PSYC 380 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Anxiety and Understanding How It Affects Us_ASSIGNMENT_2023.pdf

panic disorder is a condition marked by frequent periods of anxiety, rapid breathing, increased

heart rate, sweating and trembling (Kalat, 2019). So, this leads to another question that many

people have about anxiety. How old do you have to be to have anxiety or a panic disorder? This

actually has no age limit and is often found in young children. Anxiety has also been diagnosed

in small children. Anxiety is also a symptom that shows in children who are on the autism

spectrum. It is also something that presents itself at a very young age. But, in order for children

to have anxiety, do they have to be autistic? The answer to this is no, they do not have to be on

the autism spectrum to be diagnosed with anxiety.

Anxiety can be triggered or developed over a period of time. Children who have been

reported to not have a stable home often develop anxiety. This can come from traumatic events

If an event that took place is traumatic enough and they left untreated many people will

oftentimes develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But, what is post traumatic stress

disorder? The definition of post traumatic stress disorder is, a condition resulting from a severe

traumatic experience, leading to a long-lasting state of frequent distress recollections

(flashbacks) and nightmares about the traumatic event, avoidance of reminders of it, and

exaggerated arousal in response to noises and other stimuli (Kalat, 2019). When people think

about post traumatic disorder they think about people who have served. While military men are

at a higher risk for post traumatic stress disorder, they are not the only ones to develop it. Many

young adolescents oftentimes develop post traumatic stress disorder because of many traumatic

events they have gone through. This develops in young adolescence who have had a traumatic

childhood or have had traumatic things done to them. Does this mean that everyone who has had

traumatic things happen to them or had a traumatic childhood will develop post traumatic stress

disorder? The answer to this is no, everyone is different and process emotions and thoughts

differently. Some people might not have even had a traumatic event happen to them and still

develop post traumatic stress disorder because of how strong and intense their anxiety is.

Anxiety is often more common in women than it is in men. It is also more common for

Vaping is something that has recently emerged within the last fifteen years and has taken

the smoking world by storm. If you ask an individual why they vape their answer will most

likely be because it is “relaxing”. This is because of the nicotine within the vape that sends

positive signals to the brain, creating the relaxing feeling. When many people are stressed it is

not uncommon for them to go smoke a cigarette or hit their vape. But, the difference between a

vape and a cigarette is that vapes do not smell bad. They come in all sorts of delicious flavors

and individuals are able to smoke them inside. They do not require a lighter or make the room

smell bad. They are always accessible as long as they are charged, making them easier to smoke.

From talking to many people from a personal experience they do not like the fact that they vape.

Many people hate the fact that they crave to hit their vape once at least within a five minute

period. They view it as a hard cycle to break and they feel anxious without it. Many people also

picked up vaping in order to help their anxiety. Nicotine does help anxiety, but only for a split

moment. It is also false happiness because it is artificial and tells the brain to feel good. So, after

the feeling is gone their anxiety comes back. Studies have shown that vapes worsen anxiety,

depression, and post traumatic stress disorder for this exact reason. Nicotine is proven to make

individuals who are struggling with anxiety develop worse symptoms. So this then brings up the

It is nothing new that marajuana has been around for a very long time. But, CBD and THC

products are somewhat new to the game. These include carts, which are filled with CBD oil and

are made to mimic the effects of marajuana. There is also candy made with this and mimics an

even more intense high than regular marajuana would. This paper is to not shame these products

or the use of marajuana but talk about how it contributes to the anxiety problem in young

adolescent adults. Many doctors will often give people medical cards that allow them to get

medical marajuana to help them with pain, depression, and anxiety. But, too much of a good

thing can become a bad thing. Many young adults find themselves eating CBD candy and

smoking carts in order to forget about their problems a lot. If you ask them why the answer is

similar to the reason why they vape. They reply how it relaxes them and helps them with their

anxiety. With new science THC is the cousin to CBD, THC is not real marajuana. It is an

imitation and in some cases can become really dangerous. There are a lot of false advertising and

false products that claim to be real, and are unfortunately not real. These products are more

common than you would think. They are not very dangerous to smoke but will increase anxiety.

Many you adolescence often rely on these products to function everyday, which only increases

their anxiety when the effects have worn off. This creates a bad cycle and is a habit to nearly

Alcohol is another suppressant that seems to be used in order to control anxiety. More

research has been done about alcohol and many know that the long term effects are never

pleasant. Substance abuse plays an important role for those who experience any mental health

issues. It does not help them but only will increase them and provide temporary relief. By

understanding how nicotine, marajuana, CBD, THC and alcohol affect the youth with panic

disorders and depression we can better understand them.

Something many people do not understand is that there are different forms of anxiety.

Many people oftentimes think that anxiety is just all that it is. There are five main types of

different anxiety that people struggle with. The first is generalized anxiety disorder which is the

most well known and common form of anxiety. The second is obsessive compulsive disorder

(OCD). This is when people have compulsive actions that tend to cause them anxiety if not done,

an example of this would be cleaning. The third is a panic disorder which is when people have a

diagnosis of panicked episodes. The fourth disorder is post traumatic stress disorder, which

develops after a traumatic event takes place in one’s life. The fifth disorder is social phobia or

better known as social anxiety disorder. This takes place when an individual begins to get

overwhelmed with the amount of people that are around them.

It is common for animals to make noise, cry and feel upset when being separated from

their owners. The long term effects of separation anxiety can become intense if left untreated in

children and animals. Many children who have been abandoned within their life often develop

social anxiety. This also will cause trust issues and worry of abandonment. People who are

diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often have separation anxiety play into

their diagnoses. People who struggle with borderline personality disorder often develop feelings

for one particular person. This is what is referred to as their “favorite person” and they feel as if

they can not live without them. This is where separation anxiety plays into this and they feel the

need to constantly be with them. This is due to the fear of being abandoned and left behind,

causing them to feel anxiety and fear.

So, now that anxiety has been better described and who it can affect, what is there to do to

help it? There are many natural remedies to help all types of anxiety. Many natural remedies

include drinking tea such as camomile. Also, proper exercise and yoga help anxiety and other

mental health issues as well. Proper nutrition and the right amount of sleep also help lower

anxiety levels. Lavender is a natural remedy that is supposed to help us sleep and calm down

anxiety. Vitamins such as Omega-3s can help and meditation can help clear your mind reducing

Many medical professionals might advise medication if natural remedies are not working

for you. There are a few types of anti-anxiety medications that they might recommend for

someone suffering from anxiety. These medications include Benzodiazepines, Diazepam which

is known as Valium, Chlordiazepoxide known as Librium, and Alprazolam which is known as

Xanax. These medications help anxiety by decreasing fear by facilitating the binding out the

neurotransmitter GABA to the GABA receptors (Kalat, 2019). This allows the anxiety being felt

by the individual to start disappearing. Depending on the individual the doctor will know which

medication might work best for their anxiety. If the medication does not work like it should, they

will try a new different medication until they find the right fit for that specific individual.

It is very important to remember that while an individual is taking medication or anxiety

that they should not use any substances. Alcohol is a very important thing to understand when

taking any type of medication. If someone is taking Benzodiazepines for their anxiety they

should not drink alcohol. If they drink while they are on this medication they can experience

dizziness, slow breathing, overdose, coma and even death. Many people who are on the

medication Xanax and mix alcoholic drinks with this medication often die of an overdose. This is

why it is very important to understand how anti anxiety medication might affect you and how

Because of this your doctor will also check you for depression symptoms. If an individual

does have depression then they will work with them to find the right medication for them as well.

Mental health is a fragile thing and is something that many people struggle with. It happens if

something traumatic happens to us or even if nothing has happened to us at all. Because of the

curse of man we are cursed to feel pain in our life. But no matter how much pain we endure we

can always find peace within God. God knows us better than anyone and gives His toughest

battles to His strongest warriors. God is always here for us no matter who we are, how bad our

mental health is or what we have done in our life. In Jeramiah 31:3 it says, “The Lord appeared

to us in the past, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with

unfailing kindness”. This tells us that God has everlasting love for us no matter what. When God

created mankind He knew the pain that would follow us and He experienced this pain Himself

when He came down to earth. In 1 Peter 5:7 it says, “Casting all your care upon him; for He

careth for you”. This reassures us that God does want to help us. I feel that God raises us to

special people like doctors, medical professionals, and psychologists to help you through your

pain as well. God will send you the people that you need in your life. In conclusion to this essay

Anxiety has been better understood and how it affects people. There is a better understanding of