Term Paper on "Anxiety -- Mental Disorder or Just Modern"

Term Paper 3 pages (1053 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Anxiety -- Mental Disorder or Just Modern Culture?

Sometimes it seems like to live even an ordinary life, in today's day and age, is to live in a state of perpetual anxiety. One is anxious to get to work or school on time in one's car, while one is commuting, one is anxious to perform one's task to the highest standard, and even during leisure time, there is anxiety about looking the right way, paying one's bills for gas or the newest 'must have' high tech gadget, or simply staying alive in an increasingly dangerous world.

A state of anxiety, as opposed to a temporary state of depression or stress, might be described as a pervasive sense of dread or fear that never abates. It never comes to a climax of adrenaline or despair and then dissipates -- it is simply always there, a constant nagging source of worry upon the body and mind. When anxiety becomes a part of daily life, the wear and tear upon the body, mind, and spirit can seem unbearable to the sufferer.

In some ways, one could say that a pathological state of anxiety is feeling stressed out all of the time, even about ordinary things that should not prove stress or grief. It is normal to feel stressed about taking a major exam, such as the SATs, or to face the prospect of losing a dearly beloved job -- or a loved one.

But is it normal to feel not simply stressed about exams, but to feel stressed out about homework every night? Is it normal to feel as if every assignment is a test of one's intellectual mettle, and has a crucial impact upon one's GPA and thus one's entire life prospects of getting a good job, getting into a good graduate school, etc. Is it normal to feel as if the axe of downsizing is going to deprive one's self of one's livelihood and retirement nest egg at any moment, because of the unstable corporate environment where one works? Is it normal to feel anxious about the safety and security about one's spouse or child, given the perils they might face simply going to work and school?

The sad answer to many of these questions, is yes -- that life is growing increasingly competitive, cutthroat, and dangerous. Thus it might have become 'normal' for many people to feel constantly anxious. This does not mean, however, because anxiety is normal and endemic to many contemporary existences, that it is a good thing. Rather, the pervasiveness of anxiety drains the joy from personal life and the productivity from one's working, public life.

Ironically, this increased normalcy of the 'anxious' way of thinking has also meant an increased push amongst the psychiatrist community to medicate anxiety with prescription drugs. However, as concerns about side effects -- dare one say, anxiety -- about undetected side effects of even supposedly reputable drugs prescribed by doctors increase, some therapists are turning to new forms of talk therapy instead, rather than to medication to medicate their patient's anxieties.

Some therapists are even advocating a turn to religion or philosophy as a way of self-medicating… READ MORE

How to Reference "Anxiety -- Mental Disorder or Just Modern" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Anxiety Disorder and Subjective Distress Term Paper

Pathologizing Anxiety: When is it Healthy to be Anxious?

Psychiatry and psychology have a history of confusing normal behavior that is outside of the average with pathology. Anyone with any… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1401 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Psychology / Behavior / Psychiatry

---

Etiology of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Disorder Term Paper

Supranuclear Palsy

A discussion of the neurological etiology of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Disorder

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is an unusual neurodegenerative situation that leads to severe executive dysfunction. The traditional… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1743 words) Sources: 10 Style: APA Topic: Disease / Virus / Disorder / Injury

---

Borderline Personality Disorder Definitions and Historical Foundations Term Paper

Borderline Personality Disorder

Definitions and historical foundations

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM

Etiology

DBT

Genetics

Environmental Conditions

Neurological issues

Diagnoses and related issues

Comorbidity

Psychopharmacological approaches

Dialectical… read more

Term Paper 45 pages (12483 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Psychology / Behavior / Psychiatry

---

Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD Term Paper

Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-ADHD is considered to be a general psychiatric problem occurring in childhood and frequently continue into the adulthood. (Szymanski; Zolotor, 114) the… read more

Term Paper 20 pages (7308 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Child Development / Youth / Teens

---

Bipolar Disorder in Children Research Paper

Bipolar disorder in children: The hidden epidemic -- or the hidden over-Diagnosis epidemic?

The diagnosis of bipolar disorder amongst children has increased four-fold in the United States. The reasons for… read more

Research Paper 4 pages (1351 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Psychology / Behavior / Psychiatry

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>