which consequently leads to a decline in results. This type of anxiety affects everyone. It puts someone on constant pressure to deliver. It is even worse for those who have conditioned themselves to associate good performance with self-worth. In addition, there is social anxiety. Most people become nervous when they are in a new environment. Often, they do not know anyone, and have to make new friends, and hold a conversation. People fear to be judged negatively by the crowd, and therefore, they hesitate to interact with people they are not used to. When this anxiety exceeds its limit, it leads to avoidant personality disorder. Moreover, anxiety also develops when we are forced to make a difficult decision. One becomes afraid of making the wrong decision, and as a result, being judged wrongly by others. This anxiety gets even worse, in cases where a choice may have several potential outcomes. It leads to a situation of indecisiveness. Furthermore, anxiety can also be a psychiatric disorder. Some mental disorders are characterized by anxiety and fear. These disorders can be genetic, biological or acquired. The various forms of psychiatric disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, phobic disorder, and panic disorder. More often than not, anxiety is as a result of conflict between the ID, ego, and superego. When the ID and superego make conflicting demands on the ego, anxiety results. The ID tends to focus on satisfaction of one’s immediate biological needs. The superego, on the other hand, tends to make one more aware of the reality. Thus, if the ego finds it difficult to deal with the wants of ID and superego, anxiety develops. Fortunately, there are several methods for dealing with anxiety. These methods are referred to as defense mechanisms. What I have learnt These are coping mechanisms often used to regulate the anxiety caused by situations. They can be either conscious or subconscious. When anxiety develops, the mind responds in two ways: First, problem-solving efforts increase. The mind tends to come up with potential solutions to the problem. Secondly, defense mechanisms are triggered. There are several defense mechanisms. The most basic defense mechanism is repression. In repression, an individual blocks the thought causing anxiety from the mind. He/she tries not to entertain thoughts, which might lead to anxiety. In the end, levels of anxiety reduce significantly. This mechanism is especially useful in helping one to counter the gratifications of ID. It also helps one to block unpleasant memories, or past experiences, from the conscious mind.ORDER PLAGIARISM FREE PAPER