8 Curiosities About Anxiety That Help Understand This Phenomenon
“Anxiety” is a term widely used in our society, but sometimes there may be confusion with other concepts or we may not know all the information related to this phenomenon.
In this article we will see some curiosities about anxiety most notable of this.
The concept of anxiety is one of the most used in the field of Psychology, although in many circumstances it can be confused or the distinction with other elements such as fear, phobia, anguish or stress may not be clear. The feeling of anxiety is especially linked to the cognitive component and is defined as a diffuse combination of emotions that appear when faced with the possibility of danger occurring in the future.
That is to say, there are different characteristics that are essential to take into account to understand anxiety as its cognitive basis, linking with emotions and cognitions and not so much with physiological responses and the appearance of fear due to the possibility of a future event that may or may not occur. not take place, affecting the functionality of the subject who suffers from it and being maladaptive, thus being considered a disorder.
Interesting facts about anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most studied and researched topics in the field of Psychology and mental health; This is why we have extensive knowledge about it, also taking into account that anxiety disorders are one of the most common in the population.
Below we present some curiosities about anxiety that we found interesting and that you may not have known about.
1. Normally, the concerns we have are not met
In anxiety, a fear of the possibility of an event in the future appears, that is, what we also understand as worry, fear that something bad may happen. Well, it has been seen that most of the time (with a very high percentage, close to 90%), these concerns or fears are not fulfilled or do not happen. This means that sometimes we suffer unnecessary discomfort; Our functions or activities of daily life can be affected without this really giving us positive aspects.
This shows that most of the time, human beings worry about events that are very unlikely, if not impossible, to happen. Sometimes we even worry about events that have already taken place in the past and that, therefore, we can no longer do anything to solve them. These concerns are so serious that sometimes disorders develop that really affect the individual, generating great discomfort and requiring therapeutic intervention.
It is for this reason and anticipating our tendency to worry unnecessarily, that when fearful or anxiety-causing thoughts appear, We must ask ourselves if this thought really makes sense or how likely it is to take place.in order to be aware of them and little by little work on them and improve them.
2. Avoidance is not the solution
As we have mentioned, we must try to be aware of the anxious thoughts that appear in our mind in order to work on them and reduce them, but it is necessary to emphasize that the way to do this is not to avoid them or try to deny them, since it has been proven that No thought or disorder disappears or diminishes if we aim to avoid or inhibit it.we will only make it increase and maintain the concern or belief that generates the discomfort.
Therefore, the correct action is to face these concerns that cause us discomfort in order to be aware of them and, based on their knowledge, be able to train so that they decrease or are not so dysfunctional, since only when we accept what affects us can we treat it and improve it. Only by facing our fears and worries can we check whether they are rational or not.
3. There are 7 types of anxiety disorders
The concept of anxiety It is divided into different categories or disorders depending on what the fear or worry is due to..
Thus, on the one hand, we have panic disorder, which is characterized by an intense fear of experiencing a panic attack, which is understood as heightened fear or discomfort along with physiological activation symptoms such as tremors or sweating; agoraphobia, which is defined as fear of being in a place where it may be difficult to escape or get help if you have an anxiety attack; or specific phobia, which is an intense fear and discomfort when faced with a specific stimulus, such as dogs.
Also being anxiety disorders, we have social anxiety disorder, which is related to fear or avoidance of social situations or public performances; and generalized anxiety disorder, which is defined as worry about different situations or events in everyday life.
There are also two anxiety disorders more related to childhood: separation anxiety disorder, fear of separating from the attachment figure, such as parents; and selective mutism, which is the inability to speak in some social situations although it does so in others.
4. Women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety
It has been seen that women are the sex most likely to present anxiety, having twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder as men. This higher percentage in women has been observed both in the general population and in the clinical population and in all disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia.
It should be noted that in the clinical population (that is, subjects who have been diagnosed with the disorder), the percentage of men and women who suffer from social anxiety disorder is more similar, even being slightly higher in men.
5. It is common for anxiety to appear together with another disorder
It is common for comorbidity to appear between anxiety and another disorder; In other words, a high percentage of subjects who suffer from anxiety also have another mental disorder, such as depression, somatoform disorder, psychosomatic disorders, sexual dysfunctions, substance abuse disorder or even other anxiety disorders. .
In this way, we check how Specific phobia is the anxiety disorder that most tends to appear as a secondary diagnosis to another disorder., but if it is presented as the main diagnosis, the subject with a very low probability will present another condition. On the other hand, generalized anxiety disorder is the one that most commonly presents as a primary disorder and very rarely as a secondary disorder.
You may be interested: “The 7 most important comorbidities of social phobia”
6. Anxiety can be functional
We have learned to relate anxiety with disorder or discomfort; In society, anxiety is understood as a state in which the subject sees his or her functionality altered. But although the conception of anxiety as a disorder is partly correct, it can also be adaptive and help the subject function properly.
As we already pointed out, anxiety is the anticipation of the possibility of a negative event occurring in the future; If this prediction is correct and allows the subject to act to avoid such an event, the anxiety will be acting in a functional way. It can give rise to cognitions and behaviors that help the individual survive and protect him or her. in the face of imminent danger.
Related article: “Work stress: causes, and how to combat it”
7. Practicing exercise can help you reduce anxiety
Practicing sports regularly is healthy, generating benefits in the short and long term. For example, there is an increase in endorphinswhich is a type of hormones linked to reducing stress and pain, and that also allows us to feel better, and improves our lung and heart capacity.
Likewise, this practice also allows us disconnect and free ourselves from the worries of everyday lifeit can even help us see facts or events differently after having distanced ourselves and stop thinking about them for a moment.
8. Anxiety usually appears at an early age
It is common for anxiety disorders to appear in childhood, adolescence and in some cases during early adulthood between the ages of 20 and 40, with it being more likely to appear before the age of 35.
So, we see that anxiety will develop more likely when the subject is younger; As you get older, it is less likely that anxiety disorders will arise if they have never occurred before.
