Anxiety

• Anxiety is a vague feeling of dread or apprehension.It is a response to external and internal stimuli that can have behavioral emotional cognitive and physical symptoms.
• Anxiety is distinguished from fear
• Anxiety Disorder - comprise a group of condition that share a key of excessive anxiety with ensuing behavioral, emotional, cognitive,and physiological responses.
• Stress is a wear and tear that life causes on the body.it occur when a person has difficult dealing with situations, problems and goals.
• Hans Selye -an endocrinologist, identified the physiological aspect of stress, That he labeled as General adaptation syndrome.
• Types of adaptive behavior: Positive Adaptive Behaviors and Negative Adaptive Behaviors.
• Positive Adaptive Behaviors - help person to learn using imagery techniques to refocus attention on a pleasant scene, practicing sequential relaxation of the body from head to toe.
• Negative Adaptive Behaviors - is a maladaptive behavior such as tension headache,pain syndromes and stress related response that reduce the efficiency of the immune system
• Crisis- results from stressful event for which coping mechanism fail to provide adequate adaptive skills to address the perceived challenge or threat
• Characteristics of Crisis: highly individualized, Normal duration is 4-6 wees, Affects individual's support system
• Types of Crisis: Developmental Crises, Existential Crises, Situational Crises
• Development Crises: occur as a part of the process of growing and developing through various period of life. Sometimes crises is predictable part of life cycle such as Erikson stages of psychosocial development
• EXISTENTIAL CRISES- Inner conflict are related to things such as life purpose, direction and spirituality. (Ex. Midlife crises)
• Situational Crises - sudden and unexpected crisis include accident and natural disasters.
• Anxiety - afraid of unknown, anticipation of danger, apprehension and uneasiness - vague with uncertain things
• Mild Anxiety (+1) - Sensation that something is different or need special attention,this type motivates people to make changes or engaged in GOAL -DIRECTED ACTIVITY. MANIFESTATION: Sharpened sense, Wide perceptual field, increased motivation, increased learning ability.
• Moderate Anxiety (+2)- disturbing feeling that something is definitely wrong. Person become NERVOUS AND AGITATED has difficulty concentrating but can still be redirected to the topic.MANIFESTATION : Selectively attentive, cannot connect thought, muscle tension, diaphoresis, headache, frequent urination and dry mouth high pitched voice.
• SEVERE ANXIETY (+3)- Panic and more primitive survival skills take over, cognitive skills decreases significantly,the person has trouble thinking and reasoning.MANIFESTATION: INC.VITAL SIGNS, RESTLESS, IRRITABLE ANGER, cannot complete tasks, feeling of dread or horror, crying, trembling and chest pain, nausea and vomiting.
• PANIC ANXIETY (+4)- Most severe level, person has no cognitive thought.MANIFESTATION: Cannot process environmental stimuli, distorted perception,no verbal communication, delusion,or hallucination, suicidal,may bolt or run, totally immobile (freeze or Mute.
• Management (MODERATE ANXIETY) Ensure that client follow your instructions, refocus client with calm imagery,speak in short, simple, easy to understand sentences, assess client continuously if he/she understands your instructions.
• Management ( SEVERE ANXIETY) Lower client anxiety level (ensure safety and grounding). Remain with clients,talk in calm,low voice,if restless walk with the client while talking.
• Management ( PANIC ANXIETY) Safety if the priority,keep talking to cleint in comforting manner, proceed to a small quiet non stimulating environment,reassure that it is only anxiety, remain with the client until panic recedes(5-30mins)
• Alarm Reaction Stage - stress stimulates the body to send message from hypothalamus to the gland ( adrenal gland to send out adrenaline and norepinephrine for fuel)and organ (liver to reconvert glycogen stores glucose for food)to prepare for potential defense need.
• Resistance Stage - The brain sends messages to muscles to tense up and heart rate increases to pump blood faster to all parts of the body
• Exhaustion Stage: occur when person has responded negatively to anxiety and stress. Body stores are depleted or the emotional component are not resolved, resulting in continual arousal of the physiological responses and little reserve capacity.