Concept in Definition ABC

Anxiety is the accumulation of physical, emotional and mental sensations that the human body experiences in a situation, which generates a state of constant alertness in the face of real or imaginary danger.

Quote (APA)

Gloria Janette Oseguera Jimenez | Jul. 2022
Lic. In Human Resources, intern of the Lic. in Psychology (Social)

Within the basic emotions that the human being has, which are happiness, anger, disgust, sadness and fear; the latter is associated with the concept of anxiety. The emotion of fear has the function of warning the body of dangers that can damage our integrity through the mechanisms, causing one to flee, attack, or completely paralyze. However, when the emotion of fear becomes a constant in a person's daily life, a pathology is constituted, giving rise to the so-called anxiety.

Anxiety is conceptualized in various ways, since, depending on the study approach, which in this case is the psychology, its meaning and the way in which it is perceived, can vary in each current or psychological approach. In this work the following approaches will be reviewed: psychophysiological, psychodynamic, behavioral and experimental, cognitive behavioral, humanistic and transpersonal.

Anxiety, a concept addressed in psychological currents

The study of anxiety has been observed from various psychological approaches. Each one analyzes the process and the relationship between body and mind, the reactions to internal and external stimuli.

From a psychophysiological approach, anxiety is the response generated by our body to an emotional reaction in our nervous system autonomic and somatic according to James (1884, 1890), who formulated the peripheral theory of emotion. However, Cannon (1927, 1931), refers that this emotional response occurs in the Central Nervous System, where the answers for survival are given. (Diaz, 2019)

For many, Freud (1984), was one of the pioneers in delving into the human psyche. Within his studies, he established that anxiety is due to the accumulation of tension, which is discharged in the physical body in a somatic way, seen from a sexual drive approach; and in turn, categorizes it into real anxiety, neurotic and moral. (Diaz, 2019)

From the behavioral and experimental perspective, Skinner (1969, 1977), analyzes anxiety, from the environment that surrounds the being and the response it has to it, taking as an indicator the reaction to a negative or positive reinforcement of the conduct emotional. (Diaz, 2019)

Cognitive behavioral psychology, through Clark and Beck (1999, 2012) define anxiety as a cluster of circumstances that respond both in behavior, body, emotion and thought. In this way, they refer that the process of anxiety is observed in two processes, the first, of primary assessment of threat; and the second, the secondary reassessment. (Diaz, 2019)

For its part, the third force of psychology, the existential humanistic vision, reviews the concept of anxiety from the perception of threat of the central values ​​of the person (being the aspects, actions that a person esteems), generating sensations of tension in the human being at a psychic and emotional level. (From Castro, 2016)

The fourth and last force, transpersonal psychology, encompasses the area of ​​spirituality and the expansion of consciousness, considering the person as a biopsychosocial being. Therefore, this current, external to the neuroses, including anxiety, as an imbalance of the psychic, physical, social and spiritual areas in the human being. (Perez, 2017)

Anxiety as a pathology

When speaking of anxiety as a pathology, it refers to the persistence and duration of physical discomfort and due to biological, psychosocial, traumatic, psychodynamic and cognitive factors behavioral. (Navas, 2012)

According to DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it recognizes the following anxiety disorders:

It is important to differentiate anxiety disorder in its treatment from other mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, depression, among others, or chronic degenerative diseases, which generate the symptoms of anxiety.

The anxiety disorder can be approached from psychotherapy, providing the patient with tools to carry out the acceptance and management of the psychological discomfort, with cognitive behavioral therapy being one of the best for dealing with catastrophic thoughts and dealing with irrational fears (phobias).

However, within the field of medicine, psychiatry is essential for those patients, where they are altered its brain chemistry, and that, based on medicines, allows the regulation and decreases the physical discomforts of the patient.

In addition to the work of psychotherapy and psychiatry, holistic tools such as meditation, yoga, sport physical, the development of artistic activities, can be favorable in reducing symptoms psychosomatic and in turn, generate a response to the circumstances that cause the symptoms of anxiety.

The follow-up of the patient, for the work of the anxiety disorder, is essential so that a good management of the anxiety and its quality of life can be carried out until reaching old age.