What is anxiety? How to distinguish it from fear?
Fear is a natural congenital emotion that occurs in an emergency. Formerly it served as a stimulus to take the appropriate action: fight or flight. It appears in specific situations in our lives. Anxiety, however, has its source in internal experiences. It is a stronger emotion that appears without any specific threat from outside.
Forms of anxiety
Chronic anxiety can destabilize everyday life. It disturbs free behavior, paralyzes and prevents healthy functioning. It is accompanied by numerous somatic symptoms and can take many forms:
Panic disorder – occurs suddenly without a specific reason, and is accompanied by a sense of terror and fear for your life.
Slow flowing anxiety – has a constant intensity. Without a clear beginning. Often called anxiety by patients. In extreme cases, it is felt during most of the day.
Phobia – fear of a specific situation. As a result, a person experiencing this type of anxiety avoids all potential situations in which anxiety may occur.
Social anxiety – associated with social situations. Often associated with panic disorder.
During anxiety, the human body goes into a state of readiness for action. Somatic symptoms such as trembling hands, sweating, abdominal pain, heartache, dizziness, diarrhea are usually felt.
How does psychotherapy help get rid of anxiety?
Getting rid of it is possible thanks to psychotherapy. Psychotherapy makes it possible to deal with anxiety, often without the need for pharmacological treatment (in other cases, the best results are achieved by combining psychotherapy with taking medication). An experienced psychologist, psychotherapist will help you get rid of unwanted symptoms and deal with negative feelings.
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