One of the major contributions of the psychoanalytic school of thought from the last hundred years has been a detailed analysis of ways in which we deal with the discomfort of anxiety. Sometimes called defense...
An understanding of anxiety often eludes us because it is so multifaceted, and you will discover how complex many of these faces can be in the next section. This process can be so confusing precisely...
The statistics of anxiety disorder cases are difficult to determine with precision, and different sources cite different percentages (see David H. Barlow’s book2 for detailed discussion). However, in multiple transcultural, international studies, it appears that...
a. Is this symptom new in onset or more longstanding (i.e., what is my history with this particular symptom?) b. Is this symptom present more in my mind (e.g., worry) or in my body (e.g.,...
Normal, adaptive anxiety is a feature inherent to human development. As we progress from one stage to the next, we have to experience anxiety to get from point A to point B. Austrian neurologist Sigmund...
Conscious anxiety is that which we know we fear. Snakes, heights, germs, a first date, a big presentation, taking a test, or going to the doctor are all common conscious fears. Unconscious anxiety is that...
Using the thermometer in Table 1 as a metaphor for understanding normal versus pathologic anxiety, one might consider normal anxiety as that which keys the body and prompts us to action in a way that...
The difference between anxiety and fear is an important distinction. Anxiety serves as the body’s warning system—the brain’s way of telling the body that some-thing bad could happen. This response relates to but is distinct...
We all have to make sense of what any given anxious moment may or may not mean. I go about this process in my office by taking the “anxiety temperature,” as if on a thermometer....