Definitions
Anxious is usually pronounced “æng-shes,” “ænk-shes,” “æn-shes,” “æng-shus,” “ænk-shus,” or “æn-shus.”
It describes a state of feeling full of anxiety or worry, disquieted, or fearful. In this article we will explore the different forms of anxiety, their causes and treatments.
Anxious Thoughts
When people refer to anxious thoughts they generally mean thoughts that are full of worry or apprehension. There is an additional element to this type of cognitive anxiety, however, and that is the subjective feeling that one’s thoughts are out of one’s control. For the average person, this experience is itself rather disquieting, and anxiety disorders which are characterized by prolonged and frequent occurences of this type of anxious thinking can be extremely troubling.
Anxious Depression
Along these lines, we can imagine the discomfort of experiencing anxiety symptoms concommitant with symptoms of depression. This type of anxious depression is often experienced as a sort of inner conflict between confusion and despair. Clinically, depressive disorders and anxiety disorders frequently co-occur, particularly where trauma, chronic pain, or characterological difficulties are involved. Finding oneself both depressed and anxious leaves the average person feeling paralyzed and afflicted. Psychotherapy can be extremely helpful for individuals in this psychological state.
Anxious Attachment
When it comes to characterological difficulties, there is often room to talk about attachment styles. An ability to engage in secure relationships with others is a prerequisite for healthy psychological functioning. When a person’s basic orientation toward relationships is insecure, dependent, and fearful of abandonment, this is refered to as an anxious attachment style.
Although adult attachment styles are extremely stable in most people, a person with a basically anxious attachment style can be helped to fell more secure and adequate in relationships. Changing this basic orientation toward life among other people creates sweeping changes across the lifestyle, generally resulting in a surprising improvement in overall quality of life.
Feeling Anxious?
There are a number of psychiatric and psychological interventions which can help anxious individuals to feel more relaxed, comfortable, and confident. With a decrease in anxiety, there is generally an improvement in sleep, social functioning, and self-esteem as well.
We are not very comfortable with the anxiolytic medications that are currently available. Typical anxiety meds have a high potential for addiction and tend to produce increases in anxiety symptoms over time. Newer atypical anxiolytics are little more than low-dose antipsychotic medications which may have a potential to cause permanent tremors. Their efficacy is also questionable.
We are much more comfortable with the psychotherapeutic interventions available. There are excellent and highly effective therapies for anxiety disorders which can cause rapid and lasting reductions in anxious feelings and thoughts in many patients. The type of therapy that is likely to be effective will likely depend on the patient’s psychological organization, symptoms, personal background, and present circumstances. There are many different presentations of anxiety and so a lot of room for clinical judgement on the part of the therapist.
Anxious Parents
Anxiety is not always a clinical issue. It is important to recognize that this is a normal part of human life. Everyone feels anxious from time to time, and this is never more true than for parents. Every parent feels some degree of anxiety over the well-being of their children.
One way that much of this parental anxiety can be alleviated is by making sure that there is clear and open communication between you and your kids. Many times anxious parents feel out of touch with their children, unsure how to guide their kids to make smart choices. Other times it is just uncertainty that brings these feelings on, of not knowing what is happening emotionally for your child and so having difficulty understanding what they’re really going through.
Family therapy and parenting classes can be very helpful to parents in this position. There are plenty of ways that you can make small adjustments to the family dynamic that will have big benefits for both parents and kids.
Anxious Children
Parents are not the only ones in a family who experience uncertainty and doubt. An anxious child can feel lonely, frightened, and insecure. Again, this often due to a simple lack of communication that can be easily corrected. By working to improve communication within the family and to clarify everyone’s roles, you experience both short and long term benefits. The short term benefit is a reduction in anxiety and enjoyment of better relationships in the family. The long term benefit is that a previously anxious child can grow into a self-assured adult who feels deep connections to his or her family background.
