According to the National Institute of Mental Health, for an individual that has an anxiety disorder, their anxiety does not vanish, and it may even increase over time. The symptoms of anxiety may stand in the way of someone’s everyday actions. For instance, their job, school performance, and connections with other individuals.
A social media survey was conducted on February 10, 2021. Young adult women in the Philadelphia region who suffer from anxiety were asked the following question from a questionnaire on Instagram, “If you're an 18–25-year-old woman and have anxiety, are there any questions you'd want a psychologist to answer?” 13 individuals took part in the survey and remain anonymous. Some of the questions asked consisted of, “what can I do to help with my anxiety? And why am I feeling the feelings I do?” and "what are universal things that all patients can do to help?" Since many of the questions were very similar, the questions submitted to the psychologist were combined.
Kelly Landman, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at Delaware County Community College.
Dr. Landman is the psychologist taking part in this survey. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at numerous conferences, professional meetings, and schools. The following responses were conducted from an interview with Dr. Landman.
What is anxiety?
“To understand anxiety, let's first separate it from stress and fear. Stress is a person's physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral response to a challenging or threatening situation, and the source of stress is called a stressor,” says Dr. Landman.
She explains that stress can be encouraging at certain points and reflective at others. “Stressors can be positive and negative events - anything that offers a challenge (exciting or threatening) to a person, from preparing for a holiday party or a new baby in the family to having to pay one's bills to fighting in a war,” states Dr. Landman.
She continues to say that fear is one's sensitive reaction to a real danger in the setting. She provides an example saying, “such as if an intimidating bear walked up to a person while out for a walk. There is a real and present danger, so it makes sense that the person feels afraid.” Dr. Landman states that anxiety is very much related to stress and fear.
She explains, “one's body reacts in a similar fashion. However, anxiety is about PERCEIVED and FUTURE threats in the environment, even if there is no evidence that the threat will ever actually be present.” Dr. Landman expresses that It is often illogical in disposition, and the individual undergoing anxiety at times is aware that it is illogical.
What are the symptoms of anxiety?
Dr. Landman says that when an individual faces anxiety, there may be an array of indicators. “Physically, their heart starts pounding, their palms get sweaty, their pupils dilate, their muscles engage, they have hot flashes or chills, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, and some people have chest pain and believe they are having a heart attack,” says Dr. Landman.
She explains that emotionally, individuals experience a feeling of being afraid and nervous. “Cognitively, they often have thoughts of doom and helplessness, and it is very common for people with anxiety to experience running thoughts they do not think they can control,” says Dr. Landman.
Dr. Landman says that many people have "rumination," or becoming trapped into thinking about the same troublesome notion repeatedly. “Behaviorally, people experiencing anxiety may freeze or feel their muscles tense up to be prepared to fight or run (fight/flight/freeze),” says Dr. Landman. She states that they too can have an abrupt yearn for flight, and that some have attempted to run away in the midst of escape while undergoing panic.
What are the best treatments for anxiety? Is medication necessary? Is therapy necessary?
Dr. Landman says that each individual pondering over whether they are wondering if they meet the requirements for a diagnosis should go in for a full evaluation/assessment. With doing this, they can establish with a mental health professional if they meet the measures for an Anxiety Disorder diagnosis. If these individuals don’t and they’re grappling with mild anxiety or alteration linked problems, counseling may be helpful for numerous people to cope with these life stressors.
She states, “If you do qualify for one of the Anxiety Disorder diagnoses, I have some great news! There are many interventions that have been shown through research to help; we call these "empirically supported treatments." Because the research is vast, we are pretty clear with anxiety about what helps and what does not.” Dr. Landman explains that for many individuals, the most successful blend of remedies comprises of medication and psychotherapy simultaneously.
Dr. Landman says that for some, medication alone helps, and for others, psychotherapy alone helps. She states, “the type of psychotherapy that is most effective often involves gradual exposure, systematic desensitization, and other cognitive-behavioral methods, sometimes in combination with interventions from other theoretical perspectives.” Dr. Landman expresses that making the decision to practice therapy doesn’t have to be an obligation for several years. She says that numerous individuals with anxiety are thoroughly cured in a concise12-20 session model.
Throughout this interview, Dr. Landman clarified on questions asked by young adult women with anxiety. She explained what anxiety is, the symptoms someone can experience, and concludes with the best treatments for anxiety. According to MentalHealth.gov, “mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.” Dr. Landman believes that it’s important to note that it's best for someone to practice their coping skills with anxiety when they are calm. If they try to only incorporate good coping when they’re upset, it will be harder to remember how to work their way through the steps.