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PSA Project On Anxiety

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PSA Project on Anxiety Anxiety is something that many people go through all over the world. It affects about 18% of the United States population. Anxiety is an emotion characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behavior, such as pacing back and forth, somatic complaints and rumination. Anxiety has different causes, types, symptoms, treatments, and myths. First of all, there are many causes of anxiety. Anxiety may be caused by a mental condition, a physical condition, the effects of drugs, or a combination of these. Some common external causes are stress at work, school, in a relationship, from an emotional trauma, from a serious mental illness, from financial stress, and from taking drugs …show more content…

There are a few different types of anxiety. The six most common anxieties are generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (anxiety attacks), phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. People with GAD are constantly worried with no idea why and could have physical symptoms like insomnia, stomach upset, restlessness, and fatigue. Someone with OCD might have unwanted thoughts or behaviors that seem impossible to stop and may suffer from uncontrollable compulsions, like washing hands over and over again. A person with panic disorder may suffer from panic attacks and may also have agoraphobia, which is a fear of being in places where escape or help would be difficult in the event of a panic attack. People with phobias have an unrealistic fear of an object, activity, or situation, and may try to avoid the fear which only makes the phobia worse. Someone with post-traumatic stress disorder can have flashbacks or nightmares about a something traumatic that happened in the past. A person with social anxiety may not want anyone to see them negatively or worry a lot about what people think about them, and may be seen as extremely shy. Someone with social anxiety might also have performance anxiety or stage …show more content…

One myth is if you snap a rubber band around your wrist the thought will eventually go away. Even though that used to be a popular method, it actually makes your thought get even stronger. Another myth is that you can pass out or lose control if a panic attack gets too bad. An additional myth is that if you have anxiety you should always carry a paper bag with you so that if you start to hyperventilate you can use it. A paper bag, in this situation, is a crutch that will only make you more anxious, and hyperventilation is uncomfortable, but not dangerous. Likewise, another would be if you try to live a healthy lifestyle, by eating right, exercising, and avoiding caffeine, it will make your anxiety go away. While some of your anxiety may go away, it won’t cure it, you will need other help than just reducing stress to get rid of anxiety. And a final myth, medication is the only treatment for anxiety, but while medication does help, cognitive-behavioral therapy can work just as well or better than

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