Anxiety

                    

                    A Submission by Nkem Meniru

                                                                             Copyright  Nkem  Meniru December 2022

        

1. What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural human response to stress; when he is under threat.1 It is what we feel when we are worried, tense or afraid. A good mechanical illustration of anxiety is Young Modulus linear elastic behavior that shows the property of a material; how easily it can stretch and deform as the load on it increases in weight.2 Likewise, anxiety is an outcome of stress.3 A person with anxiety can easily return to normal health. But when it prolongs or becomes intense it can result in ill-health.

2. What are some kinds of Anxiety?

There are many kinds of anxiety. It depends on the triggers, the persistence and the associated trauma. They are:6,7 

-Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD

This anxiety is chronic and lasts longer without any reason.9 A constant worry without control. Often it comes with other illnesses.

-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD

This involves unreasonable thoughts and fears that lead to repetitive behaviors.10 For example, the fear of germs which results in washing of hands repeatedly. This may become a lifetime activity if not managed well.

-Panic disorder

This anxiety disorder involves regular attacks of fear. It can last between 5 minutes to an hour. It does not cause any physical harm.11 

-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD

People, individuals who has suffered from traumatic events such as wars, terrorists attacks, rapesand sexual abuse, home violence and bullying, car/plane accidents, floodings and landslides, earthquakes, hurricanes, storms and typhoons12 are prone to this kind of anxiety disorder.

-Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)

This involves a persistent fear of being watched and judged.13 The fear of speaking in public gatherings, in class, in the work and so on. This kind of experience can affect an individual's daily life.

3. What are the sources or Triggers of Anxiety

Common place experiences trigger anxiety. These experiences include physical and emotional abuse, being bullied and losing a parent.8 Among those are entrenched poverty, bereavement, pandemic, discrimination, famine, war and illness. When people are faced with those, including lack of jobs, low purchasing power, poor nutrition, internally displaced in camps, anxiety mounts.

• In Nigeria, especially in the north, people no longer go to their farms because of herdsmen/farmers clashes. Most surrounding villages/villagers are deserted due to fear of bandits and terrorists who burn and destroy their properties and kill them. They and the orphans ended up in IDP camps. 

• More than 15 million children in Nigeria are out of school, girls being the larger percentage. These downtrodden would grow up to become adults. 

Their experiences/trauma will definitely hunt them now or in future.

• The discrimination in employment also offers ‘anxiety’ a good ground to fester. Nepotism, favoritism and gender inequality play a big role in Nigerian Civil Service (federal and states). Gender discrimination around the globe is as old as the beginning of time. In Arab countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and several others people are segregated along sexual, religious lines. Women, for instance, are pushed out of public spaces- schools, politics, sports and so on. These negative societal norms are triggers of anxiety.

• The purchasing power of the Nigerian Naira and the other major currencies against the dollar have created hyperinflation on prices of food and other essential commodities and services. People do have insufficient funds for anything.

• The Coronavirus Pandemic is creating fear in people's minds, even with the vaccinations people are yet to recover its scourge. Travels are/were restricted. Economic activities halted. Individuals and the group's investment ruined. 

• The Ukrainian War has its toll on families and chains of goods/service providers. Food, especially grains and energy supplies are limited in supply. This winter witnessed a high cost of energy in the Western World. Governments have to subsidize in order to reduce anxiety in their people. 

Multinationals that have laid their staff are working hard to 

obtain other sources of energy.

• The climate also has its impact on how people feel. Floods and landslides in Germany, India, countries in SouthEast Asia have a high physical and human cost. Hurricanes in the Carribeans and the Eastern Seaboard of US, typhoons in SouthEast Asia destroyed properties and had high fatality.  The snow storm blizzards in the North America continent that have left many dead. The loss of loved ones always triggers anxiety. 

• Poor health or illness can also trigger anxiety. Too much worrying to get well and side-effects of drugs create anxiety. Symptoms of hypertension such as vision changes and irregular heart rhythm can also trigger anxiety.1

4. What are the symptoms/Signs of Anxiety

 Anxiety is an individual experience. I had one of those experiences during my high school days. I arrived late by train at 1:30a.m, to the city where my boarding school is located. And my only option of being safe and avoiding the hoodlums was by reaching my aunt’s house, 10km away from where I would go to school the next. It was either I trod through the train tunnel, the train bridge, the narrow bushy pathway and climb a knoll or I followed the long deserted road to her house. I began to project what would happen to me. In the tunnel I would be grabbed and molested; on the train bridge I would fall off, actually be pushed off. And I would end a life in a gorge below. Moreover the route was winding and bushy, a giant snake would most likely pounce. The second option was the long distance, meeting the men of the underworld and street dogs.  My stomach started churning as my heart was pounding. I was restless. Then lightheaded I avoided the back gate.  The first was short, ten poles away but was more frightening than the second route. And headed toward the front gate leading to the road. It was deserted really, inhabited only by street dogs and cats. I hung my bag on my shoulder while trekking.  The echoes of the heels of my shoes were spread several miles around by the cool night breeze. Footsteps were gyrating behind me. Some unfamiliar noises were echoing too. I plodded on in the middle of the road, gasping and sweating. After an hour's walk, I arrived at the gates of my destination. Then the doom imagination flew away. Therefore anxiety is the feel of what would happen and the human response. I was worried about what would happen. And my mind created those pictures of what would happen. They were pictures of impending doom. Based on those dooms I made a decision to follow a lesser doom. Overall, the symptoms of my anxiety showed clearly- the thoughts of the impending doom, the churning stomach, the pounding heart, the restlessness, the fast breathing and the sweating5. 

E. How can we overcome Anxiety?

-Take control of your fears.4 Identify the triggers.5 The second time I came 

late, I took the first route and arrived at my auntie's house much earlier. Though the risks were bigger, the symptoms of anxiety I experienced were less because I was able to manage my thoughts.

• Break up with  caffeine4, smoking and alcohol.5 Eat healthy 3 - vegetables, fruits and other necessary food that constitute diet. And don’t skip meals. The regulated meals should be light. 

• Adjust your lifestyle. Make some behavioral changes. Learn to relax3, exercise5 and keep to bedtimes.4 Make sleep a priority.5 Your exercises may not be rigorous, strict and long. Keep them simple, regular, within short durations.

• Share your experiences with trusted friends. Talk about it. If you are facing prolonged anxiety, talk to the health care providers about medication immediately. They are trained to handle such health problems. Their advice is always a great help.

F. What are the Solutions or Ways of Treating Severe Anxiety?

• You should see a health care provider.

• She will decide whether to place you on Talk Therapy or Medications. It depends on the diagnosis.

G. Summary of the Concept ‘Anxiety’

Anxiety is caused by insidious thoughts, worry and fear. The events such as childhood experiences, for instance bullying at school, parents’ 

separation and so on, can trigger anxiety later in life. When anxiety is intense or prolonged, it leads to health problems which can be physical or mental. On the positive note, anxiety can raise temporary panics15 that last for minutes. This alarm or body clock may enable someone to make better decisions during worry and fear of the impending dangerous situations.