∞ ANXIETY ∞

As promised, I’m writing about anxiety in this blogpost. Over the years, anxiety has been the topic of college courses I’ve taken, courses I’ve taught, care plans I’ve written, care plans I’ve evaluated, and of countless discussions I’ve had with patients, clients, students, or even family members and friends. Nevertheless, before writing a public-facing blog, I thought I’d review some of the science and anecdotes that abound about this topic that affects everyone in so many ways. Each of us -- regardless of gender (independent of sex assigned at birth) -- occupation, role, age -- could likely talk at length about how anxiety and its causes have molded our responses to virtually every thought, every question we have.

First, DEFINITIONS:

Everyday Language

- Merriam Webster defines anxiety as mentally distressing concern or interest.

- Collins English Dictionary defines anxiety as a feeling of nervousness or worry.

- Cambridge Dictionary states that anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling of worry about something that is happening or might happen.

- Wikipedia refers to anxiety as a feeling of uneasiness and worry, usually generalized and unfocused as an overreaction to a situation that is only subjectively seen as menacing.

Medical

- Merriam Webster also offers a medical definition of anxiety as an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and

increased pulse rate), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt

about one's capacity to cope with it.

- The American Psychological Association states that anxiety is an emotion characterized by

feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.

- Taber's Medical Dictionary describes anxiety as a vague uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread

accompanied by an autonomic response (the source is often nonspecific or unknown to the individual);

a feeling of apprehension caused by anticipation of danger. It is an alerting sign that warns of

impending danger and enable the individual to take measures to deal with that threat.

Now, SYNONYMS: nervousness worry concern tension apprehension disquiet unease angst fear

>>> NOTABLE ~ a synonym for “stress” is anxiety

There’s a plethora of information on the internet about the many facets of both anxiety and stress. As an educator and nurse, I always described anxiety as an individual’s response to some stressor to the point that it could interfere with normal activities of daily living. I considered a “stressor” as some stimulus, internal or external, that causes stress. More recent research expands the idea of “internal or external” to at least seven separate stressor categories that cause tension bad enough to result in severe enough stress to cause anxiety. These include stressors that are physiological, related to lifestyle, influenced by a major life event, instigated by problems with motivation and organization, concerned with finances, triggered by social situations, and/or precipitated by environmental issues.

I think that’s enough review.............................................................................................

Clearly, humans live with anxiety and the stress that triggers it, and couldn’t live without either. The neurological structure of our bodies is incredibly complex and sensitive to all kinds of information. We have intensely wonderful brains that direct the intake of information and output of responses to that information. Science (including medicine and psychology) still has only grazed the surface of how the brain and nervous system work. So, with such limited exact knowledge, how is it possible to know how to deal with stress and anxiety?

• First: Recognize that stress and anxiety are facts of life.

• Second: Identify different stresses in your own unique life.

~ Are your stresses negative or positive?

~ Do your stresses come from something affecting you internally?

• Examples of negative kinds of internal stress that can be physical or mental include

illness, disability, discomfort.

• Positive kinds of internal stress -- which can be physical or mental -- include health,

energy, feeling good/better/best, and having strong positive feelings about someone/something.

~ … or do they come from the outside?

• Negative AND positive external stresses are the ones that develop from lifestyle

influences (including education, finances, social situations) and things present in your surroundings and environment.

~ Emotions can precipitate negative or positive stress, and arise from just about any

thought process.

• Third: Develop strategies to successfully function with each type of stress you identify.

~ You’ll need to specify exactly how you think your daily functions could be or are being

affected by positive or negative stress(es) you have identified.

~ Do some research. (Click on highlighted text for internet links.)

• Two helpful links from The American Psychological Association website address both

anxiety and stress.

One discusses the differences between stress and anxiety.

Another considers why stress and anxiety aren't always bad.

• Medical News Today addresses differences between stress and anxiety.

• The National Institutes of Health has a fact sheet about being "so stressed-out."

• Two links for information about how to deal with stress and/or anxiety on the Centers for Disease Control website.

One about stress reduction in the general population.

Another including tips for coping with stress to prevent violence.

~ If you need help with developing ways meet daily expectations, talk to someone

informally -- a friend, a family member.

~ If you are having trouble functioning, talk to your healthcare provider.

• Fourth: Be able to pinpoint when stress is reaching the point of affecting your activities of daily living, which leads to anxiety.

~ Both stress and anxiety can cause physical (headaches, sleep problems, blood pressure

issues) and mental (excessive worry) distress.

• Stress starts to diminish when the cause is identified and goes away when a

situation is worked out.

• Anxiety, generally a reaction to some constant stress, persistently interferes with

daily life.

~ Talk to your healthcare provider, a counselor, or a clergyperson.

This is where I will bring this blog to an end. Everyone is unique, so there’s no way one person writing an internet post can mitigate personal stress and any anxiety it causes. Personally, I’ve been under enough stress several times during my life that I’ve had numerous bouts of anxiety. I can remember things during my childhood, my young adulthood, my professionhood, my wifehood, my motherhood, and my empty-nesterhood that caused dysfunctional behavior. NOTE: dysfunctional means that functioning is not optimal, but it does not mean that functioning has broken down completely. Sometimes, I needed more than a conversation with a family member, a friend, my husband (of 47+ years, btw). Several times, I made the decision to talk with my healthcare provider.

At present, I’m dealing with getting older (I’ve come close to the end of my 6th decade), I’m less nimble, and I’m more “obsolete” (in my own mind). The stresses I experienced after I really stopped working gave way to an inability to function in all but the most basic activities of daily living. I could still eat (which meant cook, too), sleep (sort of well), keep myself clean, keep the house more-or-less clean and tidy, and talk about non-essentials with my husband. What I could NOT do was enjoy what I was doing and make plans for other activities. I tried unsuccessfully to address my issues with my husband. I tried to talk with my daughter and son-in-law and they said the right thing: you need to talk with a professional. I finally talked with my healthcare provider -- a Family Nurse Practitioner who is a woman a little younger than me. Mostly, she listened. She also suggested that I increase the dose of medication I’ve taken for 30 years (it’s sort of like ADHD medication), but I decided that it was enough just to have talked. Over the years, I’ve increased the dose of that medication when I knew it was necessary or predicted that I would need to do so. I only need to do this once or twice a year, and it works well. I know that I can talk with my provider about this when I’m at a loss -- this is enough to spur me onward.