Distress: Symptoms, Causes And Possible Treatments
Anxiety is an emotional state that causes discomfort feeling of suffocation, mental suffering and even sadness. It is related to fear (irrational fear), despair and, in many cases, uncertainty. Fear of separation, bullying at school or work, or irrational and intrusive thoughts, among other situations, can cause distress.
The term anguish is often confused with anxiety. In this article we will talk about the differences between both concepts and we will delve into causes, symptoms and possible treatments of anguish.
It is not easy to understand the difference between anguish and anxiety since they are terms that are often used as synonyms on many occasions. There are authors who consider that the difference is that while anxiety is used in the clinical setting, anxiety has a rather philosophical origin, and is especially important in existentialism. For example, Heidegger and Kierkegaard already used the term, and the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre spoke about anxiety in his book “L’Être et le Néant” (1943).
Now, in psychology (or psychiatry) Sigmund Freud also spoke of “realistic anxiety” and “neurotic anxiety,” referring to the latter as a pathological state. Today, for many, the line between anxiety and distress remains blurry.
There is no consensus as to the difference
And despite the attempts to distinguish these concepts by philosophers, doctors and psychologists, today these terms continue to be confused and are used as synonyms in many cases. Some authors have considered that physical symptoms prevail in anxiety, while in anxiety the psychological ones prevail (although this distinction between symptoms is even more confusing).
It has also been considered that anxiety has a paralyzing effect on the individual, while anxiety activates a motor startle reaction. However, nowadays, when talking about anxiety, both physical and psychological symptoms are also taken into account.
A clear example of how these concepts are used interchangeably is when panic disorder is mentioned, as it is also called anxiety crisis or panic disorder. As Manuel Suárez Richards states in his book Introduction to Psychiatry (1995): “Both terms are currently used as synonyms, since it is taken into account that they are unpleasant psychological states that present physiological symptoms habitually, and are characterized by painful expectation in the face of an imprecise danger.”
Therefore, in this article we will refer to anguish as a synonym for anxiety, which causes great discomfort in the person who suffers it and in which there is not only a physiological and physical reaction, but also a psychological one.
What is anguish?
Although anxiety and anguish They stand out for resembling fear are different from the latter in the sense that fear manifests itself in the face of present stimuli, and anxiety or anguish in the anticipation of future, indefinable, unpredictable and even irrational dangers.
Anxiety can be adaptive and useful, in the sense that it is a normal reaction in our daily lives, and it can even be beneficial in certain contexts. For example, when crossing a road with a red light, it keeps us alert so we don’t get run over.
But if we think of an anxiety crisis or a panic disorder the person has a disproportionate anguish reaction, which paralyzes the individual, and in which psychological symptoms such as the feeling of suffocation and imminent danger become present, which have nothing to do with reality. That is why it can be considered a psychopathology.
This distressing situation it does not only appear acutely as in the case of panic disorder but there are other factors that can lead to suffering from it. For example, when we are not clear about our future and we enter into an existential crisis that leaves us sleeping thinking about how we will solve the problem. For anguish to occur, biological, psychological (and existential) and environmental factors come into play. That is why philosophers, poets, psychologists and psychiatrists have been interested in this phenomenon throughout history.
Generally anxiety appears in situations in which the person faces difficult situations where there is a threatening element (physical or psychological), but also in those situations in which the person does not see the path to follow clearly and, therefore, lives in a situation of uncertainty.
At a biological level, there are also studies that affirm that genetic predisposition is present in this condition and that some neurochemicals play an important role in distress.
For example, an increase in adrenaline or a reduction in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Finally, some environmental causes such as difficulties in social relationships or bad daily habits, among others, can precipitate the appearance of anxiety.
Symptoms
Anxiety presents a series of characteristic symptoms. They are the following:
Possible treatments
Anxiety problems are very common nowadays and, without a doubt, the most effective treatment to solve it is to go to psychological therapy.
Psychologists are professionals prepared to treat these types of problems. which can help patients discover the underlying causes of their worries and fears; and they can provide them with certain tools that help them relax and look at situations from a new perspective. Likewise, they can help them develop better coping and problem-solving skills.
psychological therapy for anxiety problems it is usually short, since patients improve in 8 or 10 therapeutic sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be very effective as a therapeutic model in the treatment of anxiety disorders, but other types of psychotherapy such as acceptance and commitment therapy or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) are also effective.
In extreme cases, the use of drugs It can be a good help as a complement to psychological treatment, especially in those situations in which it is necessary to reduce symptoms quickly, such as, for example, to treat a panic disorder. However, drug administration should never be the only therapeutic option chosen, and is always initiated by medical indication.
