Let’s talk about Anxiety, the Illness We All Suffer From

Let's talk about Anxiety, the Illness We All Suffer From

Lorena Salthu

– Last updated: June 18, 2024

Discover how anxiety affects mind and body, its root causes and the risk of not treating it. An analysis from psychology and psychoanalysis to understand and overcome this daily affliction.

Content:

How is Anxiety experienced?

Anxiety is a psychological experience that deeply affects the daily life of those who suffer from it. It is an emotional state characterized by constant restlessness, excessive worry, and a negative perception of the future. People suffering from anxiety often find themselves trapped in a cycle of recurring, catastrophic thoughts about what might happen, creating an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. This focus on the future, always perceived as uncertain and threatening, becomes an endless source of stress.

The anxious person lives in a state of constant alertness, with his or her mind constantly active, trying to anticipate and foresee any possible threat. This constant mental rumination produces a feeling of always being overtaken by reality, as if everyday events and situations were too overwhelming to handle. Anxiety is not simply a passing emotion; it is a persistent state of mind that colors every aspect of a person’s life, making daily tasks seem insurmountable and personal relationships suffer from this pervasive worry.

Research suggests that this type of anxious thinking is related to the exaggerated activation of certain areas of the brain, such as the amygdala, which is responsible for processing fear and emotions . This overstimulation perpetuates a cycle of anxiety, where the anticipation of future threats becomes a constant source of psychological discomfort.

How does anxiety manifest itself in the body?

Anxiety not only manifests itself at the mental level; it also has a significant impact on the body. One of the most common manifestations is a state of permanent alertness, where the sympathetic nervous system is in constant activation, as if the body is
always prepared to face imminent danger. This physiological response, known as the “fight or flight response,” is natural in situations of real danger, but in the case of anxiety, it is inappropriately and constantly activated.

Nervousness and muscle tension are other common physical symptoms. Anxious people often experience stiffness in the muscles, especially in the neck, shoulder and back area. This tension is not only uncomfortable, but can also lead to chronic pain and mobility difficulties.

Sleep disturbances are another common manifestation of anxiety. The inability to “switch off” the mind at night can result in insomnia, making it difficult to fall asleep or causing frequent awakenings during the night. This leads to a vicious cycle, where lack of sleep exacerbates anxiety symptoms, and anxiety, in turn, makes it difficult to rest.

In addition, fatigue and weakness are physical symptoms that accompany anxiety. The body, exhausted by constant stress and lack of sleep, feels fatigued, which reduces the person’s ability to cope with daily activities. This is compounded by problems concentrating or thinking about anything other than the current preoccupation, which significantly reduces productivity and the ability to enjoy life.

Studies have shown that prolonged anxiety can have adverse effects on physical health, such as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to the chronic stress imposed on the circulatory system. These physical symptoms are a reminder that anxiety is not just a mental condition, but a condition that affects the entire body.

Anxiety is Self-Feeding

One of the most complex aspects of anxiety is its ability to self-perpetuate. People suffering from anxiety often try to avoid situations or stimuli that they perceive as triggers for their symptoms. This avoidance strategy, while understandable, tends to reinforce the anxiety cycle rather than mitigate it.

From a psychoanalytic perspective, avoidance can be interpreted as a defense mechanism that the individual uses to protect himself from unconscious contents that are intolerable to him. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, described how the repression of internal conflicts can lead to the manifestation of neurotic symptoms, including anxiety. According to this theory, avoidance does not resolve the underlying conflict, but displaces it to other aspects of the individual’s life, generating a vicious circle where anxiety feeds back.

For example, when an anxious person avoids facing situations that generate discomfort, such as public speaking or making important decisions, he or she only increases his or her fear of those situations. Anxiety is intensified because avoidance reinforces the belief that these situations are, in fact, dangerous and should be feared. This cycle can lead to a progressive restriction of the subject’s world, who
becomes more and more limited in his daily activities and in his interaction with his social, family and work environment.

Jacques Lacan, another influential psychoanalyst, deepened the concept of anxiety, pointing out that it can arise as a response to desire and lack. According to Lacan, anxiety appears when the individual is faced with the uncertainty of his own desires and the impossibility of fully satisfying them. In this sense, anxiety is not only a symptom, but a sign of the internal conflict that the subject goes through in his relationship with his own desire and with the Other.

This psychoanalytic approach underlines the importance of not only treating the symptoms of anxiety, but of exploring its unconscious roots. Psychoanalytic treatment seeks to help the individual confront and elaborate these inner conflicts, rather than simply avoiding anxiety-provoking situations. This process can be challenging, but it is essential to break the cycle of self-generated anxiety and achieve lasting relief.

What are the Most Common Causes of Anxiety?

Anxiety is a response to a combination of biological, psychological and social factors. In the contemporary context, constant demands and the pressure to adapt quickly to change are some of the main contributors to anxiety.

We live in an era marked by speed and the demand for results. The need to be productive, successful and innovative, and to continually adapt to a constantly changing environment, generates an enormous amount of pent-up stress. This pressure can be especially intense in societies where personal and professional success is constantly measured, and where failure is seen as a significant threat to
the individual’s identity and self-esteem.

From a psychoanalytic point of view, this external pressure can activate internal conflicts related to the idealself and the superego, two key concepts in Freudian theory. The idealself represents the aspirations and standards that the individual seeks to achieve, while the Superego is the moral instance that imposes internal demands. When these demands are too high or when there is a discrepancy between the actual Self and the ideal, the individual may experience intense anxiety.

In addition, interpersonal relationships also play a crucial role in the development of anxiety. Social expectations, family dynamics, and early experiences with authority figures can contribute to forming anxious response patterns. For example, a person who has grown up in an environment where achievement and perfection were overemphasized may develop a tendency toward self-demand and self-criticism, factors that increase vulnerability to anxiety.

It is important to consider that anxiety does not arise from a single cause, but from the interaction of multiple factors that vary from one individual to another. This multifactorial approach is essential to understand why anxiety is such a prevalent condition and why it is necessary to approach it from different therapeutic angles, including psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and, in some cases, medication.

The risks of not receiving psychotherapeutic treatment

Anxiety, when not adequately treated, can escalate to levels of severity that seriously compromise the individual’s mental and physical health. One of the most significant risks is the possibility of anxiety escalating into panic attacks or panic attacks, which are acute episodes characterized by intense fear, shortness of breath, palpitations, sweating, and in some cases, feelings of depersonalization (a disconnection from the self) or derealization (a distorted perception of reality).

These episodes are not only extremely distressing at the time they occur, but can also have lasting effects on the person's life. The fear of experiencing another panic attack can lead to even more pronounced avoidance behavior, which in turn increases the risk of developing agoraphobia (fear of open spaces or of being in situations where escape may be difficult). This fear can be so debilitating that the person comes to avoid leaving their home, severely affecting their quality of life and their ability to function in social and work contexts.

In addition to panic attacks, untreated chronic anxiety can contribute to the development of other mental disorders, such as depression. The combination of anxiety and depression is of particular concern, as both disorders can feed and exacerbate each other, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to break without professional intervention.

From a psychoanalytic perspective, lack of treatment can perpetuate the unresolved internal conflicts that underlie anxiety. Sigmund Freud and other psychoanalysts have argued that anxiety symptoms are expressions of unconscious conflicts that need to be brought to consciousness and worked through in a therapeutic setting. Ignoring these conflicts or simply trying to suppress the symptoms can lead to an intensification of the symptoms, manifesting in more severe forms or in the development of new symptoms.

Psychotherapeutic treatment, which may include approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychoanalytic therapy or a combination of both, is essential to address anxiety effectively. CBT focuses on identifying and modifying the dysfunctional thought patterns that fuel anxiety, while psychoanalytic therapy seeks to explore and resolve the internal conflicts that underlie these patterns. In some cases, medication may be necessary to help manage symptoms, allowing therapy to be more effective.

Conclusión

Anxiety is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that affects both the mind and the body, and can have a devastating impact on the lives of those who suffer from it. It is essential to understand that anxiety is not simply a temporary state of nervousness or worry, but a condition that can self-perpetuate and escalate if not properly addressed.

Psychotherapeutic treatment is essential to break the cycle of anxiety. Through therapy, individuals can learn to manage their symptoms, explore and resolve internal conflicts that contribute to their anxiety, and develop new strategies for coping with situations that they previously found overwhelming. Ignoring anxiety or trying to avoid it can only lead to a worsening of symptoms and the development of more serious complications.

In an increasingly demanding world, where external pressures can trigger or exacerbate anxiety, it is more important than ever to seek professional help. Psychotherapy offers a path to recovery and wellness, allowing people to live a fuller life that is less dominated by fear and uncertainty. In the end, coping with anxiety with the right support is not only possible, but a crucial step toward recovery and personal growth.

References

Barlow, D. H. (2000). Unraveling the mysteries of anxiety and its disorders from the perspective of emotion theory. American Psychologist, 55(11), 1247-1263. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.11.1247.
Chrousos, G. P. (2009). Stress and disorders of the stress system. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2009.106.
Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (2010). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practice. New York: Guilford Press.
Freud, S. (1926). Inhibition, symptôme et angoisse.
Freud, S. (1938). Esquisse d’une psychanalyse.

With over 25 years of international experience in clinical and corporate settings, Lorena Salthu is a psychological counselor (Argentina) with specializations in Psychoneuroimmunology (Spain and the U.S.), psychoanalysis at EFPP (France), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

She practices clinically in London, Monaco, and Paris, offering services in Spanish, French, and English. She is also a member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society in the United Kingdom.

As the founder of PSY S.O.S, Lorena has created a global platform dedicated to providing free psychological crisis support, promoting mental health as an inherent human right.

Lorena Salthu – Founder of PSY S.O.S