Anxiety

Anxiety is an acute feeling of distress that is difficult for a person to explain to himself or herself. The ordinary ways of comforting oneself do not work. Anxiety can be caused by stressful events such as illness or the death of someone near, one's own illness, concerns about family members, and economic concerns. It can also be caused by acute feelings of self-doubt or sadness which have no nameable cause.

There are different ways in which anxiety may show itself. These include difficulty in self-care such as eating, sleeping and grooming. Additionally, there may be irritability, physical discomforts, a general sense of unhappiness, as well as lack of pleasure in valued experiences. Anxiety can be experienced by a person of any age and by either sex. Teenagers may show anxiety by isolating themselves, being moody, or being super busy. In young children anxiety is often expressed in aches and pains although it may show itself in overly-aggressive play, temper tantrums, or bad dreams.

It can be helpful to seek a consultation with a trained mental health professional in order to sort out what the sense of concerns are all about and what is the best course of action. Sometimes the anxiety is caused by current stressful events which feel overwhelming. When the anxiety is pervasive and the reasons are unclear to us, this feeling is usually caused by recent stressful events which have the effect of stirring up long forgotten feelings from the past. In consultation with a skilful psychotherapist, the link from the past to the present can be discovered. Once the origin of the anxiety is understood, the ongoing work is about clarifying what belongs to the past and what belongs to the present, so that we have better intellectual control of the feelings aroused by the stressful concerns.

The duration of the intervention varies from person to person. Sometimes it is a consultation comprised of a few helpful meetings. Other times, short-term therapy is helpful to deal with current overwhelming events. A longer course of psychotherapy may be required when it is discovered that links from the past have been activated. Most of all psychotherapeutic intervention leads to psychological understanding of one's strengths and vulnerabilities of one's own personality which makes for better control of emotional states. If the consequences of the anxiety are throughout all major areas of a person's functioning, then a deeper exploration such as psychoanalysis may be indicated. A successful result is very rewarding. On occasion medication may be helpful as an adjunct but not as a substitute for understanding the underlying causes of the concern.

The benefits of treatment include: alleviation of emotional pain with more peace of mind, an increased understanding of the sources of the upset, more self-awareness, and increased pleasure in daily life.

Information provided Diane Jacobs Kopp, M.S.W., L.C.S.W. Click here to see her PStL profile and find out how to contact her.

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