8 curiosities about anxiety that help to understand this phenomenon

Curious facts about anxiety and the emotions, disorders and experiences linked to it.

"Anxiety" is a term widely used in our society, but sometimes confusion may appear with other concepts or we may not know all the information linked to this phenomenon.

In this article we will see some of the curiosities about anxiety most remarkable of this one.

In what does it consist to feel anxiety?

The concept of anxiety is one of the most used in the field of the Psychology, although in many circumstances it is possible to be confused or not to have clear the distinction with other elements as they are the fear, the phobia, the anguish or the stress. The feeling of anxiety is especially linked to the cognitive component and is defined as a diffuse combination of emotions that appear before the possibility that a danger takes place in the future..

That is to say, there are different characteristics that are fundamental to take into account in order to understand anxiety, such as its cognitive basis, being linked to emotions and cognitions and not so much to physiological responses and the appearance of fear before the possibility of a future event that may or may not take place, affecting the functionality of the subject who suffers from it and being maladaptive, being considered a disorder.

Interesting curiosities about anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most studied and researched topics in the field of psychology and mental health; it is for this reason that we have a Wide range of information about anxiety.It is for this reason that we have a wide knowledge about it, also taking into account that anxiety disorders are one of the most common in the population.

Here are some interesting facts about anxiety that we found interesting and of which you may not have been aware.

1. Normally, the worries that we have are not fulfilled

In the anxiety appears a fear before the possibility of an event in the future, that is to say, what we also understand as worry, fear that something bad can happen. Well, it has been seen that most of the times (with a very high percentage, close to 90%), these worries or fears are not fulfilled or do not happen. This means that sometimes we suffer unnecessary discomfortThis means that sometimes we suffer unnecessary discomfort; our functions or activities of daily life can be affected without really bringing us positive aspects.

Thus it is demonstrated that most of the time human beings worry about events that are very unlikely, not to say impossible to happen, even sometimes we worry about events that already took place in the past and that, therefore, we can no longer do anything to solve them. These worries are so serious that sometimes disorders develop that really affect the individual, generating great discomfort and requiring therapeutic intervention.

It is for this reason and anticipating our tendency to worry unnecessarily, that when thoughts of fear or that cause anxiety appear to us, we should ask ourselves if this thought really has any effect on us. we should ask ourselves if this thought really makes sense or how likely it is that it will take place, in order to be aware of them.Thus to be able to be conscious of them and little by little to be working on them and improving them.

2. The avoidance is not the solution

As we have already mentioned, we must try to be aware of the anxious thoughts that appear in our mind in order to be able to work on them and reduce them, but it is necessary to emphasize that the way to do this is not to avoid them or try to deny them, since it has been proved that no thought or disorder disappears or diminishes if we try to avoid it or inhibit it, we will only increase it.It has been proven that no thought or disorder disappears or diminishes if we try to avoid or inhibit it, we will only manage to increase it and maintain the worry or belief that generates the discomfort.

Thus, the correct action is to face these worries that cause us discomfort to be aware of them and from their knowledge to train so that they decrease or are not so dysfunctional, because only when we accept what affects us we can treat it and improve it, only by facing our fears and concerns we can see if they are rational or not.

3. There are 7 types of anxiety disorders

The concept of anxiety is divided into different categories or disorders depending on the cause of the fear or worry..

Thus on the one hand we have the panic disorder that is characterized by an intense fear to present a panic attack, which is understood as a fear or high discomfort along with symptoms of physiological activation such as tremors or sweating; agoraphobia, which is defined as fear of being in a place where it may be difficult to escape or get help if you suffer an anxiety attack; or specific phobia, which is an intense fear and discomfort before a specific stimulus, such as dogs.

Being also anxiety disorders we have the social anxiety disorder which is related to fear or avoidance of social situations or public performances; and the generalized anxiety disorder, which is defined as the concern about different situations or events of everyday life.

There are also two anxiety disorders more related to childhood: separation anxiety disorder, fear of separation from the attachment figure, as would be the parents; and selective mutism which is the inability to speak in some social situations although it does in others.

4. Women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety

It has been seen that women are the sex more prone to present anxiety, being twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder. double the probability of developing an anxiety disorder than men.. This higher percentage in women has been observed both in the general population and in the clinical population and in all disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia.

It should be noted that in the clinical population (i.e., subjects who have been diagnosed with the disorder), the percentage of men and women suffering from social anxiety disorder is more similar, even being slightly higher in men.

5. It is common for anxiety to appear together with another disorder.

Comorbidity between anxiety and another disorder is common.In other words, a high percentage of subjects suffering from anxiety also have another mental disorder, such as depression, somatoform disorder, psychosomatic disorders, sexual dysfunction, substance abuse disorder or even other anxiety disorders.

Thus, we see how specific phobia is the anxiety disorder that is most likely to appear as a secondary diagnosis to another disorder, but if it is presented as the primary diagnosis, it is more likely to appear as a secondary diagnosis.However, if it is presented as the main diagnosis, the subject is very unlikely to present another disorder. On the other hand, generalized anxiety disorder is the one that most commonly appears as the main disorder and very rarely as a secondary disorder.

6. Anxiety can be functional

We have learned to relate anxiety with disorder or discomfort; in society anxiety is understood as a state in which the subject's functionality is altered. But although the conception of anxiety as a disorder is partly correct, it can also be adaptive and help the subject to function well.

As we have already pointed out, anxiety is the anticipation of the possibility of a negative event occurring in the future; if this anticipation is correct and allows the subject to act to avoid such an event, anxiety will be acting in a functional way. It can give rise to cognitions and behaviors that help the individual to survive and protect him/her from imminent danger. before the imminent danger.

7. To practice exercise can help you to reduce the anxiety

To practice sport in a regular way is healthy, generating benefits in the short and long term. For example, it produces an increase in endorphinswhich is a type of hormone linked to the reduction of stress and pain, and which also allows us to feel better, and improves our pulmonary and cardiac capacity.

In the same way, this practice also allows us to us to disconnect and free ourselves from the worries of everyday life.It can even help us to see the facts or events in a different way after having taken some distance and to stop thinking about them for a moment.

8. The anxiety usually appears in early ages

It is habitual that the anxiety disorders appear in the childhood, adolescence and some cases during the early adulthood between the 20 and 40 years, being more probable that it appears before the 35 years.

Thus, we see that the anxiety will develop with greater possibility when the subject is youngerAs you get older, anxiety disorders are less likely to arise if they have never occurred before.