Responds with information that either agrees or refutes the original poster’s discussion. Provides relevant information and feedback to the original poster.
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Use Textbook: Becoming Aware by Katie Barwick-Snell (15th edition)
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#1Difference Between Fear and Anxiety
Fear and anxiety are closely related emotional responses, but they differ in important ways. Fear is an immediate, present-focused response to a clear and identifiable threat, such as encountering a dangerous animal or being in a life-threatening situation. It triggers the bodys fight-or-flight response to help ensure survival. In contrast, anxiety is more future-oriented and involves a diffuse, vague sense of apprehension or worry about potential threats that may or may not occur (Barlow, 2002). While fear is typically short-lived and tied to a specific stimulus, anxiety can be more persistent and generalized.
Preparation Anxiety and Neurotic Anxiety
Preparation anxiety refers to a mild to moderate level of anxiety that can actually be helpful. It motivates individuals to prepare for future challenges, such as studying for an exam or preparing for a presentation. This type of anxiety is considered adaptive because it enhances performance and readiness (Spielberger, 2013).
Neurotic anxiety, a concept associated with Sigmund Freud, involves excessive and irrational worry that is disproportionate to the situation. It stems from unconscious conflicts and fears, often related to internal struggles between impulses and societal expectations. Neurotic anxiety can interfere with daily functioning and may lead to maladaptive behaviors (Freud, 1923/1961).
Is Anxiety Over Exaggerated in Society Today?
There is ongoing debate about whether anxiety is over exaggerated in modern society. Some argue that increased awareness and discussion of mental health have led to the overuse of the term anxiety to describe normal stress or discomfort. However, others emphasize that greater awareness has reduced stigma and encouraged individuals to seek help, which is a positive development.
What Research Says About Anxiety in Society Today
Research indicates that anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions worldwide. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2022), anxiety disorders affect a significant portion of the population and can impair daily functioning. Similarly, the World Health Organization (2023) reports that anxiety has increased globally, particularly following major stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies suggest that modern factors such as social media use, economic uncertainty, and increased societal pressures may contribute to rising anxiety levels (Twenge et al., 2019).
Overall, research supports the idea that anxiety is not necessarily exaggerated, but rather more visible and prevalent due to both increased stressors and improved recognition of mental health conditions.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). Author.
Barlow, D. H. (2002). Anxiety and its disorders: The nature and treatment of anxiety and panic (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Freud, S. (1961). The ego and the id. W.W. Norton. (Original work published 1923)
Spielberger, C. D. (2013). State-trait anxiety inventory for adults. Mind Garden.
Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L., & Martin, G. N. (2019). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 128(3), 185199.
World Health Organization. (2023). Mental health and anxiety disorders.
#2Fear is often an emotion that is felt regularly in today’s modern world. Though fear is also considered a broad emotion that can take many forms. One of those forms could include anxiety. As a result, it is important to distinguish what the difference is between fear and anxiety. Fear is often described as knowing what we are afraid of while anxiety refers to being unsure (Barwick-Snell, 2024). This means that fear could be influenced through external factors in the present while anxiety is often persistent, general and future-oriented fears that could or could not happen. Nonetheless, even though fear and anxiety are similar in many ways, anxiety also has many other forms. One of those forms being preparational anxiety. Preparational or “normal” anxiety refers to anxiety that helps us get energized to deliver our best (Barwick-Snell, 2024). In contrast, neurotic anxiety is often referred to as an extreme anxiety that hinders daily function and slightly blows the situation out of proportion than what is actually presented. This type of anxiety could also be presented in other ways when the situation threatens peoples’ thoughts and behavior that causes them to express irrationally (Ally & Aloka, 2024).
Thus, despite having awareness for what anxiety may do or how it may take form, anxiety remains a prevalent concern as time progresses. After all, a study has been done on anxiety to show that up to ten percent of populations may suffer from anxiety disorders, particularly cancer patients (Dong et al., 2022). Of course, in some instances, anxiety may be over exaggerated, but in many other cases, anxiety is often serious and flared due to other factors. Some examples of those factors may include family upbringing, past experiences, or present circumstances. Therefore, even though there is more awareness for anxiety in society today, there also remains a prevalent rise for anxiety as time progresses.
References:
Ally, A., & Aloka, P. (2024). Sigmund Freuds Understandings of Anxiety: A Conceptual Review. Zenodo; Wits School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand.
Barwick-Snell, K. (2024). Becoming Aware (15th ed.). Kendall Hunt Publishing.
Dong, J., Xiao, T., Xu, Q., Liang, F., Gu, S., Wang, F., & Huang, J. H. (2022). Anxious Personality Traits: Perspectives from Basic Emotions and Neurotransmitters. Brain sciences, 12(9), 1141.