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Posts under ‘Psychology’

What are phobias?

Nov 17th, 2008
by Tina.
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scared

A specific phobia is an intense fear of something that is generally considered harmless. If you are exposed to the thing you’re afraid of, you become overwhelmed with extreme feelings of anxiety, fear, and even panic. This experience is so unpleasant that you will go to great lengths to avoid the object or situation you fear. The American Psychiatric Association reports that each year, 7.8% of American adults suffer from a phobia.

Signs and symptoms of phobia

  • Shortness of breath or smothering sensation

  • Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

  • Chest pain or discomfort

This is a preview of What are phobias?. Read the full post (308 words, 1 image, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

10 Ways to Lower Anxiety

Nov 13th, 2008
by Tina.
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smile

  1. Set boundaries on your worries

    Worry is a natural part of life, but it can be your whole life if it is allowed. It helps to pick a place and time to do your worrying. Spend 30 minutes thinking about your concerns and mostly about what you can do about them. Then let go of the worry and work towards your solution. Also balance your worry with hobbies and fun activities.

  2. Relaxation techniques

    These may include muscle relaxation, yoga, or deep breathing. Muscle relaxation is simple. Start from your feet or your head and work your way though the body. Start by choosing a specific muscle and holding it tight for a few seconds. Then relax the muscle. Repeat this pattern.

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Famous People and celebrities with Anxiety

Nov 11th, 2008
by Tina.
2 comments

  • Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

    Freud developed and taught psychoanalysis, which is a form of psychotherapy. During the time when he wrote his famous papers on anxiety neurosis, Sigmund Freud suffered from Panic Disorder. He had symptoms of an Anxiety Disorder and was concerned about his anxiety spells.

  • Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

    He is a renown physicist and mathematician and genius, known for such achievements as discovering the law of physics, law of gravity and co-inventing calculus. He had a nervous breakdown in 1677, and again in 1693. He underwent a period of severe emotional disturbances including loss of appetite, loss of concentration and extreme sensitivity.

This is a preview of Famous People and celebrities with Anxiety. Read the full post (398 words, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

What is anxiety?

Nov 10th, 2008
by Tina.
1 comment

worried

Anxiety affects our emotional well being, our behaviors and can also have physical symptoms. It is a natural part of human evolution and has an important role. It allows us to fear danger and respond appropriately When one feels anxious, there may be a variety of symptoms:

  • Tense muscles

  • Trembling

  • Churning stomach

  • Nausea

  • Diarrhea

  • Headache

  • Backache

  • Heart palpitations

  • Numbness or “pins and needles” in arms, hands or legs

  • Sweating/flushing

There are also different types of anxiety

This is a preview of What is anxiety?. Read the full post (260 words, 1 image, estimated 1:02 mins reading time)

Treatments available to overcome fear of being alone

Oct 2nd, 2008
by Tina.
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stickman

There are many reasons as to why people fear of being alone. There are also a variety of therapies available to help overcome this fear. Each specialized therapy should only be done by licensed professionals (ex. licensed clinician, social workers, therapists, etc.)

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What is the fear of being alone

Sep 30th, 2008
by Tina.
1 comment

lonely isle

Autophobia is the fear of being alone. It may also be called isolaphobia or monophobia. Some of the symptom include the following:

  • sweating

  • dry mouth

  • shaking violently

  • inability to think clearly

  • cannot breathe properly

  • experience anxiety attacks

  • nausea and sickness

  • heart beats fast

  • fear that you may die at any point

  • becoming mad or losing control

There may be many causes of autophobia

  • Association with a bad experience

    As a child, parents locked you up in a room for long hours of penalization.

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5 more ways of overcoming fear of flying

Sep 29th, 2008
by Tina.
1 comment

airplane

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog suggesting 5 ways of overcoming fear of flying

Here are 5 more ways:

  1. Breathing Exercises

    • Find a comfortable position and close your eyes

    • Place your hand on your abdomen

    • Inhale slowly through your nose and feel your lungs fill up (feel abdomen rising, not the chest)

    • Hold that deep breath for three to five seconds

    • Slowly let the breath out

    • Rest for a few seconds

    • Repeat ten times.

  2. Progressive muscle relaxation exercise

    • Start with deep breaths (from breathing exercise)

This is a preview of 5 more ways of overcoming fear of flying. Read the full post (236 words, 1 image, estimated 57 secs reading time)

What is precompetitive or performance anxiety

Aug 18th, 2008
by Tina.
1 comment

baseball oops

WHAT IS PRECOMPETITIVE ANXIETY?

Imagine that it is the night before a sports competition and you begin to worry about whether you will be that dependent star player or win the trophy. You may have symptoms such as dry mouth, sweaty palms and rapid heart rate right before the “big game”. This is an example of precompetitive anxiety (PCA), one at the most debilitating variables in sport performance. It is a state of arousal that is unpleasant or negative and occurs during the 24 hour span prior to competition. Every athlete and performer has varying degrees of this to which it influences the outcome of the performance.

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Helping someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Jun 3rd, 2008
by Tina.
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People experiencing obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms and their family may spend years not knowing what is wrong. Even with a diagnosis, there is tension within relationships and it can be frustrating, often taking a toll on family and friends. Family dynamics are impacted and social networks can become small. Here are some ways that family and friends can do to help a loved one diagnosed with OCD.

  • Learn about the disorder

    Researching the disorder is important so that you can find out about misconceptions like how people suffering from OCD lack willpower, are lazy or suffers from trauma. Learning can help foster an understanding of what the person is going through. Encourage your loved one who suffers from OCD to read literature or watch presentations.

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Understanding what obsessive compulsive disorder is

May 27th, 2008
by Tina.
1 comment

I was washing my hands thinking about the act of washing my hand. I like to put the soap on my hand first and then wash it under the water. I have rituals like this, but they don’t consume my life. I wanted to research more about this topic of how a simple ritual is different from obsessive compulsive disorder.

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? (National Institute of Mental Health, Mayo Clinic)

This is a preview of Understanding what obsessive compulsive disorder is. Read the full post (1154 words, 1 image, estimated 4:37 mins reading time)
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