In modern society, where the protection against nature’s whims is as strong as ever, stress is among the biggest contemporary threats to human well-being. Having numerous sources and thus being almost ubiquitous, it rightfully bears the name of the plague of the 21st century. One of the most notable stress sources is a feeling of anxiety – a state of mind characterized by negative mood and overall tension. People often feel doubtful and anxious, especially at a young age, when the probability of encountering something unknown is much higher. Thus it is essential to address adolescents’ anxiety issues accordingly to keep the stress at bay.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety usually focuses on a specific feature. If continuously left unnoticed, it might evolve into a classified disorder depending on the caused complications and the element of tension. For example, in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the patient is deeply concerned by the events of his everyday life. His worry is indiscriminate, unproductive, and constant (Barlow et al., 2018). GAD also involves muscle tension, mental agitation, fatigue, irritability, and inability to sleep as physical symptoms (Barlow et al., 2018). The patient cannot stop worrying even if he realizes it is detrimental.
Anxiety Assessment
Confirmation of a single physical symptom is enough to diagnose GAD in the case of an adolescent. Apart from that, GAD can be diagnosed by several factors. Firstly, the state of constant anxiety lasts longer than five months (Barlow et al., 2018). Secondly, an inability to control the worry process (Barlow et al., 2018). Thirdly, a tendency to constantly worry about the minor and insignificant (Barlow et al., 2018). The significant events can also become a focus for anxiety – most commonly, teenagers feel anxious about competence in different life areas or family issues.
For GAD and other anxiety disorders’ prevention and screening, questionnaires like GAD-7 can be used. It is a commonly used scale that evaluates the frequency of anxiety symptoms in the last two weeks (Byrd-Bredbenner et al., 2021). Additionally, it might be worth consulting the possibility of drug therapy since such therapy can provide relatively quick relief (Barlow et al., 2018). Notably, it is crucial to pay attention to adolescents’ personal information during the assessment – they might not want to share everything with their families. Despite the legal right of parents or guardians to treatment data, there might be cases where sharing some of the personal information could harm the patient and thus be destructive to the treatment.
Support Options
Overall, anxiety is highly reliant on the patient’s surroundings. In the study of the active-learning setting conducted by Dou et al. (2019), they found a reciprocal relationship between the anxiety level and students’ social interactions. The latter’s indicator was reasonably low for students who deliberately and actively engaged in group activities (Dou et al., 2019). Consequently, creating an atmosphere that encourages this type of behavior can help address the anxiety issue. Regarding GAD specifically, there are two main ways of its treatment – drug and psychological therapy, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in particular. According to Barlow et al. (2018), both approaches provide intermediate results, with the former showing better short-termed results and the latter being more consistent long-term. Unfortunately, none of them seem to be able to fully heal the patient, which confirms the strong bond between the anxiety and the patient’s environment.
Conclusion
Without proper and timely treatment, anxiety is capable of causing significant amounts of damage. It can target any area of an adolescent’s life and pour stress into the young psyche. In the worst-case scenarios, anxiety can turn into disorders like GAD, which might complicate an already dire situation. Fortunately, there are ways of GAD prevention and screening; for example, a supportive environment that encourages communication and particular questionnaires that help monitor the current anxiety state. After all, however dangerous stress might be, people are not defenseless either.
References
Barlow, D. H., Durand, V. M., & Hoffmann, S. G. (2018). Abnormal psychology: An integrative approach (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Dou, R., & Zwolak, J. P. (2019). Practitioner’s guide to social network analysis: Examining physics anxiety in an active-learning setting. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 15(2), p. 020105. Web.
Pregnancy has always remained a problematic period regarding women’s health and possible disorders, and mental strain is placed among the complications. According to Rubertsson, Hellström, Cross, and Sydsjö (2014), “Around 3–17 % of women suffer from a depressive illness during pregnancy” (p. 221). Although the widespread nature seems to lessen its significance, it is still a health problem that calls for early diagnostics and treatment since it contains various risks.
To be precise, the dangers of anxiety disorder during the pregnancy period can equally affect the mother and the unborn child. As Ding et al. (2014) note, the adverse effects of a mother’s mental problems could potentially lead to “preterm birth (PTB) and/or low birth weight (LBW)” (p. 103). Moreover, the mental condition of the women themselves is critically intervened with the period of pregnancy. This reason may cause severe consequences to their psyche, both during the period and in a long-term perspective.
Due to such health consequences, one should take an exclusive look at the main aspects of the syndrome – its diagnostics and treatment. In other words, the paper will focus on the problems of early diagnosing, the ways of rehabilitation, and cultural features which influence both. Initially, it is necessary to review the literature on the phenomenon in a separate section. The following part will focus on the diagnostics features since the general nature of the disorder makes it less noticeable and can intervene with quick action. Regarding the treatment, it also contains several specific traits which the main topic of the next section will be about.
Firstly, the sensibility of the issue puts in question the accuracy of the standard medication. Secondly, the modern tendencies of treatment that apply interdisciplinary approaches require careful analysis to evaluate their efficiency. Finally, the work will contemplate the cultural context of the women suffering the disorder while dealing with their health. As a result, all the crucial points will be summed up in conclusion.
Literature Review
The base of the literature for the described problem seems quite vast at first glance. The studies akin to the articles of Rubertsson et al. (2014) or Ding et al. (2014) tend to present information about the statistics of the disorder. They are especially useful in analyzing the background of the issue, its scale, and the circumstances of the women affected. Moreover, the research of Martini et al. (2015) and similar scientists contemplate the consequences of mental dangers which extend to the postpartum period of women’s life. However, these studies only provide a basis for further exploring, while work with the core components requires the use of more specialized surveys.
A part of the studies not only identifies the conditions surrounding women’s anxiety disorder during pregnancy but also specifies the treatment approaches. These include, for instance, the work of Misri, Abizadeh, Sanders, and Swift (2015). Also, the research of Selix et al. (2017) gives further into the said theme by identifying the interdisciplinary methods of eliminating the problem. What is also essential, if one resorts to studying the cultural component, one could find the surveys of Fleuriet and Sunil (2014) or Robinson, Benzies, Cairns, Fung, and Tough (2016) as sufficiently detailed. The scientists use the analysis of ethnic minorities in the USA to showcase how the sociocultural factors influence the probability of mothers’ mental disorders in the periods of pregnancy and beyond.
The Diagnostics and Its Characteristics
As already mentioned, the early diagnosis of the disorder is complicated by its features, namely, the attitudes of pregnant women and caregivers. According to Evans, Spiby, and Morrell (2015), due to the general look of symptoms, healthcare personnel needs to focus on the signs’ identification in everyday practice. As a result, the improvement would allow proceeding with the treatment in the early stages instead of letting it develop further.
Furthermore, the women themselves define how swiftly they are diagnosed and attain the proper treatment. As Dennis, Falah-Hassani, and Shiri (2017) note, the diagnosis tends to be revealed by clinical means. Hence, women who do not express enough trust in medical institutions or avoid using them altogether stay at the top of the risk categories. Similarly, the financial state may also relate to the low rates of visiting the healthcare institutions for examination.
Also, there is a danger for mistaking the symptoms for other conditions since the traits manifest as typical features of the stress-induced illnesses or pregnancy state. According to Misri et al. (2015), the latter notion is especially prominent during the examination of the patient. Thus, one must ground even the clinical checkup on reliable and proven methods. Evans et al. (2015) mention that the usual instruments include interviews with the patients. However, more advanced schemes are gradually put into motion as well. One can use the example of the complex GAD-7 questionnaire demonstrated by Zhong et al. (2015) in the survey among pregnant Peruvian women. So, despite the hardships of diagnostics, one can still see room for improvement.
Treatment Questions
Treatment, which follows the diagnostics procedures, also possesses issues that cannot be ignored. The methods themselves include the use of medicine, the work with the psychologist, and non-medical means such as relaxation practices. While the first approach is the most common, it also poses a degree of threat. According to Marchesi et al. (2016), the most common drugs used in rehabilitation are antidepressants or other “atypical antipsychotics” (p. 766). However, the problems revolving around antidepressants are well-known, so one can already assume that they could affect the unborn child. As such, Marchesi et al. (2016) admit that every pregnancy case should be regulated in medicine deployment. In other words, one needs an individual approach and a careful aim of choosing the pharmacy.
The non-medical methods, while less risky in applying, do not completely encompass all the areas of treatment. However, a certain level of efficiency is proven by recent studies. According to Selix et al. (2017), the projects akin to the support of future mothers in social media lessens the burden of women’s anxiety. Moreover, they elaborate on the interdisciplinary approaches to disorder, like the collaboration with government, scientists, educative workers, or the use of modern technologies. In other words, the means of facilitating include psychological work, educational courses, and promotional programs.
The value of the project mentioned by Selix et al. (2017) included 56.3% of messages being helpful for pregnant women with anxiety. Hence, not only physicians should take part in the facilitation and rehabilitation, but education workers, technical professions, and public activists as well. Moreover, the communication and collaboration between these categories and the contact between women themselves may be able to speed the process. However, while it will become beneficial for the treatment, the development of such initiatives is still underway, so it needs time and more studies for approval.
Cultural Considerations
For both diagnostics and treatment, the cultural factors make their input into the correlation of a problem. First, one can explore their significance for pregnancy anxiety on the example of ethnic minorities. According to the study of Fleuriet and Sunil (2014), the difference between the social status of Mexican American women and Mexican immigrant women leads to a higher rate of disorder for the latter category. Thus, the social circumstances regulate the groups of women who suffer anxiety in pregnancy more intensively.
Furthermore, in both America and Canada, pregnant women from immigrant communities consider themselves “other”, which increases the chance of mental disorders. Robinson et al. (2016) note that in Calgary, the ethnic minorities feel less confident since they do not belong to the native culture of the country. Moreover, the status of an immigrant may interfere with timely diagnosis and complete treatment.
Conclusion
The anxiety disorder among pregnant women is proven as a common problem, which does not make it less dangerous if left unchecked. Crucial aspects of the problem revolve around the features of the diagnostic, treatment, and the cultural environment for both. The first one includes the issue of medical personnel and women themselves hindering the diagnosis, due to the common symptoms and personal unwillingness, respectively. Although the interviewing methods of diagnosing continue to evolve, they still need more research and data.
In the treatment, the medicine used as a prime tool of rehabilitation also is not perfect since the fetus may be affected. Thus, each patient needs an individual approach and the attention of a caregiver. Currently, non-medical means of treatment have substantially grown instead, while the strategies interacting with policy, science, and social media are the most prominent. However, similarly to diagnostics, modern methods require further development.
Finally, as for the cultural grounds, the non-native heritage of the pregnant women could cause additional strain, explained by social and cultural differences. In the end, the tendency leads to a higher risk of anxiety. Moreover, it may interfere with the processes of both diagnosing and treating.
References
Dennis, C.-L., Falah-Hassani, K., & Shiri, R. (2017). Prevalence of antenatal and postnatal anxiety: Systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 210(05), 315-323.
Ding, X.-X., Wu, Y.-L., Xu, S.-J., Zhu, R.-P., Jia, X.-M., Zhang, S.-F., … Tao, F.-B. (2014). Maternal anxiety during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Journal of Affective Disorders, 159, 103-110.
Evans, K., Spiby, H., & Morrell, C. J. (2015). A psychometric systematic review of self-report instruments to identify anxiety in pregnancy. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(9), 1986-2001.
Fleuriet, K. J., & Sunil, T. S. (2014). Perceived social stress, pregnancy-related anxiety, depression and subjective social status among pregnant Mexican and Mexican American women in South Texas. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 25(2), 546-561.
Martini, J., Petzoldt, J., Einsle, F., Beesdo-Baum, K., Höfler, M., & Wittchen, H.-U. (2015). Risk factors and course patterns of anxiety and depressive disorders during pregnancy and after delivery: A prospective-longitudinal study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 175, 385-395.
Misri, S., Abizadeh, J., Sanders, S., & Swift, E. (2015). Perinatal generalized anxiety disorder: Assessment and treatment. Journal of Women’s Health, 24(9), 762-770.
Marchesi, C., Ossola, P., Amerio, A., Daniel, B. D., Tonna, M., & De Panfilis, C. (2016). Clinical management of perinatal anxiety disorders: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 190, 543-550.
Rubertsson, C., Hellström, J., Cross, M., & Sydsjö, G. (2014). Anxiety in early pregnancy: Prevalence and contributing factors. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 17(3), 221-228.
Selix, N., Henshaw, E., Barrera, A., Botcheva, L., Huie, E., & Kaufman, G. (2017). Interdisciplinary collaboration in maternal mental mealth. MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 42(4), 226-231.
Huang, Y., & Zhao, N. (2020). Generalized anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and sleep quality during COVID-19 outbreak in China: A web-based cross-sectional survey. Psychiatry research, 288, 112954.
Based on this article, Huang and Zhao review how COVID-19 impacted the mental health of people by assessing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), symptoms of depression, and quality sleep. The authors used a web-based survey to collect relevant information including demographic details and related knowledge of COVID-19. Findings indicated that young people had a higher GAD prevalence. They spend significant time thinking about the breakout of the virus. The article entails aspects of GAD and the reasons for its occurrence making the paper relevant for the research.
Iani, L., Quinto, R. M., Lauriola, M., Crosta, M. L., & Pozzi, G. (2019). Psychological well-being and distress in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: The roles of positive and negative functioning. PloS one, 14(11).
In this article, Iani et al. examined whether mindfulness and having emotional intelligence neutralize psychological symptoms. They further explored how worry and brooding are linked to the well-being of individuals with GAD condition. The authors’ used a cross-section approach to collect data from consecutive people having GAD. Findings indicated that different mindfulness was significant for psychological wellbeing. Worry portrayed positive effects in influencing anxiety symptoms as well as brooding. The work is suitable for the research because it provides insight into how anxiety and emotional intelligence correlates.
Panayiotou, G., Leonidou, C., Constantinou, E., & Michaelides, M. P. (2020). Self-Awareness in alexithymia and associations with social anxiety. Current Psychology, 39(5), 1600-1609.
Based on the article, Panayiotou et al. review the aspect of self-awareness in alexithymia and its correlation with social anxiety. The work suggests that low self-awareness indicates possible avoidance of unwanted experiences. The investigation was conducted on two faces covering the association between alexithymia and low private self-consciousness. The student was done on a sample of two students. Results showed that alexithymia is connected to low private self-awareness. The article is useful for the research topic because it explores the association between social anxiety and alexithymia.
Verhaeghen, P. (2019). The mindfulness manifold: Exploring how self-preoccupation, self-compassion, and self-transcendence translate mindfulness into positive psychological outcomes. Mindfulness, 10(1), 131-145.
In the article, Verhaeghen explored how self-preoccupation, self-transcendence, and self-compassion transform mindfulness into positive psychological outcomes. Using factor analysis, the author unfolded various interpretable factors related to mindfulness. Findings indicate that self-awareness contributes to the self-regulation of an individual. Self-transcendence and self-regulation are key mechanisms by which impacts of self-awareness are converted to psychological outcomes. The article discusses the aspects of self-regulation and how it affects the psychological system making it relevant for the study.
Stefan, C. A., & Cheie, L. (2022). Self-compassion and social anxiety in late adolescence: Contributions of self-reflection and insight. Self and Identity, 21(2), 210-222.
In this piece of work, Stefan and Cheie examined how controlling the effects of self-reflection and self-compassion impacts social anxiety. The study covered individual students aged between 18 to 20 years. Findings showed a high level of self-reflection had less social anxiety experience. On the other hand, learners with lower self-compassion indicated portrayed more symptoms of social anxiety. The research provides insight into self-awareness and how it influences anxiety.
Bakker, D., & Rickard, N. (2018). Engagement in mobile phone app for self-monitoring of emotional wellbeing predicts changes in mental health: MoodPrism. Journal of affective disorders, 227, 432-442.
In the research paper, Bakker and Rickard review engagement mobile applications for self-monitoring to predict changes in emotional wellbeing. The study focused on the effectiveness of monitoring oneself to comprehend the outcome of mental health. Findings indicated that individuals using the App experience a decrease in anxiety. Increment in emotional self-awareness contributed to the changes reported by the researchers. The article is appropriate for the study because it explores the correlation between self-awareness and anxiety.
Baker, A. W., Frumkin, M. R., Hoeppner, S. S., LeBlanc, N. J., Bui, E., Hofmann, S. G., & Simon, N. M. (2019). Facets of mindfulness in adults with generalized anxiety disorder and impact of co-occurring depression. Mindfulness, 10(5), 903-912.
In this article Barker et al. review aspects of mindfulness among adults having GAD and the impacts of co-occurring depression. Based on the piece of work, symptoms of anxiety are associated with having a low level of mindfulness. The study examines the connection between depression signs and the facets of self-awareness. The results indicated that people with GAD and major depressive disorder portrayed a lower level of mindfulness. The research focuses on different sides of self-awareness making it suitable for the topic.
Ceccarelli, L. A., Giuliano, R. J., Glazebrook, C. M., & Strachan, S. M. (2019). Self-compassion and psycho-physiological recovery from recalled sport failure. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1564.
In the article, Ceccarelli et al. examine how self-compassion contributes to the psycho-physiological recovery following sports failure. Based on the research, the authors suggest that disappointment induces emotional distress in people. Engaging in practices that manage failure is essential for athlete health because it allows them to recover from the feelings associated with the encountered failure. The results showed that self-compassion enhances an individual’s ability to adapt to psychological responses. The piece of work analyzes how self-compassion impacts physiological response making it useful for the study topic of self-awareness and its impacts on GAD.
Shamoon, Z. A., Lappan, S., & Blow, A. J. (2017). Managing anxiety: A therapist common factor. Contemporary Family Therapy, 39(1), 43-53.
In this paper, Shamoon et al. explore therapists’ anxiety management by identifying common factors leading to the challenge. The specialists should be able to manage their emotions to help their respective clients. To be an effective therapist, an individual must navigate the inner thoughts effectively to establish challenges and improve them in order to be able to provide solutions to their needy customers. Findings suggest that undertaking thorough self-inspection is critical for managing anxiety. The paper addresses the contribution of self-awareness in managing depression.
Leigh, E., & Clark, D. M. (2018). Understanding social anxiety disorder in adolescents and improving treatment outcomes: Applying the cognitive model of Clark and Wells (1995). Clinical child and family psychology review, 21(3), 388-414.
In the article, Leigh and Clark review social anxiety disorder among youths and ways to improve treatment outcomes. They based their argument on the cognitive model as a way to understand the methods by which anxiety develops in adolescence. Individual cognitive therapy is a treatment approach that can help manage the condition. The research indicates that developing the approach might yield better disorder management. The paper is focused on cognitive interventions as a measure of determining how the cognitive approach impacts social anxiety disorder amongst young people.
In all the four articles the main research was based on conducting alternative methods of relaxation to reduce the intensity of anxiety in patients in pre operational stage. Since preoperational anxiety is one of the sustained problems among patients an alternative source becomes a requirement to slow down the level of anxiety. Kimberger et al [2007] observes research on skin surface warming, krohne et al [2005] observes ideas of social support, Padmanaban et al observes experiment over music with an binaural beat and Agarwal et al. Observes acupressure as a preventive treatment for preoperative anxiety etc are the different perspectives of reducing the preoperational anxiety. Overall the methods reveal the fact that the researches have been conducted for a common purpose called the preoperational anxiety.
Hypotesic Analysis
Analysis of the different hypothesis shows that each method has its specific significance. Kimberger et al [2007] seems to have given a new concept that is the warming of skin surface has the effect to reduce uneasiness at the time or hospitalization. He suggests a pre operative warming in order to reduce the feeling of anxiety in the patients; this thought was suggested after a successful experimentation with 80 patients suffering from neurons problems.
The experiment was warming with forced air to about 30-40 minutes the result further revealed that pre operative warming not actually reduce anxiety but warming can be done solely to improve thermal comfort. However, his concept does not seem to have reached his intention, because his concept resulted in improving the thermal comfort instead reduce the anxiety. Where as observation of Krohne et al [2005] from the perspective of extending social support appears to have a higher significance than that of the others.
At this instance, clinical stress could also be associated because clinical stress is yet another problem found in the same kind of operational atmosphere. Preoperational anxiety is a problem related with mental uneasiness so social support will work very well in reducing the intensity of anxiousness. According to the research done by Krohne et al Patients who were given high social support showed less anxiety and those who were not given showed high symptoms of anxiety.
However, there seems to be variations between the genders in terms of exhibiting the emotions. Padmanaban et al [2005] observation shows that the effect of music could reduce the anxiety level. They experimented in terms of applying music as a tool, which was played in such a way to create binaural beats within the brain resulting in slow down of the anxiety. Agarwal et al [2005] experimented in terms of applying acupressure as a relief from preoperational anxiety as well as bi spectral index value.
Conclusion
Of the four acupressure and social support seems to sound better as many of the patients reported in the researches done by the above authors reflected a tendency of fear of pain, and anesthesia insertion etc. The musical approach and acupressure seemed to have reduced the level of narcotics amount as the patients who were given these treatments were able to find themselves quiet comfortable to prepare themselves for operation. Where as social support of Krohne et al [2005] has one more advantage of relieving patients not only from fear and anxiety but also from stress.
Reference
Agarwal, A., Ranjan, R., Dhiraaj, S., Lakra, A., Kumar, M and Singh , U. “Acupressure fro prevention of preoperative anxiety: a prospective, randomized, Placebo controlled study.Anesthesia 60 [10], 978-981. Web.
Kimberger, O., Illievich, U. and Lenhardt, R. “The Effect of skin surface warming on pre operative anxiety in neurosurgery patients” 2007. Anesthesia 62: 140-145. Web.
Krohne, Heinz Walter and Slangen Kersteinn E. [2005]. Vol.24 pp-101-105. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
Padmanaban, R. Hildreth A.J. and Laws, D. “A Prospective, randomized, controlled study examining binaural beat audio and pre-operative anxiety undergoing general anesthesia for day case surgery.”2005. Anesthesia 60 [9] , 874-877. Web.
Client B. C. has been experiencing emotional issues (anxiety and difficulties developing an appropriate coping mechanism) due to the recent loss of his father. The patient, therefore, lacks the ability to manage his emotions and handle the pressure of his new responsibilities. The absence of social support aggravates the problem.
Associated Issues
Low energy, short attention span, anger, self-isolation, and avoidance can be deemed as the primary comorbid issues. Despite the fact that Patient B. C. defined himself as Catholic, religion does not play a significant role in his life. There is also the lack of peer support that makes the problem even bigger. The client has a criminal record (graffiti, shoplifting).
Suggested Actions
It is recommended that the client should develop an efficient symptom management strategy. Particularly, the development of coping skills is crucial. Thus, the foundation for a positive outcome can be built.
Potential Barriers
The lack of cooperation from the client due to anger management problems can be viewed as the primary issue to be expected. Furthermore, the problems with restoring the relationships between the patient and the community may need to be addressed. Finally, the client is not ready to make changes to his life, which is bound to be a significant impediment.
Vignette
The patient (Client B. C.) is a 16-year-old heterosexual Hispanic man who has been suffering from a behavioral disorder and substance (marijuana and alcohol) abuse. Client B. C. has no known allergies, medical issues, or health concerns linked to the family background. There have been no mental health problems registered up until today, either. There have been no suicidal or homicidal tendencies registered.
The client is currently in the 11th grade. Though there are no evident school problems, Client B. C.’s academic score has dropped greatly. Because of the instances of shoplifting and graffiti, Client B. C. has a criminal record at the Juvenile Court. The patient has been sentenced to 50 hours or community service.
Client B. C. has recently lost his father, who also had a substance abuse issue (alcoholism). With his mother and a little sister, he feels the weight of responsibilities, assuming that he currently is the breadwinner of the family. The fact that he has three younger sisters adds to the overall feeling of responsibility that Patient B. C. is experiencing. The following issues have been reported by Client B. C. and his mother: anxiety, short attention span, lack of motivation, low energy, isolates self at times, and abnormal sleeping patterns. Client B. C. is aware of his problems and recognizes the significance of learning.
Core Clinical Hypotheses
Hypothesis A: Avoidance of specific emotions
Patient B.C. tends to hide his despair and pain under the veneer of anger. Furthermore, Patient B. C. seems to resent the very idea of experiencing the said emotions; therefore, he suppresses them, thus, making them brew and evolve into even greater issues. Therefore, the client must learn to confront the issues through which he has been going. Thus, the foundation for a successful management of the subject matter will be built.
Rationale
The fact that the patient still has anger issues and cannot control his emotions properly should be viewed as the primary reason or choosing the said course of actions. Since it is crucial that the patient should be able to reconcile with his emotions so that the further cooperation could become a possibility, it is imperative to allow Patient B. C. to face and confront these emotions successfully. For this purpose, bringing what lurks under the guise of anger into the light and allowing the patient experience raw emotions is crucial (Anshel & Brinthaupt, 2014).
Hypothesis B: drug addiction
Patient B. C. has been struggling with his drug addiction for quite a while, yet there has been little to no success in suppressing the client’s need to use marijuana as the means of relieving his stress, which calls for a more intensive therapy aimed at managing the drug problem from a cognitive behavioral perspective. Particularly, the patient will need to recognize the problem and cooperate with the therapist to develop the strategy that will help reduce the consumption of marijuana and, finally, abandon it.
Rationale
There are strong indications that the client needs an improved drug management framework. Even though Patient B. C. has acknowledged the problem, no willingness to cooperate in managing the issue has been registered so far. Drug abuse, in turn, is another tool that allows the client to avoid confronting his problems. Therefore, until the consumption of marijuana is stopped or, at the very least, reduced to a minimum, no further improvements can be expected. The management of the drug issue, thus, must be viewed as the first step toward addressing the anxiety problem and preventing the patient’s condition from aggravating (Shonin, Van Gordon, & Griffiths, 2014).
Anxiety (Parent Loss) and Drug Abuse: Current State of Knowledge
Treatment Plan: Emotions Avoidance
Strategy
Seeing that the customer needs to build the approach for managing his anger issues, as well as handle his addiction to marijuana, it is crucial to make sure that Patient B. C. should be able to confront his actual emotions, i.e., the grief that he has been experiencing after his father’s death, the fear of being unable to face the new responsibilities which he accepted as his own after his father’s passing away, etc.
For this purpose, it is crucial to provide Patient B. C. with the support and empathy that he needs to open himself to others. Apart from the emotional help that the therapist will provide, the mother will also have to be invited to convince the client that he does not have to fight his battles alone. As a result, Patient B. C. is likely to realize that he does not have to keep his feelings bottled up inside and, instead, should be more open toward the people that care for him. As a result, Patient B. C. is likely to accept the idea of reducing the consumption of marijuana. Furthermore, the premises for abandoning his drug habits can be built. The identified step will become one of the building blocks for the reintegration into the society (Ayers et al., 2014).
Subgoals
Apart from making Patient B. C. deal with his emotions, one will have to accomplish several other nonetheless relevant goals. For instance, it will be imperative to make sure that the mother and the community members should be invited to participate in the intervention process and provide the support that the client needs to overcome the current obstacles (Azami, Doostian, Motamedi, Massah, & Heydari).
Rationale for focusing on emotions
As stressed above, the inability to control his emotions, particularly, the anger issue, can be viewed as one of the primary impediments of Patient B. C. on his way to recovery. It is essential to convince the patient that they should be open about their emotional experiences so that the patient’s fears could be addressed, and that the appropriate emotion management framework could be used. Arguably, the introduction of an appropriate anger management approach will help address another problem faced by the client, i.e., his drug abuse.
Strength and limitations
Both advantages and disadvantages of the selected approach come from the fact that it requires the client’s acceptance of the treatment and the social/family support. On the one hand, by promoting a conscious approach toward managing the problem, a therapist builds the foundation for a faster and a more efficient treatment process. On the other hand, the stage at which the patient accepts the treatment and starts cooperating willingly with the therapist may take very long to reach, especially given the anger issues and the fact that patient B. C. has been keeping his emotions bottled up and, thus, is rather hard to reach.
Furthermore, relying on the support of peers extensively may not be as reliable as the therapy needs to be at present. Once the patient experiences social ostracism once again, the chances for a successful intervention will be minimized. That being said, the support of peers and especially family members is bound to provide a powerful boost for Patient B. C.’s confidence and, thus, compel him to accept the suggested treatment methods.
Treatment Plan: Drug Addiction
Strategy
The problems associated with the management of the patient’s drug issue are aggravated by the fact that the client displays both chemical and psychological dependence on drugs. Particularly, marijuana serves as the tool for distracting from the problems that the patient is experiencing, yet its consistent consumption must have had its toll on Patient B. C.’s physical state as well. Therefore, it is crucial that a gradual transfer from the current behaviors to the desirable ones should occur. Therefore, the focus on substituting the stimulant with a different tool for managing the emotional issues that the patient is currently facing should be considered the most reasonable step to be taken (Earle, 2016).
Subgoals
In order to address the issue of substance abuse, one should consider using the social support as the foundation for building the strength and resilience that Patient B. C. needs to accomplish the task. Particularly, the significance of family support needs to be explained to the mother and, possibly, the patient’s younger sisters. As a result, the client is likely to receive a powerful impetus for managing his drug addiction and focusing on the development of a different coping mechanism. The function of the social support, in this case, is vital to the success of the treatment outcomes.
Rationale for focusing on drug management
Patient B. C. has been having emotional issues, including problems with controlling his anger. The propensity toward aggressive outbursts, as well as the consumption of drugs, needs to be addressed so that the patient could develop an appropriate coping mechanism that would replace the current destructive behavior. Thus, the foundation for a recovery can be created.
Strength and limitations
The framework suggested above has a potential since it allows the client to recognize the problem and deal with it in a conscious manner. Therefore, the patient is provided with the independence that he needs in order to build enough confidence to become self-sufficient. The identified quality is bound to help him regain faith in himself and, thus, be certain that he will be able to handle the problems that his family is currently facing. Which is even more important, Patient B. C. will finally be able to reconcile with his grief for his deceased father, thus, putting his past behind him and being able to live his life.
However, the treatment plan also has several limitations. For instance, the success thereof hinges on the patient’s willingness to change his behavior and accept the new one that will ultimately help him recover. As long as Patient B. C.’s enthusiasm is maintained at the required high level, the success is guaranteed. However, as soon as the motivation levels drop, the threat a relapse will grow exponentially.
Client Diversity Factors
When approaching the case, one should also bear in mind that the customer comes from a specific cultural background. Therefore, there is a strong need to take the essential characteristics of the Hispanic culture into account. Some of them, such as the significance of family and the relationships between the community members, can be considered very useful in implementing the required treatment strategy. The possible issues associated with the acculturation of the family and the socioeconomic status thereof will also have to be taken into account as essential diversity factors that are likely to influence the outcome of the treatment plan implementation. Therefore, as long as the therapist keeps in mind that the patient’s family is affected by a range of socioeconomic and sociocultural issues, the efficacy of the intervention is bound to remain high.
References
Anshel, M. H., & Brinthaupt, T. M. (2014). An exploratory study on the effect of an approach-avoidance coping program on perceived stress and physical energy among police officers. Psychology, 5(7), Article ID:46163. Web.
Ayers, T. S., Wolchik, S. A., Sandler, I. N., Twohey, J. L., Weyer, J. L., Padgett-Jones, S.,… Kriege, G. (2014). The Family Bereavement Program: Description of a theory-based prevention program for parentally-bereaved children and adolescents. Omega (Westport), 68(4), 293–314.
Azami, Y., Doostian, Y., Motamedi, A., Massah, O., & Heydari, N. (2016). Dysfunctional attitudes and coping strategies in substance dependent and healthy individuals. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal, 13(23), 49-53.
Earle, T. (2016). The use of hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive–behavioural therapy in treatment of problem gambling developed as stress management following a workplace injury. Australian Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 41(1), 84-99.
Ingram, B. L. (2011). Clinical case formulations: Matching the integrative treatment plan to the client (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Wiley.
Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W. & Griffiths, M.D. (2014). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and meditation awareness training (MAT) for the treatment of co-occurring schizophrenia and pathological gambling: A case study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 12(2), 181-196.
The review study strongly emphasizes the symptoms and causes of a social anxiety disorder (SAD). Studies on families and twins imply that environmental variables may play a more significant role in the etiology of social anxiety disorder than genetic factors. Identifying biological traits has been challenging when reviewing the etiology (Rose, 2022). A constrained disposition in children can lead to overly restrictive or invasive parenting, which raises their risk for SAD. One of the most important aspects of treating and overcoming SAD is educating patients and the general population.
The authors apply notions from new developments in neuroimaging technology that could help us understand the disease better in the future. Analysis of the extended amygdala can assist in determining how extensive SAD is in an individual because recent research reveals that it is a crucial area in anxiety disorders (Rose, 2022). The review report underlined that the prevalence rates in children and adolescents are comparable to those in adults. When asked about their background, most people with SAD will say that their symptoms started before age 20 (Rose, 2022). Many people would claim that their symptoms started in childhood. Evasion, fear, or worry often lasts for at least six months and significantly impairs or distresses a crucial functional area. These statements are relevant in helping college students aged 20 and above evaluate themselves to see whether they possess symptoms of SAD.
Empirical Article #1
The main focus of the research is to investigate the global occurrence of social anxiety using a self-report survey of 6,825 participants, with 3,342 men, 3,482 females, and 55 others, whose ages vary from 16 to 29 (Leigh & Clark, 2018). Due to the participants’ diverse cultural and economic backgrounds represented seven distinct nations, including the United States, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Thailand, and Russia (Leigh & Clark, 2018). Researchers expected to view a similarity in how SAD affects individuals but what was evident was that the incidence and intensity of it differed depending on a participant’s age, nationality, employment situation, academic background, and residence in a town or remote place
Globally, researchers report greater than initially disclosed instances of social anxiety indicators and the incidence of people who match the SAD eligibility criteria. According to their research, social anxiety is possibly on the rise among youngsters, with those between 18 and 24 being the most vulnerable (Leigh & Clark, 2018). Efforts in public health are required to increase understanding of social anxiety, the difficulties it presents, and the methods for overcoming it. This would also apply to college students as the study group involves youths.
Empirical Article #2
Studying therapies delivered throughout adolescence is necessary since doing so offers advantages. The researchers expected cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) would bring more change than those receiving no intervention. After testing, the latter revealed persistent symptoms after a year compared to the former, meaning CGBT was working. The researchers used therapy techniques to effect positive change in SAD patients and operationalize the therapies worked.
Researchers concluded that SAD is linked to significant unfavorable outcomes and substantial degrees of impairment, even when contrasted to other psychiatric diseases, after conducting their study on 784 Finnish 13–17-year-olds. Given the ages, participants were not college students, but this would be reflected in college students as they are all youths, and the prevalence in youths is the same as in adults. Social anxiety disorder impacts every aspect of life (Jefferies & Ungar, 2020). Teenagers’ academic progress is limited, and they are more likely to drop out of school early and get less-than-stellar degrees, as was shown among the research participants.
Researchers found that moving on to visual imagination, socially anxious youths may be especially susceptible to disturbing social depictions because they find it challenging to block out or divert focus from them when they happen. This is because the capability to generate, scrutinize, preserve, and reshape mental images grows comprehensively throughout childhood and adolescence. Adolescents may, however, respond exceptionally well to programs that target harmful imagery, given their vulnerability (Jefferies & Ungar, 2020).
Rehabilitation counseling primarily focuses on helping people who have various levels of disability to achieve their personal, career and independent living objectives in their lives. This practice is carried out in rehabilitation centers, hospitals, universities and government agencies, where people are offered material counseling on how to cope with their lives and achieve their targets like other members of the society (Ladany & Inman, 2008).
This is usually done through vocational services offered to certain groups of people and individuals who require rehabilitation counseling to enable them appreciate their conditions and develop an attitude towards positive change for a better life. Professional rehabilitation counselors extend their services to a wide range of persons in the society, right from working-age adults to persons of all age groups who have disabilities of relative degrees.
Rehabilitation counselors provide both specialized and general counseling to people through individual or group’s evaluation and assessment. The research study sought to demystify the facts on the relationships among the stress appraisal process, coping disposition and the level of acceptance of disability on a selected sample for study. When developing the need to understand all these factors, it’s evident that people with disabilities require specialized attention to ensure that they realize the best out of their undertakings. The research hypothesis of the study was that there exists variability in the levels of acceptance among people with disabilities (Groomes & Leahy, 2002).
Method
The study examined the relationship around the anxiety evaluation procedure; adapting air and the level of acknowledgement of handicap around a certain target populace which was acted for by a specimen to assist enhance the nature of the study. One hundred and fifty one persons with different incapacities were haphazardly chosen and asked to finish four review polls that were intended to assemble informative data on the theme of the examination.
The respondents were required to critically understand the key elements in the questionnaires, and freely express their feelings on various salient issues highlighted on the level of acceptance of disability and how they cope with disability disposition as individuals in the society that they live in (Lustig & Rucker, 2002). The questions also related to how people view disabilities, which plays a role in the level of acceptance in their daily undertakings. The data collected was analyzed principally using a newly developed Stress Appraisal Inventory for life. The situations instruments in the analysis resulted in five different components that were developed as a basis for a stress appraisal process that was identified in the research study (Olney & Kennedy, 2002).
Findings and analysis
The study results clearly demonstrated specific meanings that disabled people mostly attribute their stressful situations to. People with disability often find themselves in hard situations especially in a society that discriminates on people with disabilities, making them to develop stigma, which in turn erodes away the courage to cope with their disabilities. More than 60 percent of the respondents said that they pursue acceptance for their disability situations, but the environment they live in does not provide necessities for coping with their status (Wilson & Mitchell, 2002).
Conclusion
Rehabilitation counselors develop mechanisms that are specific and specialized to counsel people with disabilities, so as to help them cultivate acceptance within themselves and for the society to accord them the necessary support. Their levels of acceptance are degraded by the responses that people accord them despite how they may try to cultivate acceptance to cope with their disabilities (Wilson & Mitchell, 2002).
References
Groomes, D., & Leahy, J. (2002). The Relationships among the Stress Appraisal Process, Coping Disposition, and Level of Acceptance of Disability. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin,46 (1), 14-23.
Ladany, N., & Inman, A. (2008). Handbook of Counseling Psychology. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Lustig, D., & Rucker, F. (2002). The Relationship between Working Alliance and Rehabilitation Outcomes. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin,46 (1), 24-32.
Olney, M., & Kennedy, J. (2002). Racial Disparities in VR Use and Job Placement Rates for Adults with Disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 45 (3), 177- 185.
Wilson, K., & Mitchell, A. (2002). Predicting VR Acceptance Based on Race, Gender, Education, Work Status at Application, and Primary Source of Support at Application. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin,45 (3), 132-142.
For this assignment, the focus will be on modifying behavior that leads to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) using positive and negative reinforcements. GAD seriously affects the mental well-being of an individual and it is highly prevalent. I choose GAD because I have been diagnosed with it several times and I keep exhibiting its symptoms now and then. GAD negatively impacts one’s performance and it is resistant to medication. The authors note GAD has unique learning tendencies that could be beneficial in maintaining it. The authors argue that GAD maintenance may be a result of inadequate lessons on probabilistic outcomes learned over time in response to reinforcement. The authors also offer reasons to support their argument that people with GAD may have had inadequate lessons in probabilistic outcomes (LaFreniere & Newman, 2018).
In particular, they argue the primary symptom of GAD, which is an uncontrolled worry, is characterized by predictions of the high likelihood of a negative future outcome. They maintain that accurate probabilistic learning would eliminate the worry.
While quoting the contract avoidance model, the authors allege that people with GAD use it to avoid unwanted shifts in negative emotions. While testing this model in a study, the results showed that people with GAD used it as a coping mechanism for emotions both inside and outside the lab(LaFreniere & Newman, 2018). The authors maintain that if GAD is a coping mechanism, eliminating it by using reinforcements would, in effect, be a disposal of a favorite coping mechanism. This leads them to argue that people with GAD may not learn from experiences that refute their projected negative outcomes.
In addition, the authors maintain that people with GAD may have a bias toward negative information, leading to its processing at the expense of relieving outcomes. People with GAD are also inclined to recall personally relevant information that is negative rather than positive information. The negative information is also more accessible as a reference point for projecting the future than positive information, leading to a distortion in the projection that reinforces the worries associated with GAD.
Expectancy bias shows an overprediction of fear with regard to people with GAD that leads to an exaggeration of fearful feelings. People with GAD experience problems with accurate projections of future outcomes. Due to their excessive worry, people with GAD are more inclined to overestimate the incidence of negative outcomes occurrence (LaFreniere & Newman, 2018). However, these projections of future events are almost always highly inaccurate.
The authors argue that besides problems with probabilistic learning, people with GAD also have curious tendencies when it comes to reinforcement learning. Consequently, this class of people is more likely to learn from negative reinforcement compared to positive reinforcement. The contract model maintains that people with GAD do not allow themselves to feel good for a long time because it increases the chances of painful, hurtful events or emotions in the future. Thus, the default position for people with GAD is worry despite the unreasonableness of some of the events occurring.
Thus, GAD is highly sensitive to relieving outcomes as they offers some kind of negative reinforcement. In effect, the primary symptom of GAD is maintained by negative reinforcement such that: people with the disorder worry constantly about a negative event occurring despite its improbability and constant worry leads to distress. If the imagined outcomes fail to materialize, they provide a negative reinforcement that a person with the disorder utilizes as a coping mechanism. Thus, according to the authors, the management of GAD can be done by using positive and negative reinforcements to modify behavior.
Unfortunately, GAD is resistant to medication, meaning that although some of the symptoms can be managed with medication, the condition will recur once in a while. However, with behavioral modification, someone with GAD can be taught how to cope with the disorder so it does not impede their daily activities. The authors maintain that a patient with GAD can lead a normal life if their coping behavior is modified using positive and negative reinforcement. Their assertions are supported by previous research and the results of their own research.
Positive and Negative Reinforcement
Positive and negative reinforcements are types of operant conditioning that are used to modify behavior. In operant conditioning, positive means that one is adding something, while negative means removing something. Reinforcements mean increasing behavior to elicit a behavioral response. Reinforcements are the easiest way to teach new behavior, with positive reinforcement being the addition of a positive stimulus to increase behavior (Miltenberger, 2022).
In negative reinforcement, behavior is modified by removing an undesired stimulant. Negative reinforcement works by reinforcing a certain behavior by removing an undesired stimulus. This type of reinforcement strengthens the preceding behavior. Generally, a behavior is said to be negatively reinforcing if they allows an individual to escape the negative stimuli. Positive and negative reinforcements increase the chances that a particular behavior will reoccur in the future.
GAD is a major health issue for me and millions of other people diagnosed annually throughout the globe. However, the treatment options that exist currently have a very low effectiveness rate, meaning that the rate of recovery is not high. Part of the problem is that researchers do not fully understand the body processes that lead one to experience constant worry all the time. However, behavioral specialists have over the years proposed various ways that an individual can be enticed to change behavior that reinforces their disorder. One of the ways proposed for the management of GAD is reinforcement (Pike & Robinson, 2022).
Ironically, GAD persists because of the reinforcement effect of the non-occurrence of a projected negative outcome. Thus, GAD is perceived as a coping mechanism that allows one to avoid negative emotions. Hence, as a coping mechanism, a patient can be taught another way to cope that is not harmful to their mental health. This learning can be achieved by both positive and negative reinforcement according to symptoms presented in individual cases.
For an individual who worries too much, the prospect of learning another behavior to help cope with their worry may present another reason for an increase in doomsday scenario imaginations. This escalation happens because learning the new behavior involves discarding something that helped cope when uncertainties reigned. As noted in section one, behavioral modification to deal with general anxiety disorder means that one is forced to face one’s worst fears. Accordingly, it may prove difficult to reinforce another positive coping mechanism for a person suffering from GAD because they must be able and willing to learn new behaviors on how to react when they are not sure about something. Reinforcement and punishment are two of the easiest ways to teach new behavior to subjects. In this case, reinforcement is preferred because it is more subtle in its approach to behavior modification. Further, once a behavior is reinforced, it is learned forever, which is beneficial for anyone with GAD.
To manage GAD, a behavioral therapist needs to reinforce another coping behavior in the patient. These can take the form of worry exposure, relaxation, and other positive behaviors to replace the constant worry that characterizes this disorder. I worry too much now and often but it has not reached clinical-level worry where I am unable to go about my daily activities. Consequently, behavior modification would be appropriate for managing fears. Specifically, positive and negative reinforcements could help reinforce a positive coping mechanism that eliminates the doomsday worries that people with GAD have.
Positive and negative reinforcements are types of operant conditioning that modify the behavior of an individual. Positive reinforcement modifies behavior by adding a stimulus, while negative reinforcement modifies behavior by removing an undesired stimulus. For an individual like me who worries too much to the point of being considered as suffering from a general anxiety disorder, positive and negative reinforcements can help modify this behavior.
GAD is generally characterized by an unnecessary and unreasonable fear that something will go wrong, irrespective of the chances of something going wrong. Psychiatrists see this worry as a way to cope and avoid negative emotions. However, this coping mechanism is harmful to one’s health and a new coping mechanism is required to manage GAD. Consequently, reinforcement is the most appropriate method to teach new coping behavior because it is one of the few behavioral modification techniques available. Thus, the choice of positive and negative reinforcement as a way to manage general anxiety disorder is appropriate and has the potential for positive results.
References
LaFreniere, L. S., & Newman, M. G. (2018). Probabilistic learning by positive and negative reinforcement in generalized anxiety disorder. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(3), 502–515. Web.
Miltenberger, R. (2022). Behavior modification: Principles and procedures (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
The Connection Between Social Anxiety and Time Spent on Facebook
Out of the five concepts discussed, I found the amount of time spent on Facebook the most interesting one to research. The researchers use the amount of time spent on Facebook in order to determine the connection between Facebook use, Facebook envy, and depression. Nevertheless, Tandoc et al. do not discuss the reasons for the increased use of Facebook, stating that it is more important to discuss “what people did while using Facebook rather than the amount of time spent” (141). However, given the growing number of teenagers and young adults spending at least several hours a day on Facebook, it would be interesting to suggest and explore the reasons for such a trend. In particular, I find that the connection between social anxiety and the amount of time spent on Facebook is an interesting topic of research. I chose social anxiety as the concept that might have an effect on the amount of time spent on Facebook each day because of the increasing number of teenagers and young adults who identify themselves as having some form of social anxiety. My theory is that people who experience social anxiety will spend more time on Facebook than those who feel relaxed and comfortable in most social situations.
Social anxiety, or social phobia, is a disorder that causes people to experience mild to severe difficulties with communication. It is associated with increased nervousness, fear of judgment or embarrassment, and the overall unease when being around friends, colleagues, classmates, family members, or even strangers in the street. People who suffer from mild social anxiety will feel more relaxed and comfortable around close friends; however, they may be afraid of public speaking and being introduced to new people. People with a moderate or severe degree of social anxiety usually experience compulsive thoughts regarding what other people might think of their looks, manners, appearance, voice, personality, and other features. Most people with social anxiety experience fear of talking to people in the street, for instance, when asking for directions.
Other examples of social anxiety in everyday life include refusing to go to social events and gatherings, struggling with speech problems, such as stuttering, avoiding familiar people in case of unexpected encounter in the street or at an event, being unable to ask a stranger for help in a difficult situation, and so on. People with social anxiety are usually easy to spot: normally, they are very reserved and shy; they are not an integral part of their organization’s social life and will normally avoid going to social events, have very few friends and do not show any interest in the conversations of other people. Clearly, the majority of these difficulties arise during face-to-face or phone communication. Many people with social anxiety do not experience any troubles with using social networks, which might be due to several reasons. First, social networks such as Facebook, allow people to use written communication instead of talking to someone face-to-face.
Written communication is easier for many people; for example, in written communication, you can edit your posts or messages for as long as you want before you are sure that they will not be misunderstood or taken in a wrong way by other people, which promotes the feeling of security and comforts the people who suffer from social anxiety. Secondly, social networks may also act as a protective tool, as people do not see or hear each other. Finally, social networks allow people to join various communities and groups based on their interests, which might help people with social anxiety to decrease the feeling of loneliness and to make up for the lack of real-life communication. All things considered, using social networks instead of face-to-face communication is an attractive option for people who have social anxiety and experience difficulties in social situations, which is why the proposed theory should prove to be true.
In order to test the theory, a qualitative study will have to be conducted. To narrow down the topic of research, it would be best to focus on teenagers and college students who have active social media profiles. Each participant will receive a survey consisting of closed questions, such as:
• What is the average time you spend on Facebook each day?
• Do you feel uncomfortable asking people on the street for directions?
• Do you consider yourself a socially active person?
• Have you ever experienced the fear of what other people might think of you?
The questions should address all the variables considered in the research, including the amount of time spent on Facebook, the presence of symptoms of social anxiety, and the effect of Facebook use in promoting the feeling of security and inclusion. Overall, I believe that this research could help to discover the reasons for the increasing amount of time that young adults and teenagers spend online, while at the same time offering a deeper insight into the factors that reduce social anxiety symptoms, thus helping to develop effective treatment programs.
Anxiety disorder is a psychological problem in individuals who are known to worry too much and have fears that are unrealistic. These disorders have been known to cause diverse psychological and physical damage.
The classifications of anxiety disorder include the phobias, the generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Each of these disorders has different symptoms and treatment procedures.Research indicates that diagnosis of the disorders may be difficult since the symptoms overlap with other common ailments. However, various treatment interventions exist.
The use of cognitive-behavioural therapy such as the use of talk therapy is very effective. The therapist tries to unearth the causes of such anxieties and fears and helps the patient realize that it was exaggerated and unrealistic.
The use of medication such as the SSRIs is also effective. However, some have adverse side effects.
Research questions
I. What is the diagnosis of anxiety disorder?
II. What treatment interventions are available for anxiety disorder?
Introduction
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) provides information about anxiety disorder as it relates to the course, Abnormal Psychology (Butcher, Mineria, & Hooley, 2007).
It has been defined as the various forms of the psychiatric disorders that involve the repetitive focus on symptoms of distress, worrying, being uneasy and worrying about what will happen in the future.
This fear about what the future holds may be based on facts or imaginary things. There are other medical conditions that may imitate and be misdiagnosed as anxiety disorder. One of them includes hyperthyroidism.
This disorder is unhealthy to any human since it may negatively affect the psychological and physical health of the individual. Anxiety disorder is like a disease that requires proper diagnosis and prompt treatment.
There are several psychosocial causes of this disorder. Some causes are genetic by nature. The persons who have been diagnosed with the disorder may be classified into two groups.
The first classification is the group of individuals who are experiencing continuous symptoms. The other classification consists of individuals whose symptoms only seem to occur episodically.
According to research, there are several types of anxiety disorders. Research also indicates that at least one of the disorders affects about 20% of Americans and approximately 15% of Europeans (Kessler, Chiu, Demler, Merikangas, & Walters, 2005).
When one is said to be anxious, the individual may be going through one or more of the four experiences. These include dissociative anxiety, tension, apprehension or certain physical signs.
Anxiety disorder may be divided into three broad categories. They include panic, phobic and generalized anxiety disorders. All of these disorders have their different symptoms and each requires a different intervention (Gelder, Mayou, & Geddes, 2005).
The individual suffering from an anxiety disorder experiences diverse emotions of different capacities. Some may experience simple nervousness (Barker, 2003).
However, others may have bouts of terror. This paper will examine the Axis 1 diagnosis of Anxiety Disorder and assess some of the available therapies and medication.
Diagnosis of Anxiety disorder
In most cases, the terms anxiety and fear are used to mean the same thing. However, clinically, the two words have two distinct meanings. The term anxiety is used to mean the uncomfortable state of mind whose cause is not known and is thought to be beyond the individual’s control.
On the other hand, the term fear is the way in which an individual responds in the presence of a known threat. Anxiety disorder involves the presence of both fear and anxiety.
Nurses and medical practitioners use different methods to diagnose anxiety disorder. These tools usually detect the anxiety symptoms. One of these tools includes the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale.
In some areas, the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale is used. The individual suffering from this disorder requires undergoing physical and medical examination and their personal history examined.
This may be necessary in order to ensure that the individual is not suffering from unrelated ailments. In children, it may be difficult to diagnose the condition because it usually causes disruptive behaviours, which may be misdiagnosed as attention-deficit hyperactivity or other similar disorders.
Anxiety disorders may be put into different classifications, each with different symptoms and diagnoses.
The classifications include the generalized anxiety disorder, phobic disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and separation disorder (American Psychiatric Association [APA], (2000).
A person suffering from generalized anxiety disorder normally worries a lot and may be excessively anxious.
This anxiety and worrying may be about things such as employment or school performance. The individual would normally find it difficult controlling these feelings.
Some physical symptoms include irritability, fatigue, sleep disorder and muscle tension. Individuals suffering from an anxiety disorder would have distress and their social and occupational skills would be impaired.
Phobias are triggered by particular stimulus and situations. This is usually a fear of something and it is usually exaggerated since the potential danger of the fear may be minimal.
For example, others fear insects such as the butterfly. Panic disorder may cause a brief attack of great terror. The individual may start shaking and trembling. Others appear confused. Others have difficulty in breathing during such occasions.
Agoraphobia is the situation where an individual feels cornered and has no place for escape. Such a person would constantly watch around in search of a place of refuge or escape. Social anxiety disorder is a disorder that has to do with social behaviour in public areas.
Such individuals usually fear and avoid being negatively scrutinized by the public. They also avoid public embarrassment and humiliation.
Such individuals usually avoid social interactions due to these fears. Manifestations of this disorder include blushing. Some have difficulty speaking.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a situation where one is repetitively obsessed about something that makes the person to feel like performing certain activities or rituals. Research estimates that about 3% of people in the world are affected by this disorder.
Post-traumatic stress disorder may occur when one passes through a frightening experience. Examples of traumatizing experiences include natural disasters, rape, being in a hostage situation, bullying or accidents, among other similar situations.
Such individuals are hyper-vigilant and usually show certain avoidance behaviours. Anger, depression and anger are other symptoms that need to be observed during diagnosis (American Psychiatric Association [APA], (2000).
Anxiety disorder is also usually associated with other mental disorders and some occur to as many as 60% of all individuals with the disorder. Such disorders include clinical depression.
The symptoms of depression and anxiety are similar in many respects and similar environmental conditions may lead to symptoms in both cases. They may even overlap and this explains why both of these medical conditions may coexist. It has also been argued that sexual dysfunction may be a result of anxiety disorder.
When this occurs in men, some tend to avoid sexual intercourse all together. Some may show signs such as premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction. In women, these conditions may cause pain during intercourse.
It is mainly common among those affected by posttraumatic stress disorder and panic disorder. There is the fear of the possibility of panic attack occurring during arousal.
Treatment of Anxiety Disorder
Research has shown that early diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorder is most beneficial (Barker, 2003). The condition may remain unrecognized during most of the stages. If some symptoms are present, the condition may be under-recognized.
In most cases, victims show up for treatment after complications have shown. Such complications include depression and drug abuse. There are a number of treatment options that are available.
One of them includes lifestyle change. Psychotherapy may be provided to the victim. In particular, cognitive behavioural therapy is useful. Pharmaceutical therapy is also available and effective.
Other types of therapies that may be used include humanistic-experiential therapy, behavioural therapy and psychodynamic-therapy.
In psychotherapy, talk therapy has been said to be an efficient way of treating individuals with anxiety disorder. This involves having conversations between the patient and the therapist in order to help the patient to ease their anxiety.
These talks help the patient to air out some of his or her fears, stresses and anxieties to the therapist. During the session, the therapist would educate the client, help in solving the issue, and ensure healing. These sessions may go for short periods or they may be lengthy.
Research has shown that talk therapy and other forms of cognitive-behavioural therapy are very effective for such disorders as phobias and panic disorder. This therapy consists of two main objectives. These include fostering behavioural and cognitive change.
Cognitive change could be achieved by helping the clients to see that it is not obvious that the public is always watching and judging them.
Fostering behavioural change may be done through trying to change the way those people react to situation that might provoke anxiety. These people are provided with proof that such thoughts are not realistic in the real world.
The use of medication may also be useful for persons suffering from an anxiety disorder. One of the recommended types includes the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Side effects may include nausea and headache, among others. However, these effects only occur during the first few weeks of use. Thereafter, the body adjusts to the medication.
The atypical antipsychotic quetiapine has also been used effectively in the treatment of anxiety disorder. However, its side effects surpass those associated with SSRIs.
Conclusion
Anxiety disorder is a psychological disorder that is associated with various behaviours and thought patterns that are not usual. The persons suffering from this disorder may worry too much or have fears and anxieties.
It may be further classified into panic disorder, phobic disorders and generalized anxiety disorder. All these disorders have different symptoms, which require different interventions.
Early diagnosis of anxiety disorder is important since it could be treated before it reaches advanced stages. However, it is difficult to diagnose other disorders early enough and this would require extra attention at later stages. Treatment is available for anxiety disorder.
The two major types include therapy and medication. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is effective for such cases. This includes the use of talk therapy, which seeks to change the patient’s way of thinking. Drugs such as the SSRIs have also been used successfully and are recommended.
References
American Psychiatric Association [APA]. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder: DSM-IV-TR. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Barker, P. (2003). Psychiatric and mental health nursing: the craft of caring. London: Arnold.
Butcher, J.N., Mineria, S., & Hooley, J. (2007). Abnormal Psychology (15th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education.
Gelder, M., Mayou, R., & Geddes, J. Psychiatry. (2005). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kessler, R.C., Chiu, W.T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K.R., & Walters, E.E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 62(6), 617–627.