Premium Essay

Anxiety

In:

Submitted By maaaaaar2
Words 929
Pages 4
Anxiety and Defense Mechanisms
Mariel-Pauleane Gomez
PSYC 393-2
September 29, 2015

My definition of anxiety is when you are experiencing an overwhelming amount of stress, but do not know the cause of it, to the point where it is interfering with your everyday activities. Freud’s understanding of anxiety is the feeling of fear without an obvious cause. My definition and Freud’s understanding of anxiety are similar to one another. Our definitions of anxiety both mention how when a person is experiencing anxiety, they not know exactly why they are experiencing it. Freud proposed that there are three types of anxiety: reality, neurotic, and moral anxiety. For myself, I think that there is only one type of anxiety, but there are different levels of it. I believe that it depends on how long the person copes or overcomes their anxiety. The longer it takes for a person to overcome anxiety, the more serious their anxiety is. When a person is experiencing anxiety, I believe that they are feeling helpless, like an infant or baby. Freud mentions that when one is experiencing anxiety, regardless of age, they are also feeling helpless. Freudian defense mechanisms ranked in order of primitive to more advanced: denial, repression, projection, reaction formation, regression, displacement, rationalization, and finally sublimation. I ranked denial as the most primitive defense mechanisms because I consider this the most generic defense mechanism because it underlies many of the other mechanisms. When you use denial, you simply refuse to accept the fact that there is an external threat. After denial, I ranked repression. Repression is when you unconsciously deny the existence of the cause for anxiety. This is one of the primitive defense mechanisms because you have little to no control of doing it since it is being done unconsciously. Denial and repression are similar to

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Anxiety

...Facing The Ice “There is no such thing as pure pleasure; some anxiety always goes with it” teaches Ovid. ( Andy 24) This means that one cannot achieve pleasure easily; he needs anxiety to push himself to the limits and overcome fear. Collier, a freelance writer with more than six hundred articles to his credit, published an article, “Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name “. He uses his personal experience and proves that we can overcome anxiety. Personally I do agree with Collier since I had to face anxiety in a way I never expected. In the article "Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name," Collier explains that anxiety is a very common part in our life and overcoming it instead of backing away is the only way we grow. Collier uses personal experiences, and shows his audience how he faced his anxiety which taught him lessons for the future .He was given a chance to travel with his roommate to Argentina, to work on a ranch. Collier had turned down the offer, since he already had made plans to teach his brother to sail. Turning down this opportunity, Collier learned a valuable lesson and developed a rule for himself: “do what makes you anxious; don’t do what makes you depressed”. ( Collier 95) When Collier was at graduate school, he began writing magazines articles and interviewing big names. Before each interview, he would get butterflies and his hands would start shaking (Collier 95). At one time, Collier had an interview with a musician that he admired, Duke Ellington. During...

Words: 1105 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Anxiety

...Anxiety Anxiety attack is referred to a panic attack of time overmastering fear which occurs without any sort of warning and without any antipated grounds. I suffer from anxiety it’s been four years since last time. A week ago, while at home. I received a phone called from my son’s school advising me to rush to the school immediately. The teacher stated he wasn’t feeling well and seem to be unresponsive. I began to feel my heart racing, my palms sweaty and nerveness. As I rushed to the scene, I decided to call the school back to see what happed. I was told to get to my son as soon as possible. I called nine one one. My heart stared racing, I had difficulty breathing shaking and in fear of losing control. When I made it to the school I saw my son blue in the face and unresponsive. I felt like I was about to faint. I was crying calling out to my son to answer me. The paramedics were tring to claim ne down. I was unable to make out my words. I was trying to stop and think. They calm me down knowing he was alright and well. Throughout the night I felt my symptoms trying to come back. My fingers were numb with a tingling sensation. I had trouble sleeping that night. I found myself waking up in a panic to check to see if he was alright. Anxiety could generally be a onetime result but often it is seen the effects are ongoing process. As an individual who suffer from panic attacks regularly it affect my everyday living a healthy life. People often ask “what are...

Words: 454 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Anxiety

...This paper looks at the relationship between test anxieties in college understudies furthermore their execution in examinations. Commonly, colleges use examinations to test part or even all the learning of understudies, especially in first-year courses. As Burns (2004, p. 120) exceptional, examination results can figure out whether a understudy passes a course or can advance onto further study, and may even impact job opportunities. Justifiably, instructors are concerned that examinations are a reasonable evidence of an understudy's learning. One territory of unique investment is the part nervousness plays in connection to examination execution. This article contends that as a rule, test tension brings down execution marginally, in spite of the fact that this is not apparent in all circumstances, nor with different types of understudies. Further, it is contended that the fundamental system for this result seems, by all accounts, to be that test nervousness prompts the improvement of meddling considerations, which keep a legitimate concentrate on examination undertakings. The paper likewise brings up that albeit numerous components effect on examination execution, test uneasiness is specifically compelling as it seems to lead straightforwardly to out of line results. The paper compares literature and the main literatures used in the paper are following: Burns, D. J. (2004). Anxiety at the time of the final exam: Relationships with expectations and performance. Journal of Education...

Words: 2196 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Anxiety

...Anxiety Tina definitely has anxiety, she shows meets the criteria of the DSM-IV checklist. For instance for Axis I, I think she should be diagnosed for an anxiety disorder. Axis IV the events in her life that has happened, such as death of her loved one could be the cause of this making her feel the way she does. Always worrying too much about the things she should not be worrying about. I can relate to Tina, because I also have anxiety. I know how she feels when the little things get so frustrating. For example, when my sister and my mom have a small discussion and they both do not agree with something, and they make side comments to each other. With just two words it can make me feel so frustrated that I feel like I need to gasp for air. Tina’s symptoms include feeling tied up in knots all the time, especially at night. She always has the feeling of something bad is going to happen. Her being scared that her two twin daughters might get abducted at the bus stop. It is normal to be worried for her daughters; of course she would always want them to be safe. I can relate to this because sometimes when my mom takes long shopping I get worried and think that something bad might had happen. Like if I hear a police car pass my house I get worried and feel like it is going toward someone I care about. Tina not being able to sleep at night is also another symptom. She doesn’t like getting out the house and how she fears driving. Which I think could be another disorder because of...

Words: 859 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Anxiety

...Anxiety Ashley Whitaker Psy450 Nissa Chadwick August 22, 2011 Anxiety Introduction Anxiety is a very real and very scary problem that a lot of people suffer with. This disease can cause problems in everyday activities such as socializing and being able to develop properly. Anxiety limits how much interaction the person suffering can have with other people because of the fact that social interaction can bring on those feelings of anxiety and dread. Human development and socialization is important in a person’s life because these things dictate what kind of adult a person will be. When something interrupts the process of human development or of socialization, the results can be felt throughout the rest of the person’s life. What is Anxiety? Anxiety is a normal feeling that most people feel on a daily basis. “40 million people in the U.S. will experience an impairment because of an anxiety condition this year.” (Anxiety Center, 2011). However, when it gets to the point that these feelings are taking over a person’s life and they can’t help but worry over everything for no obvious reason, it is time to get help. Anxiety can cause socialization very hard to do because being out in social situations and having friends and family around can seem impossible due to the increase in anxious and fearful feelings. There are several different issues that can cause anxiety such as a person’s underlying genetics, a problem with the chemistry within their brain, and also troubles...

Words: 779 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Anxiety

...Anxiety, Mood/Affective and Dissociative/Somatoform Disorders Laura Jackson PSY/410 June 21, 2012 Angela Wall Anxiety, Mood/Affective and Dissociative/Somatoform Disorders Anxiety, mood and dissociative and somatoform disorders take way from individuals the capacity for normal social and expected daily functioning. The biological, emotional, behavioral and cognitive components do vary even though each component has symptoms and parts that overlap. This paper will identify all these components for anxiety, mood, and dissociative/somatoform disorders and will figure out what aims toward a better understanding of more therapeutic applications. ANXIETY DISORDER COMPONENTS Biological The biological component of anxiety disorder has the job of functioning the autonomic nervous system, the limbic system, neutral transmission, autoimmune processes and inherited factors that predispose an individual to anxiety. Anxiety then produces affective physical reactions in people. The biological perspective views the action or the stimuli of the nervous system and its deficiencies (National Institutes of Health, 2010). This may also be associated with genetic predispositions, neuro-chemical and hormonal malfunctions (Schimelpfening, 2009). Emotional The emotional components of anxiety disorders include...

Words: 1031 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Anxiety

... The Study on the Perceived Effects of Anxiety on Academic Achievement And Perceived Strategies to Overcome Anxiety among IIUM Students SECTION 8: GROUP 5 Najlaa Binti Hassan 1213894 Balta Delila 1112551 Fairuz Shofi 1129992 Instructor: Nurul Fuadah Binti Mohamad Hassan Abstract Presence of depression may be seen from different point of views. Usually to say that someone is depressed should be followed by certain change in behavior. There are many different types of depression, starting from normal, occasional change in behavior up to the major depression. Purpose of this study was to examine the perceived effects of anxiety towards academic performance and perceived strategies to overcome anxiety among International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) students. A sample of 45 students was randomly selected from five different kulliyahs. Data were collected by using online questionnaire. It was found that the most significant effect of anxiety disorder on IIUM students’ performance was “passive attitude” and the most significant strategy to overcome anxiety among IIUM students was “efficient planning”. Therefore, it is concluded that there are few perceived effects on anxiety disorder towards academic performance as perceived by IIUM students and there are also many strategies that is useful to overcome anxiety disorder. Keywords: Anxiety, Academic performance, IIUM students, Effects...

Words: 3249 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Anxiety

...about Anxiety Do you know anybody who suffers from anxiety? 40 million people in the United States who are over the age of 17 suffer from some kind of anxiety disorder. That is one in five people in this country with this illness, which means that it is highly likely that somebody around you has anxiety. It is the most common mental illness in the United States. (adaa.org) Anxiety is defined as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” Although worrying and a certain amount of anxiety is a normal and expected thing, people with this illness have excessive worry and unease. The anxiety is so severe that it makes it difficult to lead a normal life and can be very crippling. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between a normal amount of worry and worrying too much. The biggest difference is that an anxious person's worry interferes with their everyday life, this worry occurs most days of the week for more than six months. Sufferers share many symptoms that are common in other illnesses. People with anxiety experience headaches, stomach issues, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and other problems that lead them to believe that there is something else wrong with them. (health.com) These symptoms often are the reason individuals go to the doctor and eventually are diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Although anxiety is...

Words: 1204 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Anxiety

...Anxiety Disorders While there are millions of individuals who struggle with the symptoms of anxiety on a daily basis, most people do not understand what having an anxiety disorder entails. According to Wood, Wood and Boyd, anxiety disorders are “psychological disorders characterized by frequent fearful thoughts about what might happen in the future” (Wood 459). In other words, anxiety is the constant or intense state of irrational fear that interferes with day-to-day activities. Anxiety disorders are common in both children and adults, the effects are numerous and the treatments are vast and ever-changing. Although there are many types of anxiety disorders, each having its own symptoms, treatments and effects, three that are common are panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Panic disorder is a term in which an anxiety disorder can be repeated or have unexpected attacks of intense fear. These attacks can last for minutes to hours. Panic attacks cannot be predicted and may result in added anxiety and depression. Over time, people who have panic attacks often worry about the onset of the next panic attack. Shirley Trickett, author of Panic Attacks, reports that symptoms of Panic Disorder include shortness of breath, pounding heart or chest pain, intense fear, sweating, dizziness, chills, tingling, numbness of the fingers and also a fear that the person are losing control or are about to die (5). Most panic attacks can happen...

Words: 1429 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Test Anxiety

...From the moment a test is put down in front of me I feel the nerves begin. My palms begin to sweat, my legs shake and I start to bite my lip and look around as everyone is almost finished when I have not even turned to the second page of the exam. Test anxiety is something that I have struggled with as a student since the beginning of high school. It is something that I could not seem to get rid of no matter how hard I studied. I knew the material that was taught but my mind went blank. Testing for myself and many students can be a frightening experience but my anxiety would take over and falsely portray my knowledge as a student. It lowered my GPA, caused me to struggle daily in the classroom and made me feel embarrassed to admit where I...

Words: 452 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Anxiety Disorders

...The Effects of Patients' Anxiety Disorder on Their Families Courtney Schacherer Utah Valley University Abstract The struggles people diagnosed with anxiety disorders endure are well documented, but the families of those people are often not considered. It is up to the family to be the main support system while at the same time not perpetuating their loved one's symptoms. Forty million adults are affected with some form of anxiety disorder in the U.S. in a given year. That means there is a least an additional forty million people who are affected by watching a loved one deal with the hardships anxiety brings. It is the family who take up the responsibilities that the anxiety suffer is unable to perform. It can have a critical impact on the family's way of life, means of support, caring for children and on the close relationships within the family dynamic. To watch a loved one suffer with an anxiety disorder can be immensely painful, intensely frustrating and overwhelmingly stressful. The toll it can have can seriously damage family relationships if the illness is left untreated or continues for an indefinite period of time. For a person suffering from an anxiety disorder, supportive loved ones can play a key role in their recovery and treatment. But if the loved ones own needs are overlooked, it can be harmful to the treatment process and make a difficult situation worse. The Effects of Patients' Anxiety Disorders on the Families Patient J is a 29 year old stay at...

Words: 1604 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Communication Anxiety

...Communication anxiety: Name: Tutor: Institution: Date: Abstract Communication essentially refers to passing of information from one party to another. There are generally two forms of communication. The verbal and the non-verbal communicatiuion. Verbal communication is basically the spoken or written means of communicating. On the other hand, non-verbal communication refers to those acts, gestures or suggestive body movements that relay information without spoken words. The importance of communication cannot be overstated. In every sphere of life, good communication plays a cruicial role in ensuring starndard if not outstanding performance as well as sustainability. Success in virtually all endevours calls for good communication. For a healthy family setup, communication between the parents and the children has to be efficient. In business, good communication is vital for smooth running of every organization. Despite the known facts about the heavy significance of good and effective communication, since the 19th centuary communication apprehension has been persistently a ruccuring hindarance that has never been fully addressed. Families have fallen apart as a result of barriers to communication. Employees have lost their jobs to communication anxiety. Organistation have fallen to the ground due communication breakdown. Students have registered low grades attributed to communication anxiety. Communication apprehension is now established as the biggest...

Words: 3444 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Speech Anxiety

...your doom. Good morning to my teacher and fellow students, today I want to inform you on speech anxiety. What is speech anxiety? Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking. Speech anxiety can range from a slight feeling of “nerves” to a nearly incapacitating fear. Some of the most common symptoms of speech anxiety are: shaking, sweating, butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, and squeaky voice. Although it is often impossible to completely eliminate speech anxiety there are a variety of ways to deal with it and even make it work to your advantage. Experiencing speech anxiety is normal. Nearly everyone gets nervous when they have to give a speech or a presentation, even experienced speakers. The speakers that look relaxed and confident have simply learned how to handle their anxiety and use it to enhance their performance. Most of your anxiety is not visible to the audience. You may feel like you are shaking uncontrollably but people in the audience probably cannot even tell. Gain confidence from the fact that you are the only one who knows how nervous you are. Anxiety decreases as a speech progresses. Speech anxiety is usually worst right before a speech and at the beginning of the speech. Most people find that once they get through the introduction their anxiety begins to decrease and confidence increases. Tips for Dealing with Speech Anxiety. Before giving a speech... Identify the cause of your nervousness. Write down the reasons why...

Words: 1245 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Anxiety

...Anxiety is a term for more than several disorders, such as fear, apprehension, nervousness coupled with constant worrying, neuroticism so to speak. Experts consider these disorders severe to say the least because it interferes with a person’s ability to sleep, affects how a person may feel, behave, as well as a host of physiological problems, which are directly related to stress, and other mental issues. Anxiety varies from person to person ranging from anxiety over every day events and panic disorders, which include physical symptoms. Anxiety is a common problem with a stigma that for many causes them to refuse help. However, knowledge is power and understanding anxiety along with the various types of treatments is a key resource to battling this dilemma. In addition, how one’s support system plays a role in helping loved ones live a healthy life is also a major art of battling anxiety. The number of Americans suffering the effects of various anxiety disorders is over 40 million. One of the biggest problems concerning all mental illness is the lack of desire or willingness for those who suffer to seek help. In cases involving anxiety, this is especially disheartening as most anxiety disorders are highly treatable. Surprisingly only one third of the 40 million will actively seek help of any kind. One of the common symptoms of anxiety related disorders is feelings of fear and uncertainty these experiences are possible factors in why seeking help is so difficult. The...

Words: 1042 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Problems of Anxiety

...PSY8119-4 Problems of Anxiety Anxiety Problems. Annie is experiencing clinical symptoms of Adjustment Problems with Disturbance of Conduct which the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) published 1994, classified as Alexis I V 309.3. This diagnostic possibility is based on two educated conjectures and inference. a) Axis I V 309.3 definition of Adjustment problems with Disturbance of Conduct. b) And Annie’s clinical symptoms of social factors. Alexis I V 309.3 overview As stated in Axis I V 309.3 adjustment problems occurs when a person shows a marked behavioral or emotional symptoms when he or she responses to a known stressor or group of stressors. These may be significant or minor stressors such as, relocating to a new environment, receiving a poor evaluation report, or losing a long last girlfriend or boyfriend. As stated in Axis I V 309.3 cognitive development, age, and past experience such as, repeated trauma regardless of the distant past, has also been implicated as possible risk factors that could influence the development of Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct. As noted in Axis I V 309.3 symptoms associated with adjustment problems with disturbance of conduct includes, lack of focus, distraction, poor performance, sometimes tearfulness, fright and worrying without legitimate reason of any pending threat. Even though, as Axis I V 309.3 noted, these...

Words: 916 - Pages: 4